Esquites—toasted Mexican street corn—is transformed into a picnic-ready potato salad this recipe by University of Michigan Chef Tony Polito for the Idaho Potato Commission.  

Chilaquiles is a dish that uses leftover tortilla chips in a genius way, soaking them with sauce and eggs for a brunch to kickstart the day. This mash-up from Bel Brands/Price*s Pimiento takes pimento cheese on a Mexican vacation.

At Point Loma Nazarene, Sodexo Chef Dave McHugh makes plant-based tacos the hit of the dining hall with no one missing the meat. 

Here’s another take on chilaquiles by Jones Dairy Farm, in which turkey sausage and tomatillos team up with classic components tortillas, cilantro, jalapeno, onion and garlic for a breakfast bake that’s wide awake.  

Created for the American Lamb Board, this birria by Denver Chef Alex Seidel combines lamb shanks, three types of dried chiles, Mexican spices and then it’s simmer time!

Check out the blue corn tostadas on this dish by Chef Joshua Kemble and the National Watermelon Promotion Board. Kemble pulses watermelon into a salsa then reduces it down with spicy liqueur (borracha=drunk) before adding grilled steak and plating with queso cotija, pickled tomatillo and toasted cumin seeds. Watch the chef make this dish here.

This recipe , created by The Culinary Institute of America and the National Mango Board, uses a whole lot of spices, chiles and aromatics to make mango’s sweetness more complex-yet-comforting than ever.

Patacones, also known as tostones, are fried plantain slices that make a sturdy plank for toppings like Oaxaca cheese, queso relish and green onions, as California Chef Mary Grace Viado created here in collaboration with the California Milk Advisory Board. 

Queso as an ingredient and a menu highlight is going strong. This recipe from Land O’Lakes Foodservice makes sharing spicy again.

Hominy is essential for posole, and this recipe from Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner melds classic Mexican spices with hominy, beef and zucchini for a hearty-yet-summery stew recipe .

In another recipe from Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner, chipotle tacos are made with shredded shoulder pot roast and chipotle salsa and can be served birria-style (with a brothy consommé dip on the side). 

Speaking of birria, this recipe from The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley incorporates pureed red jalapeno, onion, garlic, peppercorns, chiles, Mexican oregano and more to create this craveable “Mexican grilled cheese.” 

Lamb shank turns meltingly tender from a low, slow braise then gets drizzled with crema and sprinkled with queso fresco, all atop a tostada in this recipe from Chef Jennifer O’Brien and True Aussie Beef & Lamb for Food Service.  

Acclaimed Chef Iliana de la Vega created these quirky quesadillas for the California Table Grape Commission by roasting red grapes alongside chiles until both flavors deepen and develop into a rich counterpart to the cheesy center of the plate.