Chorizo Breakfast Enchilada Casserole

I want to be 5 years old again - seriously. I miss when waking up at the crack of dawn Christmas morning meant jumping out of bed and screaming at my sisters on the other side of the room to get up! We would all run to our living room and start rummaging through the presents under the Christmas tree. Not that there were very many presents, but there was always one we could count on from our parents. I remember one year my parents bought my three younger sisters and me this ladybug tea set and table. It was the best present ever! We eventually destroyed that table from countless hours of play. The memories of many Christmass gone by with my siblings and parents have taken on a more significant meaning these last years. With my dad no longer with us, one sister in Japan, and the other one in South Sudan, our annual holiday gatherings do not seem the same or as full of life as they once were. This is just the reality of life.  

As a child, my world revolved around my siblings, and as each of us transitioned into adulthood the memories of my childhood are now like patches of a large quilt. They are knitted on a much larger story in a collective sea of life experiences. Now that I am a mom to three kids and an aunt to so many nieces and nephews I've come to accept and relish that I am a big part of other people's Christmas story. Just as I remember looking forward to the dryer than dry roast beef my uncle made, my kids and other family members look forward to the food I bake in my kitchen. In fact, they expect and look forward to it every time they visit. Feeding others is more than just providing nourishment for someone's body. It can also be a central part of creating memories that last a lifetime and bring hope and joy to those who live far away. It is also a beautiful way of remembering those who are no longer with us.

Today I have a Chorizo Breakfast Enchilada Casserole that I would like to share with you. Made with a little bit of Latin twist, this recipe is a great one to make a day ahead of time so all you have to do Christmas morning is pop it in the oven and bake. If your kids are anything like my kids, who are like me when I was 5 years old, the only thing you want to do early Christmas morning is sit on the couch and watch the joy on your child's face as he or she opens up their presents and experiences the love of family and being together. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.