Three easy Cinco de Mayo dishes

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day (that's in September) but it is an important celebration of Mexican heritage, one which is particularly popular in the United States. Most Cinco de Mayo celebrations involve margaritas and tequila, and that's great! But maybe you want some food in your stomach first.

1. Easy Mexican rice
Mexican rice is the basis of so many classic Mexican dishes, and it's also delicious just on its own. This side dish starts with either brown or white rice, then adds garlic, peppers, onions, diced tomatoes and a few other ingredients to make a quick and delicious rice dish. I'll have mine with extra sour cream, please! (I know they don't really use sour cream in Mexico, but I don't care. That stuff is delicious.)

2. Refried beans
Canned refried beans are just not as good as the real thing. This recipe starts with dried pinto beans, and ends with yummy refried beans that you can either serve as a side dish or add as a filling to other Mexican classics (like burritos or tacos).

3. Enchiladas
Whoever thought of putting enchilada sauce in a can is a genius. A GENIUS. (You might also want to try upgrading your meal by making homemade enchilada sauce - it looks pretty easy!) I have to admit I always take the lazy route when it comes to enchiladas. I use canned sauce and those big bags of pre-shredded cheese. It only takes a few minutes to assemble your enchiladas, then you bake them for a while, and then you get to eat them. So great!

When you make enchiladas at home, be aware that the success of the dish is - in my opinion - directly correlated to the amount of cheese that you add. Do not skimp on the cheese! Throw that stuff in there with wild abandon.

Image courtesy Flickr/joshbousel