by Holly Brown

When fabulous fresh tomatoes and chili peppers are in full supply, it’s time to throw a salsa party! “Salsa” is Spanish for “sauce,” so we invite our guests to bring a dish to the party that goes with saucy salsa! Then we set the stage for group salsa making and tasting.

Step 1

The first step to throwing a successful salsa party is to prepare for your guests' arrival so everyone has fun, including the hosts! I like to set all the salsa making ingredients out on the counter with all the veggies rinsed and ready to go. I also set up a margarita bar – of course! My contribution to the potluck is likely to be either a Chile Verde or Chicken Verde Enchiladas. Both are great dishes to make in advance. Chile Verde gets better as it cooks over a low heat for 2-3 hours and it's a great way to use my peppers and tomatillos.

Step 2

Once everyone has arrived and guests have had a chance to chat and get a margarita, it's time to start chopping! We use a variety of peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, fresh basil, garlic, onions, you name it, and then we get to work. We like to try a few flavor combinations and heat levels using different styles of peppers. Experiment with Poblanos, Anaheims, and Thai Chilis. We start with a base Saucy Salsa recipe and then we get creative! Everyone gets to taste test and has chance to weigh in on whether the salsa is spicy enough. We also make guacamole while we are at it. Find my secret ingredients for Holy Guacamole and our Salsa recipe @TheBrownLounge.com.

Step 3

Once the salsas are ready, we serve the potluck. The freshly made salsas top everything from chips and tortillas, to fajitas, chile relleno, chile verde, or whatever Mexi-treats have been supplied by our guests. After dinner, it’s fun to work off your calories by playing some Salsa music and dancing! Salsa is also a “saucy” dance style that will definitely get everyone grooving to the music.

To see how we throw a Saucy Salsa Party at TheBrownLounge, watch the VIDEO on our website. You can also find quick recipe links to these Salsa Party recipes.

Quick Recipe Links:

· Saucy Salsa
· Holy Guacamole
· Chicken Verde Enchiladas
· Chile Relleno
· Chile Verde
· Margarita
· Sangria

Holly Brown,
Publisher, Foodie, Web TV Host