Our Favorite Recipes to Try in 2016

The new year is always a time for positive change and improvement—and we believe that should ring true in every aspect of your life, right down to the food you eat. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of some of our favorite recipes from the past year of blog posts. Add these to recipes to try in 2016 to your list and you’re sure to have a few new favorites!

Poblano Chimichanga

A deep-fried poblano chimi is topped with delicious red enchilada sauce, baja sauce, Jack cheese, and tomatoes. Garnished with the lettuce, tomatoes, and blue tortilla strips, this beautiful dish tastes just as good as it looks. Recipe.

Green Chili Pork Burro

This yummy green chili pork burro recipe is a must-try for 2016. Loaded with delicious sour cream, stew, and black beans—and topped with Jack cheese, this recipe is sure to please. It’s pretty filling, too, so be sure to bring your appetite! Recipe.

Shrimp and Chorizo Taquitos

When you’re in the mood for a flavorful dish that’ll leave you full and satisfied, you can’t go wrong with these shrimp and chorizo taquitos. When it comes to Mexican shrimp recipes, it really doesn’t get any yummier (or easier) than this one. You can even serve this dish up with a variety of side sauces, cheeses, and other add-ons so everybody at your dinner table can customize their own dish. Recipe.

Green Chile Pork Stew

The flavors of this dish marry together so well, you’ll wonder why you never thought of this combination before! The tangy salsa and the kick of spice from the poblano chiles perfectly complement the flavor of the braised pork, creating a taste that’s truly out of this world. The next time you’re looking for a Mexican dinner recipe that’s simple yet incredibly flavorful, be sure to keep green chile pork stew in mind. Recipe.

Traditional Mexican Grilled Corn

Sometimes, you just need a side dish that’s simple to make but still loaded with flavor. This grilled corn recipe is that side dish. Bursting with the flavor of fresh cotija cheese, chile pequin, and lime juice, this is sure to be a new favorite go-to side dish for Mexican dinner nights. Recipe.

Watermelon Jalepeño Margarita

Of course, what Mexican dish would be complete without a margarita? This light and refreshing beverage comes with a spicy kick and packs quite the punch! Don’t knock it until you try it. Recipe.

The Ultimate Frozen Margarita

If that last margarita recipe was a little too “out there” for you, this frozen margarita recipe will be right up your alley. Nothing is more refreshing than a frozen beverage, especially in the midst of a hot, sweaty summer day. Perfect for enjoying poolside or out on the patio! Recipe.

Hopefully, this post has given you some fun new ideas to work into your weeknight or weekend dinner rotation. Of course, if you don’t feel like cooking, remember that you’re always welcome to stop by and order any of these dishes for yourself right here at Macayo’s! We hope to see you soon!

New Year’s Eve in Mexico

In the United States, most people celebrate New Year’s Eve at parties with their loved ones, where they count down when the ball drops and eat lots of delicious food. However, not all countries share the same New Year’s Eve traditions as we do. In fact, New Year’s Eve in Mexico is a very different scene than it is here in the States.

Food Traditions

Where cheese and sausage plates are the norm here in America, Mexico has its own unique food traditions. For example, there’s the Mexican pan dulce that’s typically served just before midnight. When the cake is baked, the baker randomly inserts a lucky coin into the batter. The person who ends up with the coin in his or her cake slice is said to be the person with the most luck in the new year.

Some other traditional food and drinks you’ll often find on New Year’s Eve in Mexico include ponche (a fruit punch with rum), egg nog, and tamales.

Color Significance

In Mexico, the colors red and yellow are said to symbolize love and financial prosperity, respectively. On New Year’s Eve, then, many superstitious people will wear either red or yellow underwear in order to bring good luck upon themselves in those areas next year.

New Year’s Games

There are all kinds of fun games that are often played at New Year’s Eve parties across Mexico. For starters, there’s the piñata, which is customarily stuffed with candies for children to break into. Some will also play a game where everybody takes a piece of paper and writes down a list of the best and worst things that happened to them in the past year. At midnight, everybody throws their lists into a fire, which is meant to symbolize a new beginning and the removal of negative energy.

