35 Great Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes

Slow-cook pork shoulder roast and Mexican spices to tender goodness, then serve with corn tortillas. Fresh cilantro, green onion and bottled green salsa add the finishing touches.

Mexican Tacos Carnitas

Corn and diced ham stud buttermilk pancakes topped with bright fruit salsa. Serve them for a savory brunch or light dinner with a green salad.

Mexican Cornmeal Pancakes with Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa

Create a meatless main dish in minutes by sauteeing sweet potatoes, then adding canned corn and black beans. Top with a chipotle-flavor sour cream, avocado slices and fresh cilantro.

Mexican Sweet Potato-Veggie Medley

Tuck mango salsa, Gouda cheese, and chopped turkey or chicken into flour tortillas for sweet and smoky quesadillas.

Turkey-Mango Quesadillas

Either fresh or frozen tilapia works well for these tacos. Just rub the fish with seasonings, and it's ready for the skillet. Serve with a creamy chipotle sauce and a zesty combination of chopped onions, tomatoes and cilantro.

Tilapia Tacos with Chipotle Cream

Great for a potluck or family dinner, this 12-serving casserole combines polenta with ground turkey, spices, black beans, tomatoes and Monterey Jack cheese.

Mexican Polenta Pie

Layer wedges of corn tortillas with a mixture of green salsa, sour cream, shrimp and corn for this casserole. Give it a fresh finish with some cilantro, sour cream and chopped tomato.

Fiesta Tortilla-Shrimp Casserole

Layer a tomato-bean mixture, cheese and tortillas for a casserole with south-of-the-border flavor. Let each guest top their portion with chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, green onions, olives and/or sour cream.

Tortilla-Black Bean Casserole

Combine tomatoes, fresh cilantro, onion, garlic and chili pepper with sugar and fresh lemon or lime juice for a fast, fresh-tasting salsa.

Best Salsa

Let your family or guests build their own filled tortillas. The recipe comes from Manny's Restaurante Mexicano in Kansas City. Although Manny makes his pico de gallo, chili sauce, refried beans and Mexican rice, you can substitute purchased products.

Fajitas

This lighter version of a classic brunch dish uses ground turkey sausage, skim milk, light sour cream and reduced-fat cheese to cut down on fat and calories. You can make this up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate until baking.

Mexican Sausage Strata

This cheese and vegetable casserole cooks right on your stove -- no oven-baking required. The recipe is from renowned Chicago chef Rick Bayless.

Easy Tortilla Casserole

This taco-flavored main dish is a potluck favorite from a Fargo, North Dakota, reader. Serve it with tortilla chips so your guests can scoop and eat.

Mexican Biscuit Casserole

Ground Beef and Salsa Chili, from The Dakota Diner in Webster, South Dakota, can be on the table in 30 minutes or less. Customize the heat level to your preference by the spiciness of the salsa you use.

Ground Beef and Salsa Chili

Sandwich creamy dulce de leche filling between homemade chocolate cookies for a Mexican-inspired dessert treat.

Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies with Dulce De Leche Filling

Turn leftover turkey (or chicken) into soup in just 20 minutes by adding pantry-ready ingredients, such as salsa, chicken broth and tortilla chips.

Turkey Tortilla Soup