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Who’s ready for the New Year? We had a wonderful Christmas, and now I’m excited to organize the house and prepare for Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day) on January 6. Our family traditions for the day include cleaning, prepping dinner, listening to salsa and merengue, and sharing a few gifts with the little ones. It’s a gentle way to return to our regular routine after the holidays. This year is extra special because Joseph is curious about our traditions, starting to speak some Spanish, and happily experimenting with different foods — he’s even inherited our love for spicy flavors. For the celebration we decided on a lighter take: spicy picadillo stuffed avocados, served with sweet plantains (plátano maduro).

We chose a lighter version of picadillo because we wanted a break from the richer meals we’d enjoyed since Thanksgiving. Usually we serve picadillo over arroz blanco (white rice) with avocado slices, but this time we skipped the rice and used ripe avocado halves as bowls for the seasoned picadillo filling.

We still rely on the trusted ingredients that add deep flavor to our dishes: La Morena® Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, which provide the finishing kick, color, and smoky heat, and Knorr® Chicken Flavor Granulated Bouillon, a pantry staple we use in many recipes. These items are easy to find in the Hispanic aisle at Walmart and help us create the bold, authentic flavors our family loves.

Spicy Picadillo Stuffed Avocados — Serves 4

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 can La Morena® Chipotle Peppers in Adobo (use less for a milder result)
1 tablespoon Knorr® Chicken Flavor Granulated Bouillon
4 large ripe avocados
1 small white onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

1. Boil one potato until tender, then chop and set aside.
2. Season the ground beef with the granulated bouillon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink; drain any excess fat if needed.
3. In the same skillet, heat olive oil and sauté the diced onion until translucent. Add the cooked ground beef and chopped potato, stirring to combine.
4. Stir in the chipotle peppers in adobo to taste, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes so the flavors meld. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
5. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and spoon the warm picadillo into each avocado half. Serve immediately.

Stir the chipotle into the picadillo and let it simmer briefly so the smoky heat infuses the mixture.

Fill the avocado halves with the picadillo and present them alongside sweet plantains for a balanced, flavorful meal.

Sweet Plantains

You can buy frozen sweet plantains for convenience, but homemade ones are simple and delicious. Here’s an easy method:

1. Peel the plantains by cutting off the ends and slicing down the skin to remove it.
2. Heat about 5 tablespoons of oil or butter in a skillet over low to medium-low heat.
3. Fry the plantain slices until golden brown on one side, then flip and brown the other side. Watch them closely, as sweet plantains can burn quickly. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Both La Morena® Chipotle Peppers in Adobo and Knorr® Chicken Flavor Granulated Bouillon are available in the Hispanic food aisle at Walmart.

How do you add flavor to your Día de Reyes celebration?