Cinco de Mayo is almost upon us, the day that commemorates the victory of the Mexican army over the French near the city of Puebla onĀ 5 May 1862. In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is a day to celebrate Mexican culture. If you know me, you gotta know that I’m down with that & I hardly need any excuse to whip up some Mexican food. I thought I’d celebrate the day with Rick Bayless Brick Red Mole napped over Shredded Barbacoa Beef Enchiladas & see what I thought of his recipe.

Enchilada Sauce (from the pantry)
There’s nothing like a little Mexican food when you’re just absolutely over Christmas & Christmas leftovers & New Years and New Years leftovers. And then there were the leftovers from the leftovers. So change it up and make enchiladas!

Enchiladas con Carne
Those of you who know me know I’m kind of a sucker for Mexican food. Or Southwestern. Or Tex-Mex. When I saw these old school Tex-Mex type enchiladas pop up in an email from the New York Times, I was all over it. Enchiladas con Carne fromĀ El Real Tex-Mex in Houston.

Enchiladas con Pollo
Years and years ago my sister gave me a cookbook called Women of Great Taste from the Junior League of Wichita, Kansas. It wasn’t a big cookbook, but I used it a LOT. Their Enchiladas con Pollo became a family favorite. Talk about cheesy creamy deliciousness!