Other Rituals

There are a lot of superstitions held on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in Mexico. In addition to the colored underwear superstition mentioned above, many people also celebrate the new year by eating 12 grapes—one for each second after the new year begins. Each grape is believed to bring good luck for one month into the new year.

Aside from these unique traditions and rituals, it should be noted that New Year’s Eve is not as widely celebrated in Mexico as it tends to be in the United States. Rather than throwing large parties and gatherings, most families stay home and ring in the new year together. Of course, this doesn’t apply to everybody in Mexico. Some restaurants and other businesses will host larger gatherings, and some cities have dedicated street festivals to celebrate the new year as well.

These are just a few of the interesting and unique ways in which Mexico tends to celebrate the closing of one year and the beginning of a new one. If you ever get a chance to spend a New Year’s Eve in Mexico, you should certainly take advantage of it and partake in some of these traditions!

Mexican Chocolate Dessert Recipes

When a chocolate craving hits, it’s not something you can easily ignore. Your appetite simply won’t be satisfied until you’ve eaten some kind of chocolate dessert. But if a candy bar or a simple chocolate cake recipe just won’t hit the spot, the good news is that we’ve got some yummy and surprisingly simple Mexican chocolate dessert recipes for you to try!

Mexican Hot Chocolate

What’s better than a mug of hot chocolate, especially on a chilly night? This Mexican hot chocolate recipe will leave you wondering why you ever bought pre-packaged hot cocoa. With some simple ingredients, such as milk, cocoa powder, and chile powder, you can create a delicious and creamy mug of hot cocoa in no time. It’s as easy as combining the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. You can even add cornstarch for added thickness, if desired.

Churros With Chocolate Peppermint Syrup

Think the only way to get churros is to head out to your local Macayo’s location or wait for a fair to roll into town? Think again! With a little bit of sugar, flour, vegetable oil, and cinnamon, you can make your very own crispy and delicious churros at home. This particular recipe features churros paired with a delectable chocolate peppermint syrup that’s made with a little sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, chocolate chips, and peppermint extract. Perfect for dipping or drizzling!

Mexican Chocolate Guinness Cake

Love chocolate cake? Love Guinness beer? This recipe allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds with a sampling of both flavors! This bundt chocolate Guinness cake is perfect for serving up at your next gathering and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. A small amount of Mexican chocolate and a cup of Guinness go a long way in developing the unique and delicious flavors of this recipe. With a bit of whipping cream, cream cheese, and powdered sugar, you can even create a homemade frosting to top this cake off and really wow your guests.

Salted Mexican Chocolate Chile Caramels

Even if you’ve had salted caramels in the past, you simply haven’t lived until you’ve enjoyed Mexican chocolate salted caramels. Trust us on this one! But wait; there’s no reason to rush out to your local Mexican grocery store to grab some of these for yourself. You might already have the basic ingredients on-hand to make these in the comfort of your own home. With a mixture of bittersweet and Mexican chocolate, dried red chiles, sugar, and heavy cream, you’ll be well on your way to creating these little squares of deliciousness. Just be sure to make these for a crowd; otherwise, you might find yourself finishing off an entire dish in one night. They’re that good.

These are just a few ideas for Mexican chocolate desserts to try out for yourself the next time you’re in the mood for something sweet with a little bit of a kick! From simple hot chocolate to salted Mexican chocolate chile caramels and everything in between, you really can’t go wrong with any of these unique and easy recipes.

DIY Christmas Tree Piñata

Most people agree that some of the best gifts are ones that come from the heart—not ones you can buy in stores. If you’re looking for a truly unique gift idea that you can customize to suit your loved one’s interests, then you’ll want to consider making and gifting DIY piñatas this holiday season. These fun piñatas can be made in the shape of a Christmas tree or any other holiday shape you desire! From there, you can fill them with candy, smaller gifts, or even booze (for those of-age)!

Not sure you can pull of a DIY Christmas tree piñata? No worries. We’ve got three different methods to try, so you can find the one that works for you, regardless of your crafting skills.

