6 Kid-Friendly Cinco De Mayo Recipes

Cinco de Mayo is always a fun holiday for my family as my husband's family is Latin, and they love taking the opportunity to get together and cook. It's been lots of fun learning their home recipes and favorite foods. Here is a little round-up of kid-friendly cinco de mayo recipes my in-laws have passed on to me.

Homemade Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2-3 ripe avocados
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2-3 cherry tomatoes, chopped

Start by dicing the tomatoes and avocados. Put them in a mixing bowl and add the liquid ingredients. Once you've prepped your ingredients, little hands can join in. This is a great activity because they can help you mash, pour and stir—the fun parts. My son likes to "test" the recipe by dipping corn chips to make sure it's just right.

Rainbow Salsa

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes
• Orange and yellow peppers
• Black beans
• Purple onion
• Green jalapenos (or green bell peppers)
• Lime juice, salt, and pepper

This is a fun Cinco de Mayo recipe to make because it's so colorful. You can also customize it to include veggies that your family likes. The original recipe gives step-by-step instructions, and it takes no more than 10 minutes to make.

Sombrero Cookies

Ingredients:

• Homemade or store bought sugar cookies
• White icing
• Gumdrops & sprinkles

I saw this idea on Pinterest and loved how festive and easy it is to recreate. Don't let the name scare you—this idea is easy for all ages. What little kiddo doesn't want to build a hat cookie! My son was convinced it was for the Man in the Yellow Hat from Curious George!

Festive Fruit Cup

Ingredients:

• Fresh fruit sliced up – most commonly used are mango, watermelon, or cantaloupe
• Chili powder and fresh lime wedges

This traditional Mexican "street snack" is served in a cup with a sprinkle of chilli powder and lime juice. If that's too daring for your children you can add sorbet or rainbow sherbet for a kid-friendly version.

Gluten Free Churro Puppy Chow

Gluten-free lovers unite! I was so excited to find this idea on a blog dedicated to gluten-free eating.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups rice chex
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup white chocolate chips ( I use dairy free chocolate because my son can't have dairy)
   

My Super Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

• Chicken cutlets
• Packet of Hidden Valley ranch powder
• 1/2–3/4 cup of hot sauce

I had found a slow cooker recipe for chicken tacos that was too complicated for my rookie skills, so I've modified it a bit to include only a few ingredients. It takes you no more than 5 minutes, which is why I love it! Add the chicken, ranch packet, and hot sauce into the slow cooker. Then, add about 1 cup of water to keep everything covered. Let the chicken cook for 3-4 hours in the slow cooker on low. Shred the chicken before making your tacos.

Offer your favorite sides to add to corn tacos. My suggestions: black beans, sweet corn, fresh spinach, and manchengo cheese!

From my family to yours, Happy Cinco de Mayo! This year we've decided to have a piñata for the kiddos to enjoy. What traditions do your families have?