Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Cinco de Mayo is one of our favorite yearly celebrations, as it is a perfect occasion to get together with good friends and family to enjoy some great times and better food!
However, if you are someone who has dietary restrictions causing you to avoid meat or are hosting your own party where attendees will have these kinds of restrictions, you may feel boxed in as to what festive food you can enjoy. After all, when you think of many traditional Mexican foods, meat in the form of beef, chicken, or pork is often a common element.
But, fret not! There is another protein source that is synonymous with Mexican cuisine: the humble bean! Beans are a delicious source or protein for any Cinco de Mayo recipe and can help make any recipe you want meatless.
If your dietary restrictions prevent you from having meat, there are plenty of amazing vegetarian-friendly recipes out there that are delicious enough to go toe-to-toe with any Cinco de Mayo recipe out there. Here is a selection of some of our favorite Randall Beans original recipes for enjoying a meatless Cinco de Mayo.
Vegetarian Tamales with Randall Pinto Beans
Tamales may seem like a complex recipe for those that have never made them before, what with all the stuffing and wrapping in corn husks hoping and praying that they cook right. However, tamales are actually deceptively simple, and the perfect recipe to make meatless for your Cinco de Mayo celebration. This simple and traditional pinto bean tamale recipe doesn’t do anything fancy, but is bursting with incredible flavors. They are perfect with a side of rice and refried beans and make terrific leftovers.
Layered Pinto Bean Enchilada Casserole
Enchiladas are delicious, but rolling them can be so much work. This recipe from a Randall Beans fan makes pinto bean enchiladas the easy way, by creating layer after layer of enchilada goodness between tortillas like a casserole. The fun of cooking your own Cinco de Mayo feast at home is that you can make creative choices to make the dishes you love more simple and more “you”, which is why we love these fun meatless enchiladas.
Randall’s Vegan Pinto Bean Tacos
Want a more classic take on meatless tacos? This vegan taco recipe directly substitutes pinto beans for the meat, preparing the beans similar to simple make-at-home tacos by generously seasoning the beans in taco spices. While this recipe is totally vegan as is, if you want to just make it vegetarian by adding the beans to regular tacos shells and add cheese that is fine too! Make these meatless pinto bean tacos your favorite way!
Mexican Casserole
Another take of unrolled enchiladas, this pinto bean casserole introduces tons of bold flavors into one casserole dish. You can use store-bought enchilada sauce for this recipe as well, but we’ve also included a quick and tasty enchilada sauce recipe you can make right at home with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! With this Cinco de Mayo casserole, you’ll be able to satisfy a big crowd with ease.
