It’s no secret that America loves Mexican food. But in a society where “Taco Tuesday” could very well mean going to the Cheesecake Factory, it is hard to distinguish authentic, cultural Mexican food from its pacified, Americanized manifestations. Now, while Tex-Mex dishes have their time and place, nothing compares to the warmth of homemade enchiladas and the mouth-watering festival that is an overstuffed gordita. In the spirit of culture and authenticity, here are the top 9 best Mexican dishes.
- Enchiladas Caseras
Every Mexican family has an irreplaceable, unique recipe for what they claim to be the best enchiladas in existence. And every single one of them is right. There is nothing more special than the soft warmth of a golden homemade rolled-up tortilla stuffed with soft, cooked chicken and topped with fresh melted cheese, crema, homemade salsa, and queso fresco.
- Frozen Flautas
Frozen Flautas–the “struggle meal” which also happens to be addictively delicious. Go to the local Wal-mart or Costco frozen foods section, and pick out the box with the most stereotypical, near-caricature-like design–try to find one with a cactus wearing a sombrero–to keep in your freezer for four months before you randomly remember it exists one lazy Saturday night, and stuff yourself with an inexplicably large number of frozen flautas before going to sleep at a reasonable time.
- Tacos
It’s important to appreciate the classics–the ones that started it all. This is not any specific type of taco, as long as it is either a taco shell or a questionably dense, 10-inch diameter white flour tortilla stuffed with something. If authenticity is what you seek, crash a wealthy white family’s 5:00 p.m. Taco Tuesday dinner. Truly timeless.
- Avocado Burger from any basic American pub
They’re always grotesquely large and messy, but each one feels like the best burger ever made. The $20 plus tax–which in this case includes six hours of stomach-wrenching agony and the inability to eat anything else for a whole day–will be completely worth it. Introducing the hamburger to the avocado is truly the most significant impact of Mexican culture on the United States.
- 2:00 a.m. shredded mexican-blend cheese (straight from the bag)
This one needs no explanation. The big chihuahua cheese bags are actually colored red precisely so people will notice them first when opening the fridge after scrolling mindlessly through social media in the dead of night.
- Easton Moran’s double cheese nachos
We’re going local for these top few. This truly unique, experimental dish is resemblant of genius kitchen work. Made of what appear to be Tostito chips layered with crispy, near-burnt American cheese and processed cheddar and topped with salsa from a packet with only 1 out of five little fire graphics colored, it will take your taste buds to places they’ve never been before.
- Pleasant Valley Cafeteria Walking Tacos
Tostito chips make their second appearance on this list for the Pleasant Valley Cafeteria Walking Tacos, although they are sometimes replaced with Doritos. This mixture of even more processed foods and cheeses are what chilaquiles wish they could be. And many students, who are starving because they haven’t eaten in nearly six hours because they had early bird P.E., can’t help but get two portions of this irresistible dish.
- Cheese Quesadilla–flour tortilla with cheese
Quesadillas, another classic, are unsurprisingly at the top of this list. Re-visit that plastic bag of thick, Wal-mart flour tortillas and the oddly warm bag of shredded cheese you accidentally left outside the fridge at 2:00 a.m., and make the best meal you’ve ever had. If you crave something with higher class and elegance, go to the Cheesecake Factory and order some from the kids’ menu.
- Happy Joe’s Taco Pizza
Taco Bell wishes it had Happy Joe’s Taco Pizza. This signature midwestern dish is the only true tribute to Mexican culture ever made in the United States. Perhaps no one will know why someone had the impulse to throw a plethora of walking tacos on a piece of pizza dough, or perhaps it was an accident, but thankfully they did. There is no better way to make a Mexican person in the U.S. feel more at home.
