Southwestern Menu Ideas: An Introduction

You've probably noticed more Southwestern themed restaurants popping up lately. They furnish menus decorated with the tempting treats of Texas Barbeque Brisket, Chiles Rellenos, tacos, fajitas, and Texas Pecan Pralines. If you want to bring the tasty delights of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah to the dinner table, you will find a variety of flour- and corn tortilla recipes, as well as the use of beans, peas, chili sauces, and hot peppers. Below you will find a few suggestions on what to include on your Southwestern themed menu:

Breakfast Tacos:
Breakfast burritos and tacos are easy to make and provide high quality protein to start the day off right. Breakfast tacos and burritos consist of a fried tortilla that is rolled and stuffed with a collection of ingredients, such as seasoned meat, eggs, cheese, onions, or salsa. The dish is so popular that it is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A basic recipe for a breakfast taco may include flour or corn tortillas, chopped onions, butter, ground cumin, minced garlic cloves, eggs, salsa, and shredded Cheddar cheese.

Chimichanga:
In the Southwest, Mexican food is quite popular and when you visit places like Tucson, Arizona, you will find that many variations of Tex-Mex cuisine decorate the menus of the majority of restaurants. The chimichanga (or "chimi") is a burrito consisting of meat, vegetables, and various spices. The dish is deep-fried and typically served on a bed of lettuce with cheese and a mild sauce. Some of the main ingredients for a chimichanga include flour tortillas, ground beef, chopped onions, red chile sauce, enchilada sauce, salt, black pepper, shredded Cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, guacamole, and sliced black olives.

Chili Con Carne:
The chili of the Southwest is made into a stew-like soup that consists of meat, chiles, and chili powder. Depending on where you reside in the United States, you may or may not prepare the dish with beans. When the chili contains meat, it is called "con carne."

Prickly Pear Margarita:
To wash down your Southwestern meal, why not indulge in a prickly pear margarita? For many centuries, the Native Americans used the prickly pear as a staple food, as it grew quite wild in the desert. To make your own tasty drink at home, you will need crushed ice, freshly squeezed lime juice, frozen limeade, Tequila, Triple Sec, prickly pear cactus juice, sugar or agave nectar, and a lime wedge for a garnish.

Southwestern Inspired Recipes:
Breakfast Burritos
Easy Enchiladas
Quick Fajitas
Hearty Quesadillas
Mexican Chicken Wraps
Mexican Style Stuffed Bell Peppers
Mexican Lasagna
Sweet Corn and Halibut Tamales
Cheesy Guacamole
Southwestern Snack Mix
Fast & Spicy Bean Dip