Feliz Cinco de Mayo from your Galley Pirates!! Get ready for tomorrow. This holiday only falls on a Saturday once in a while (six years to be exact I think, if I did the math right) so make the best of it! Start early and party like it’s the weekend. Because it is!

We got a jump start on this south-of-the-border holiday with some righteous enchilada baskets using flour tortillas and muffin tins. Tortillas are the sarong of bread wraps. They can be twisted and folded a bunch of different ways to create a variety of new looks; but it’s still the same tortilla…and the same sarong.

Enchilada Baskets

2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, chopped
1-2 jalapeños, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 can enchilada sauce
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 can black beans
2/3 cup corn (canned or frozen)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
12 flour tortillas

For garnish:

2 avocados
1/2 lime
1/2 cup shredded cilantro

You’ll need a cookie sheet that will fit your galley oven and large muffin tins. (2 six-muffin tins work great.)

Heat your oven to 275º. Place your tortillas on a baking sheet. Place them in the oven and let warm until pliable. You may need to rearrange the tortillas so they all get evenly warm through.

Spray 12 large muffin tins with cooking spray. Once the tortillas have warmed enough to be pliable, place one tortilla into each muffin tin. They will have to be folded up a bit to fit. Cover loosely with plastic wrap while you make the filling. Turn your galley oven up to 350º. (One note about this recipe: if you like a crispier tortilla “basket” you can bake these unfilled in a 350º oven for 10 minutes until crispy and firm. Then fill and reheat. If you like a chewy tortilla, fill unbaked shells and heat in the oven only once. Today we went with the chewy version, not pre-baking the shells.)

Next start your filling. In your favorite large pot (and we know you Galley Pirates out there all have your favorite go-to pot…cooking pan, that is!) and brown the ground beef, chopped onions, minced garlic and jalapeños. Drain if there is grease pooling. (I hate trying to drain grease on a boat so I usually live with it. If it makes the filling too runny, just add some of the shredded cheese.)

Once browned, add black beans, corn, tomatoes and cilantro. Heat through. Slowly add the enchilada sauce. Only add half of the can at first. Make sure it doesn’t get too runny; you may not need the whole can. Add the seasonings and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Add two spoonfuls of the shredded cheese to help bind.

Next fill each tortilla cup with spoonfuls of filling. Fill to the top of the muffin tin. Place a spoonful or two of shredded cheese on each of the tortilla cups. Place in the oven and let bake for 10 minutes until the cheese melts.

Garnish with avocados (squeeze some lime juice on them so they don’t discolor) and cilantro. Serve hot in bowls to each of your passengers. And be sure they get some ice cold Mexican beer to go with it. We happened to be serving Modelo on this pre-Cinco de Mayo celebration. But also fitting are Tecate, Corona, Pacifico, Sol, Dos Equis, Carta Blanca….why not try them all! (But not at the same time. And not on the water. And not while captaining a boat…) Have a safe and happy Cinco de Mayo!

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Enchilada Baskets

Perfect for your Cinco de Mayo day sail!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Ground beef
• 2 Medium onions or 1 large, chopped
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 Jalapeño peppers, minced
• 1 Large tomato, chopped
• 1 can Black beans
• 1 cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
• 2 tbsp Cilantro, minced
• 1 can Enchilada sauce
• 2 tbsp Taco seasoning
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
• 12 Flour tortillas

Garnish

• 2 Avocados, chopped
• 1/2 Lime, squeezed
• 1/2 cup Cilantro, minced

Instructions

• Heat your oven to 275º. Place your tortillas on a baking sheet. Place them in the oven and let warm until pliable. You may need to rearrange the tortillas so they all get evenly warm through.
• Spray 12 large muffin tins with cooking spray. Once the tortillas have warmed enough to be pliable, place one tortilla into each muffin tin. They will have to be folded up a bit to fit. 
• Raise the oven temperature to 350º
• Meanwhile, brown the ground beef, onions, garlic and jalapeños. Drain off the grease if needed. Once browned add the tomato, black beans and corn. Cook on low for 10 minutes.
• Add the enchilada sauce, taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese to help bind.
• Fill each tortilla cup with spoonfuls of filling. Fill to the top of the muffin tin. Place a spoonful or two of shredded cheese on each of the tortilla cups.
• Place in your heated oven until cheese melts and tortilla edges are crisp, about 10 minutes. *one note: for extra crispiness the tortilla cups can be heated in the oven before placing the filling in the cups, then filled and reheated.
• Chop the avocados and squeeze lime over them. Garnish the tortilla cups with the avocados and minced cilantro. Serve hot.

Notes