Cafe Rio!!

Mmmm, Cafe Rio from your own kitchen. . .

 (I happened to find these disposable cake pans really cheap and it was a great way to keep the tortillas warm while we finished getting everything else ready. It's not necessary, though.)

 

 And bonus, I realized that my camera has a "food" setting so you can actually see the yummy goodness jumping out at you, instead of just a blur of colors.

 
I really like the book and website, "I Dare You to Eat It" and it led me to another website that has recipes for Cafe Rio's best stuff. It looks like this family just experimented until they got the recipes right but the ones we tasted were as good as the real thing (and cheaper, too!) If you're looking for an inexpensive way to feed the masses, check out how Liesa prepared rice, beans, and pork in bulk quantities on I Dare You to Eat It.

I wouldn't try to make it all in one day unless you have some good helpers. We made the rice, beans, chicken (our own kind), and cooked our own (store-bought) tortillas. (The website has a tortilla recipe too.)

Throw in a just-add-water version of horchata and your friends might start asking you to open a restaurant!

As the Mexicans say, it was so good I wanted to lick my fingers!