Mexican Fiesta Checklist

Set the scene with decorations in vibrant hues, such as real or paper flowers in pink, orange, violet, and blue. Hang colorful lights or paper banners. Add color with a bowl of limes, inexpensive Mexican prayer candles, and mix-and-match serving bowls.

Give your table an authentic touch by serving homemade guacamole from a molcajete (Spanish for mortar and pestle) made of stone. Serve chips or display utensils in rustic pottery or wicker bowls.

Every Mexican fiesta needs margaritas—either rent a frozen margarita machine or make lime sorbet margaritas with lime sorbet, sugar, fresh lime, and tequila. For kids, serve up fresh limeades or fruity Mexican sodas.

Serve chips and mini quesadillas with salsa, guacamole, and FAMOUS QUESO DIP. Click here www.rotelvelveeta.com for recipe.

Create a low-fuss, crowd-pleasing nacho bar where guests can pour warm queso over tortilla chips and add toppings like ground meat, grilled chicken, beans, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, green onions, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, olives, and jalapenos.

Serve up other easy-to-make Mexican dishes like enchiladas, Mexican rice, pinto beans, tacos, or tortilla soup. Keep the spice-level mild, but set out hot sauce, salsa, and jalapenos for those who want to pump up the heat.

Guests will love Mexican desserts like churros (fried dough sprinkled with sugar), flan, tres leches cake, or Mexican wedding cookies served with café con leche (Spanish coffee with milk).

Liven up the fiesta with energetic music, like salsa or mariachi tunes. Make a playlist ahead of time on your MP3 player so it’s ready to go. Or turn on a Spanish music radio station so your guests can swivel their hips all night.

Hit a piñata.This game is a hit with kids (and adults!). Fill a piñata full of candy and hang it from a tree. Blindfolded players each whack the piñata with a stick until it bursts open. It’s a candy free-for-all as players collect the treats.

Let your guests take home mini maracas, jars of homemade salsa, or little packets of Mexican chewing gum so they can remember the fun-filled fiesta!