Taco Tuesday Party Ideas

September 29, 2020

If it’s Tuesday this must be Taco Night! Here are some new and no-fail ways to fill a taco shell, plus some ideas on how to throw a party on Taco Tuesday for family or a few friends in your health bubble. You can always throw the food fete and encourage the fabulous food eaters to help make or bring some of the sides and toppings. And while you don’t HAVE to have multiple choices, it sure makes the build-your-own more fun!

Taco Party Bars with All the Fixin’s

The ultimate Taco Tuesday party starts with one main taco filling plus two to four sides, and a variety of taco toppings. Sounds complicated, but you can make it pretty basic, or really put out a buffet of choices like Lexi’s Clean Kitchen. The main ingredient – meat filling – can be a single dish or two, and Lexi offers 11 options from pork carnitas to turkey chili. The more sides, the more bowls you’ll need – but you know what you like. Everything from grilled veggies, shredded lettuce, salsa, different kinds of cheese, guacamole, black beans, sliced green onions and jalapeno peppers cover just a few. 

Chungah Rhee is an amazing chef and the blogger responsible for Damn Delicious®. From a very traditional Korean household, Chungah started Damn Delicious® as a hobby posting a few of her favorite recipes. But now it’s her full-time job to conquer culinary challenges and develop recipes for the everyday home cook. Her Mexican Street Tacos look delicious and if you could smell a picture, these would send you airborne. The filling starts with skirt steak and the spices that any self-respecting taco would not be without.

The best taco meat, according to Mary at Barefeet in the Kitchen is this simple recipe that combines ground beef, corn, black beans and Mary’s homemade taco seasoning. Fish tacos, like these made with Mahi Mahi at Jar of Lemons, can be a super healthy twist on the beloved beef and pork variety – without losing any of the tastiness.

Spicy Sides and Saucy Slaws

Sides can be your favorite taco slaw (don’t have one? Try Lexi’s!) or perhaps, I Heart Vegetable’s Spicy Corn Salad. This salad is actually better when it’s made a few hours in advance so the flavors have a chance to combine. Toast frozen corn in a skillet drizzled with olive oil for about 10 minutes. The secret to street corn is the feta, plus plenty of diced red onion, cilantro and jalapeno. And while you could eat this by itself or spoon into your taco — it’s also a great chip dip! 

Want to try a few different salsas? Check out Love and Lemons for two or three that are sure to tickle your taste buds. (And don’t miss the Cilantro Lime Rice recipe, either!) 

Some like a crunch to their tacos, while others like the soft-flour variety and then there are the in-betweeners who prefer a little puff and crustiness. For how-to tips for the taco shells, consult the Cookie Rookie.

And for sides, you really should scroll through the scrumptious options from food blogger Kim at Insanely Good Recipes. From Jicama Mango Slaw and Spanish Rice to Pepper Salad and Corn Pudding, you’ll find one or more likely partners for your tacos.

Taco Party Décor and More

If you have a Mexican-style blanket, those make for great table coverings. If not, red, white and green are the colors of the Mexican flag and that theme makes a great backdrop. Otherwise create a fun fiesta feel with bright colors, and don’t forget the pinata! You can make one like The Fab 20s special creation, or buy one here.

Dessert can be anything from dulce de leche pound cake, like this one from Jocelyn’s Grandbaby Cakes’ site, mini churros, Mexican wedding cookies, or Jocelyn’s pinata cupcakes! She fills the mini-cakes with sprinkles for a sweet surprise inside.

The one thing we haven’t covered? Drinks! 

Taco Tuesday calls for a pitcher of margaritas made everything from Prosecco, blood orange-strawberry, spicy jalapeño, fresh peach, and grilled pineapple mixers. If you’re in a margarita rut (is there such a thing?) try a Paloma instead. Made with fresh grapefruit, sparkling water, and homemade simple syrup – this tequila cocktail is both sweet and sour, and refreshing!

Autumn’s in the Air at Southshore

As we plan dinners around cooler weather, Southshore’s convenient, new kitchens make meal-prep a breezy. For more than a decade, Colorado’s leading home builders have been crafting some of the most beautiful homes in Aurora in the master-planned community of Southshore. Take an inspirational tour of the brand new homes from Taylor Morrison, Century Communities, Richmond American Homes and Toll Brothers for a taste of Life at the Lake. These stunning ranch and two-story designs are priced between the $400s and the $700s.