Meals for new parents

My BFF just had her first kid!  So I've been learning about cooking meals for new parents.  Though I'm beginning to think it's really just my excuse to go over there to hold little Sammy (short for Samuel).  :)

Hello Sammy!!!

 Last Saturday we brought over enchiladas to share with them, then a Mexican rice casserole for later, chocolate chip muffins, and cinnamon buns!  From the last time some friends had a baby in Boston, I learned (from reading blogs) that new parents often receive many freezable meals like lasagna and casseroles, but don't have things to eat for breakfast!  Since then I've tried to include muffins in addition to bringing over a meal.  In this case I happen to know the dad loves cinnamon rolls, so I grabbed a tube of that at the grocery store.  The muffins I made from scratch and will feature tomorrow!

We went Pillsbury on this one!

Chocolate Chip Muffin!

We got a Costco rotisserie chicken that day and put it to good use in the enchiladas and Mexican rice casserole.  The Mexican rice casserole is one of my favorites to make because it's so easy.  I liken it to Mexican fried rice, without any cooking.  (Just mixing and baking!) 

The recipe is from Sugarcrafter's "Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake"!  (Sorry no pictures.)  She includes a bunch of cheeses I usually don't have, so I usually adapt it to what I have on hand.

So here's my version, adapted from Sugarcrafter:

1 1/2 cup chicken breast, cooked and shredded

4  cooked white rice

1 can sweet corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can diced tomatoes (or dice up a fresh one)

1 tsp ground cilantro

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1/2 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese (sometimes I forget this one if we don't have any)

Extra cheddar cheese and fresh cilantro, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Add all the ingredients together, except for the last line (extra cheddar cheese and fresh cilantro), in a large bowl.  Transfer into a greased 9x13 pan.  Put extra cheddar cheese on top and then pop it into the oven!  Bake for ~20 minutes or until it's warmed through.

It makes for fabulous leftovers since it's a pile of stuff all mixed together already anyway.  :)  One issue we found was that if you make it for new parents or put it unbaked in the fridge (overnight) before baking, it may dry out a bit (rice soaks up the sour cream/liquids?)  So you may want to have some extra sour cream handy and/or hot sauce!  Sometimes I throw in some Tapitio Hot Sauce in while I'm mixing it or if it's with others and someone might not eat spicy, I just add it to my plate. 

If you're cooking for new parents or other people, make sure to check whether they can eat spicy, have certain ingredients they don't like, or if they're allergic to any food items!

Have you cooked for new parents?  What are some favorite new parents you've made or have received?  Or have recipes that freeze well?  Please share!