We’re all short of time these days; we get home from work or school and are greeted with “We’re hungry!” “What’s for supper?” “We’re STARVING!!!!”

With school lunch periods beginning at ten in the morning these days, it’s no wonder our kids are hungry when they walk in the door at 3:00 or so. Their tummies are growling and they need food NOW. If you let them snack, however, they won’t be as enthusiastic about their actual dinner as they need to be.   Therefore, your best bet – and theirs – is a tasty, nutritious actual dinner that you can prepare and serve in less than an hour.

Texas-style spinach enchiladas make a great company dinner as well.

Ingredients for enchiladas:

• 1 15-ounce carton of ricotta cheese (You can use the low-fat kind)
• 1 10-ounce package of chopped spinach (Frozen is fine, but be sure it’s thoroughly thawed and drained)
• 1 10-ounce package corn (Again, thawed and drained)
• 1 egg
• 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided into two
• 10 flour tortillas, the 8-inch ones
• 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes (UNdrained, this time!)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup of your favorite Texas Habanero Pepper Jelly
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

How to make spinach enchiladas:

In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, corn, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and the egg. Mix well.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of this mixture on each torilla and roll them up tightly. Place, seam side down, in a large well-oiled baking pan. Stick a toothpick into each tortilla roll to help them maintain shape.

In the same bowl, combine everything else, except the Parmesan, and spoon over the tortillas. Sprinkle with Parmesan and the rest of the mozzarella cheeses.

Bake, uncovered, at 375° F for about a half-hour or until heated all the way through and HOT.

These, and a nice tossed salad, can all be prepared in less than an hour.

Eat up. Don’t count on any leftovers.