bundle of joy

My newest grandson just arrived, and I am over the moon! What magic to be there for those first few days and weeks of life. Not only is little Peter perfect in every way, it’s incredible to see my daughter and son-in-law blossom into such amazing new parents.

One of my favorite things, other than holding that little sprite, is to nourish my loved ones while they adjust to their roles as mom and dad. Folding laundry, grocery shopping, filling the freezer and giving those parents early morning respite makes me exceedingly happy.

It never ceases to amaze how the hours of the day zip by, and the wee hours of the night tend to lag those first few days. For this reason, prepping and executing dinner needs to be done way in advance. The best suppers are those that taste great right out of the oven and at room temp. And if a meal can be morphed into another, all the better.

Chicken cream cheese enchiladas are such a comforting meal. An added bonus, any extra filling can be used to create an outstanding freezable canape to pop into the oven at moment’s notice when visitors stop by to catch a glimpse of this teeny man.

Early in the day peel and thinly slice a large onion and one to two red bell peppers. Stow in the frig in a Ziploc bag.

Let eight ounces of cream cheese come to room temp.

Pulled rotisserie chicken from the market is a delicious time-saver. Shred the chicken into smaller pieces.

Sauté the onion and red peppers in a large skillet over medium heat until softened and the onion is translucent. Stir in the chicken.

Fold in the softened cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper. The filling can also be made earlier in the day, cool to room temp, then refrigerated.

Warm corn tortillas per directions on the package. I like to do this on an open gas flame until pliable and lightly browned in spots.

The tortillas can be prepared earlier too.

Spoon ½ cup chicken onion mixture into each tortilla.

Roll up and place seam side down in a buttered casserole dish. Drizzle with heavy cream. Bake until heated through in a preheated 375-degree oven for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with monterey jack cheese, return to oven and continue baking until cheese is melted. You can also turn on the broiler at the end to get the tops nice crispy.

Great with guacamole, salsa and a ranch salad.

For a fabulous freezable hors d'oeuvre, spoon any extra filling into frozen fillo cups from the freezer/dessert section in the grocery store. You might need to chop the filling with a knife if it has larger pieces. Sprinkle with a little Monterey jack cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and place back in the box.

To serve preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the frozen cups from the plastic tray and place on a baking sheet and bake until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 8-12 minutes.

With this latest grandchild my swaddling skills have really improved. Might be my best little burrito yet!