Holiday Recipes with the News 5 Team

The holidays are upon us! Among the many events and traditions that come with the most wonderful time of year, holiday cuisine always hits home. In our News 5 family, we have many secret chefs that have been kind enough to provide their favorite holiday recipes that they share with their loved ones. Below you will find some sweet desserts, special entrees, and even a unique breakfast. We hope you enjoy these recipes just as much as we do.

Anchor Rob Quirk's Shortbread Christmas Cookies:

"We have been making these cookies together as a family for years, it is a Christmas family tradition for the Quirks. The decorating is always the fun part and the conversation and laughs that go with it."

Ingredients for the batter

• 2 sticks of softened butter
• 1 Tsp of vanilla
• 3/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup of corn starch
• 1/2 Tsp. of salt
• 2 cups of flour

Ingredients for the icing

• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 Tsp of vanilla
• 2-3 Tbs of water
• Food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. Cream together butter and vanilla until smooth.
2. Add sugar, corn starch, salt, and flour.
3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Place dough into dish and press dough into bottom half of pan evenly, about 1/2 inch thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
5. Remove from fridge and cut shapes.
6. Place cookies on a lined baking sheet.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 10 minutes until LIGHTLY BROWN ON BOTTOM.
8. Let cool before putting the icing on.

Sports Director Jake Gadon's Latkes:

When he's not reporting on slam dunks on the court he's making some in the kitchen. Traditionally considered a Hanukkah dish, Latke's are widely enjoyed at many holiday events, here is Jake's delicious recipe so you can make your own.

Ingredients

• 2 large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters
• 1 large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt), plus more for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Safflower or other oil, for frying

Instructions:

1. Using a food processor with a coarse grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion.
2. Transfer the mixture to a clean dish towel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.
3. Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.
4. In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about 1/4 inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches.
5. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip.
6. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes.
7. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm.
8. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Meteorologist Alex O'Briens Magic Bars:

"My mom always made Magic Bars at Christmas time and they are my absolute favorite! Ooey gooey buttery and chocolatey. So yum!"

*Recipe is taken from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter or margarine, melted 
• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 ⅓ cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a fork.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Reporter Caroline Peter's Stuffing:

Ingredients:

• Stuffing bread or seasoned stuffing, not the box kind
• Poultry seasoning to taste
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Onions not to much
• Celery
• Eggs 4 eggs

Instructions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients
2. Fry in skillet with real butter at least one stick add more if needed
3. the goal is to get it crispy on the outside but soft on the inside 

Meteorologist Sam Schreier's Mac N' Cheese:

"The story is that mac and cheese is my favorite side dish at Thanksgiving even though it's not a traditional dish. Everyone loves it and it's usually one of the first things to be eaten clean at the dinner table."

*Recipe is taken from topsecretrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces elbow macaroni
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 1/2 ounces (5 slices) American cheese (not Kraft Singles), roughly chopped or torn
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 ounces (scant 1 cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 ounce (1/4 cup) shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1 ounce (1/4 cup) shredded BellaVitano Gold cheese
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon grated Romano

Topping ingredients:

• 3 ounces (3/4 cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 ounces (3/4 cup) shredded white cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Cook the macaroni in 2 quarts of boiling water for 20 minutes. When the macaroni is completely soft, strain out the water.
2. While the pasta cooks, make the cheese sauce by combining the milk, American cheese, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Slowly heat up the milk to melt the butter and cheese. Stir often with a whisk until the American cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
3. Add the remaining cheeses and stir until the sauce is smooth, then remove it from the heat. Allow the sauce to sit for 10 minutes to cool and thicken, then combine the sauce and pasta in a large bowl and allow it to cool enough that the cheese doesn’t fall to the bottom of the bowl. Gently stir it occasionally as it sits.
4. Preheat your broiler to high.
5. Pour the macaroni and cheese into an 8x8-inch baking pan or dish.
6. Combine the yellow and white cheddar cheese for the topping, then sprinkle the mixture over the top of the mac and cheese.
7. Pop the pan under your hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until the top has lightly browned.
   

BONUS!

News Director Ryan Hazelwood's Plantation Breakfast:

"When I was in Amarillo I rarely spent holidays with my family. Instead, I spent my holidays in Chillicothe, TX with the Graham family. This breakfast was one that was made when the Graham’s had a lot of us for the holidays. It was easy to prep and easy to get us out of the house in the morning and out in the field. The Graham’s are some of the nicest most welcoming people that I have ever been blessed enough to meet. Before moving to Colorado, James Graham passed away, however he shared this recipe with me before his passing. We have incorporated it into our family traditions and think of James every time we make it. #JamesGrahamOriginal"

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ Cups Rice Krispies
• 1 lb. cooked pork sausage
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 medium onion sauteed
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 3 eggs
• 1 can mushroom soup
• ¼ cup milk

Instructions:

1. Spray 9X13 pan with Pam.
2. Layer 2 cups Rice Krispies on the bottom of the pan
3. Spread sausage over cereal
4. Cheese over sausage
5. Onion over cheese
6. Rice over onion
7. Mix eggs, milk and soup together and layer on top.
8. Poke holes with a fork to make sure mixture will run to the bottom.
9. Sprinkle remaining cereal over the top.
10. Refrigerate overnight and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

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