No matter what the occasion is, food is almost always the main event for Latinos. And deciding what to make is often the biggest battle. Making sure the guests enjoy what you chef up, while simultaneously trying to live up to mami's reputation of being the best cook ever can be a really daunting task.
It's like moms and grandmas have some sort of special superpower for making delicious meals. But guess what? While we may want to attribute all of the yumminess of our favorite Latin dishes to our loved one's abilities, it's also all about the ingredients. Latin dishes are usually bursting with flavor because of what goes into them.
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From cooking with plátanos to coconut, we know how to infuse Latin flare into our meals. These ingredients are often subtle reminders of our culture and many times the places we used to call home. Walking into a house where someone's cooking and catching that whiff of ajo, peppers, jalapeños, and whatever else they mixed together to make that delicious meal is an experience that never gets old.
But even if we can't get mami's recipes just right, we can serve up some new dishes that still include some of those yummy ingredients. From bacon olive wraps to plantains stuffed with guava and cheese, there's no limit to the kind of meals you'll be able to serve up at your next event or family dinner. Here's a list of 20 recipes using ingredients commonly found in Latino dishes that'll have your guests packing up that to-go plate.