Yum, You Need To Try These 11 Sheet Pan Recipes For Hispanic Heritage Month

This colorful Cuban chicken bowl from Half Baked Harvest is healthy and packed with flavor. The chicken and peppers are marinated in a slightly spicy, citrusy sauce(thanks to the lime and orange juice). You can make this even heartier by adding some rice, avocado, or black beans. Perhaps best of all, it'll be on the table in 40 minutes.

Fajitas are always a crowd pleaser, and this recipe is no exception. The chicken gets a little kick from the sliced jalapenos (which you can definitely leave out if your kids are anti-spice). Jo-Anna from A Pretty Life In The Suburbs recommends seasoning the chicken and the veggies with her homemade taco seasoning, which is a kid-friendly favorite.

As legend goes, nachos were created in Mexico during World War II but designed for an American palette, according to HuffPo (the articles goes into the fascinating history of the food, which may be fun to share with your kids while you cook). These bacon and peach nachos from Climbing Grier Mountain will elevate the typical appetizer-fare into a meal that the whole family will love. Don't forget to make the basil lime aioli which is the real MVP here (in my humble, sauce-loving opinion).

Jenni of The Urban Poser makes homemade tortillas using cassava flour, but you can also use store bought tortillas if you're short on time. Flautas are a staple of Mexican cuisine, and fun fact, the word means "flutes" because they look like, you guessed it, little (delicious) flutes. The ranch sauce made with mayo and coconut milk is unbelievably good on basically anything.

Fajita is a broad term for any kind of meat that's served with roasted onions and peppers inside a tortilla, though the word "fajita" is thought to originally have referred to a cut of meat (the skirt steak) according to The Daily Meal. These steak fajitas from No. 2 Pencil combine classic Hispanic flavors like onion, chili, and lime. You'll be making this one all the time.

Hi, hello, yes I did write taco and pizza in the same sentence. Instant win, and this recipe from Family Fresh Meals is so easy too. The "crust" is actually just refrigerated crescent rolls that are rolled out, and the cheesy base is sour cream and cream cheese. Your kids are going to be asking for this one again and again.

Empanadas are pastries filled with meat, cheese, even fruit, and they're popular in South America (for good reason, as they're absolutely delicious). The word "empanada" comes from the Spanish verb "empanar" which means to wrap or coat in bread. The more you know! You may want to make these amazing feta and root vegetable snack from Adventures In Cooking again on April 8, which is National Empanada Day.

When I think of Hispanic cuisine, the fragrant, sweet smell of Mexican street corn cooking comes to mind first. Isabel of Isabel Eats suggests putting the corn on a sheet pan and popping it on the grill, but you can also steam or boil it in a pinch. The corn is covered in a bright mixture of cilantro, lime juice, mayonnaise, and cotija cheese (but if you can’t find cotija you can use feta or Parmesan too). Good news for kids who may have trouble eating corn straight from the cob, this is just as tasty when slice into a bowl.

Okay so I admit that baked plantains alone are probably not really a dinner, but these delicious little morsels from A Spicy Perspective deserve a place on the list because of their ability to upgrade any meal. Plantains, which look like small bananas, are delicious baked; they get crispy and browned on the outside but stay fluffy on the inside. You can add these to rice bowls or tacos, or even just eat them as an afternoon snack dunked in your favorite dip

Paella is a Spanish dish made with rice, and typically seafood or meat, but you can make it deliciously vegetarian too. This recipe from A Spicy Perspective uses Spanish chorizo, fresh shrimp, and tons of veggies and spices for a delicious, filling meal that will make your kitchen smell amazing (thanks to the smell of garlic and saffron cooking). As far as paella goes, which can take all day, this recipe is super quick and ready in just 20 minutes.

So I just read that on Allrecipes that "carnitas" means "little meats" and I literally said awww out loud (to no one). This recipe from Kelsey Nixon uses honey, lime juice, and cumin (among other spices) for the most flavorful, savory pork imaginable. Paired with the bright and crisp roasted tomatillo guacamole and the comfort of a warm tortilla, you'll be thinking about this meal long after it's done.