Confetti Burst Piñatas

This option is great because it comes with a free, printable template for you to start with! For this piñata, all you need is some sturdy cardboard, green streamers, tissue paper, mylar, paint, tape, confetti, and your choice of piñata filling! Essentially, this method involves cutting out two identical cardboard trees from the included template. Then, it’s a matter of cutting and taping a cardboard border around one template before attaching the second tree to create a 3-D shape. This is great for making a larger size piñata that could even be used for entertaining at a holiday party. Instructions.

Cute Mini Piñatas

If you’ve got multiple piñatas to make, we recommend this mini piñata tutorial, which is a little less time consuming and will allow you to make more piñatas in a shorter period of time. Rather than using intricate tree cutouts, this piñata design uses simple triangular shapes and relies on the streamers and mylar to create the appearance of a Christmas tree. Pretty clever! Plus, you can easily attach loops or hooks to the tops of each piñata so they can double as tree ornaments until it’s time to bust them open on Christmas morning and reveal the treats inside. Oh, and these can be made with simple cardstock; no need to mess with cardboard, which can be difficult to cut. Instructions.

Handmade Piñata Ornaments

We would recommend this DIY piñata design if you’re looking for an easier option that’s suited for younger children who might otherwise get frustrated or bored by the more tedious work involved in the other two tutorials. With this one, you can take any old cardboard container in your home, whether it be from a cereal box or some other packaging, and turn it into a cute piñata in a matter of minutes. Simply cut out identical versions of the shape you want from a colorful cardboard package (this will reduce the need to decorate it further if you’re doing this as a chldren’s craft). Of course, you can always add colorful streamer if desired! Instructions.

Once you give these piñata tutorials a try, you’ll see that making your very own piñata from scratch is easier than you may have previously thought. From there, you can gift customized versions of these cute designs to all of your loved ones and family members.

Creative and Fun Mexican Slow Cooker Recipes

Sometimes, you’re in the mood for a delicious Mexican taco, but you simply don’t have the time to prepare one from scratch. Just because you lack the motivation to cook doesn’t have to mean that you can’t enjoy a delicious taco with these Mexican slow cooker recipes! All you need is a slow cooker and a few minutes of time to prepare these set-and-go taco dishes that are sure to please.

Slow Cooker Potato Tacos

In less than thirty minutes, you can have this flavorful and unique potato taco filling cooking in your crock pot. Some cubed potatoes, garlic, chili flakes, and other basic ingredients are all you need. You’ll even have time to whip up some homemade mango avocado salsa. Yum! After six hours in the slow cooker, you’re ready to pile this filling onto a flour tortilla for a delicious meal. Recipe.

Slow Cooker Indian Tacos

For an Indian take on taco night, this slow cooker Indian taco recipe is perfect. This dish is not only flavorful, but surprisingly good for you as well! Packed with fiber and nutrients, this is a dish you can feel good about feeding your family (while saving yourself some time in the kitchen as well). Recipe.

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Tacos

You heard us right; this Thai version of your traditional taco has plenty of bold flavor that’s not for the faint of heart. Some diced chicken breast, a generous helping of curry paste, fresh lime juice, and other bold flavors permeate this dish. The best part? It takes just 20 minutes to prepare before you head out for work in the morning. By the time you come home, it’s hot and ready to serve! Recipe.

Slow Cooker Korean Inspired Street Tacos

If you’re really in a hurry to get dinner going, this is your go-to taco dish. With just 10-15 minutes required for prep, this recipe will have you setting it and forgetting it in no time. Just don’t forget about it for longer than six hours, which is exactly how long this dish needs to cook. With flavors of cilantro, lime, and a little kick of sriracha, this dish boasts a medley of flavors that you’re sure to love. And it’s perfect for entertaining large parties! Recipe.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork Tacos

Pork and pineapple together? You’d better believe it. Don’t just take our word for it, though. You have to try this oh-so-simple but flavorful crockpot dish for yourself. Pork shoulder, pineapple salsa, and a little bit of seasoning really go a long way in this recipe. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro leaves and lime wedges for presentation that looks almost as good as these tacos taste! This is sure to become a new favorite in your busy-day dinner rotation. Recipe.

When you’re short on time but don’t want to sacrifice on flavor, any of these slow cooker taco recipes are sure to please. Whether you’re in the mood for something sweet, spicy, or a little bit of both, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from here. Now, which recipe will you try out on your next busy night?