45 piccante recipes

Mexican rice cakes top puffed rice rounds with refried beans, picante sauce, cheddar and jalapeños, then bake until bubbly. A light 20-minute Tex-Mex snack or quick lunch.

Turkey pasta salad with corn, zucchini, and picante-creamy garlic dressing. A Tex-Mex spin on leftover turkey, ready in 20 minutes and better after a chill in the fridge.

Chunky guacamole with diced avocado, fresh tomato, onion, and picante sauce. A no-mash, textured guacamole that chills overnight for deeper, melded flavor.

Sausage skillet supper with bulk pork sausage, kidney beans, stewed tomatoes, and long grain rice simmered in picante sauce. A one-pan weeknight dinner with just six ingredients.

Texas Island dressing blends mayo with Pace picante sauce, tomato paste, and sweet dill relish for a spicy Southwestern twist on Thousand Island. No cooking, ready in 5 minutes.

This easy to make soup for lunch will have you licking your spoon, and maybe even your bowl!

This dish is best at room temperature, although it is good hot or cold also. I have given just the basic recipe; you can add all kinds of things, like corn, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, blanched chayote squash, etc.

Tex-Mex chicken salad with picante-simmered chicken breast, creamy avocado, smoky bacon, and a cumin-spiked sour cream dressing. Bold Southwest flavor served cold on crisp lettuce.

A 4-ingredient salad dressing with picante sauce, orange marmalade, soy sauce, and fresh ginger. Sweet heat meets tangy citrus in 5 minutes flat.

Mexican pizza with refried beans, picante sauce, cheddar, Monterey Jack, black olives, jalapenos, and fresh cilantro on a pre-baked crust. Ready in 20 minutes.

Layered Mexican dip with mashed avocado, picante sauce, black olives, sour cream, and Monterey Jack cheese. A no-cook party appetizer served with tortilla chips.

Mock guacamole made with steamed asparagus and picante sauce instead of avocado. A low-fat, avocado-free dip with the same creamy green look and tangy flavor.

Tex-Mex garden salad with tomatoes, zucchini, corn, avocado, and green onions in a picante-cilantro-cumin dressing. A fresh no-cook side for grilled meats.

Slow cooker veggie chili layers black beans, corn, peppers and crushed tomatoes with spices bloomed in oil first, then simmers all day. A hearty, high-fiber vegetarian chili that's nearly hands-off.

Spicy Mexican bean burgers made with kidney beans, picante sauce, bell pepper, carrot, and chili powder. Oven-baked vegetarian patties for a healthier handheld meal.

Tortilla torte: tortillas layered with mashed pinto beans, picante green chile sauce, Monterey Jack and olives, baked and cut in wedges. A light vegetarian Mexican stack served over greens.