Recipes seen on PTL's Heather and David Home for the Holidays Special

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Looking for the recipes from Pittsburgh Today Live's Home for the Holidays Special with Heather Abraham and David Highfield? Check here if you would like to try making any of the dishes yourself. 

Here are Heather's recipes.

Slow Cooker Bread Pudding

• loaf of cinnamon raison bread
• 2 cups of milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• dash of nutmeg
• 1 tsp of cinnamon

1. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray
2. Cube a loaf of cinnamon raison bread and place in slow cooker.
3. Mix together milk, butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon nutmeg and eggs (make sure your butter isn't hot… you don't want to cook the eggs)
4. Pour over bread and make sure it's coated.
5. Cook on low for 2-3 hours until complete
6. Serve warm with whip cream, ice cream, or cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 1/2 stick softened butter
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk

1.       In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, mix together all the ingredients until blended. Add more milk if needed.

Meatballs

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella (chopped even finer)
• 1/4 cup shredded Romano (chopped even finer)
• .05 ounce package of basil, chopped
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 pound of veal-pork-beef mix
• 1 egg
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (possibly more if needed)
• 1 cup warm water (possibly more if needed)
• vegetable oil for frying
• marinara sauce

1. In a big bowl, mix together warm water and breadcrumbs. It should be pasty.

2. To the bowl of breadcrumb mixture, add in garlic, mozzarella, Romano cheese, basil, egg, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Once it's fully combined, add in meat blend.

3. If meat mixture seems dry and ½ cup more water and ½ more breadcrumbs.

4. In a large sauté pan, add in vegetable oil to create at least a ½ inch in the pan.  Heat until a splash of breadcrumbs sizzle in the oil (that's when you know it's ready).

5. Fry meatballs in pan until both sides are brown. 

6. **You can continue frying meatballs until fully cooked in oil OR you can remove from pan, drain from the oil on a wire rack and place into a pot of marinara sauce to continue cooking on the stovetop.

7. We serve them with a dollop of ricotta and with rigatoni!

Whipped Ricotta Lemon Toast

• 2 cups ricotta
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoons hot honey
• zest of one lemon
• juice from one lemon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• baguette or sliced sourdough

olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425. Using a wire rack, brush both sides of sliced bread with olive oil. You can use a French baguette, sour dough, or any fresh bread you like. Bake until toasty, about 10 minutes.

2. In a food processor, mix ricotta, minced garlic, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper together. Whip in food processor until creamy and completely smooth.

3. Place ricotta mixture in a piping bag or ziplock bag and pipe onto toasted bread.

Here are David's recipes.

Santa-Politans

(Like a Cosmopolitan but jazzed up holiday style)

Ingredients:

• 2 parts Vodka
• 2 parts Cranberry Juice
• 1 part Cointreau
• Frozen Cranberries
• Lime
• Sugar
• Rosemary

Directions:

1. Rim a martini glass with a lime wedge and then dip the rim into the sugar
2. Add the Vodka, Cointreau, Cranberry Juice and juice from 1/4 of a lime in a shaker with ice and shake until cold
3. Pour mixture into martini glass
4. Add some frozen Cranberries to the drink to float on top as garnish
5. Also add a sprig of Rosemary for garnish

*Please drink responsibly.

David's Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients: 

• 5 lb bag of Idaho Potatoes (you won't need the whole bag)
• Land O Lakes Salted Butter
• 8 oz bag of Essential Everyday Mexican Style 4 Cheese Blend 
• 8 oz package of Alpenhaus Gruyère Cheese 
• 1 15 oz canister of 4C seasoned bread crumbs 
• Fresh Rosemary 
• McCormick Black Pepper Grinder 
• McCormick Sea Salt Grinder 
• All Purpose Flour 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Butter 13x9 inch baking pan

3. Peel and slice potatoes 

4. Place one layer of potato slices to cover bottom of the pan

5. Sprinkle chopped rosemary, bread crumbs, grated Gruyère cheese, 4 cheese blend, flour, heavy cream, salt and pepper on top

6. Repeat layer of potatoes and same ingredients on top

7. Create 4 layers 

8. Bake uncovered for one hour (test with a fork to see if potatoes are done) 

Gary's Grandma's Cole Slaw 

Ingredients: 

• 2   14 oz bags of Angel Hair or Cole Slaw mix (Pre-shredded cabbage) 
• 1   Cup (as desired) of Chopped Celery
• 1 red pepper Diced
• 1 yellow pepper Diced
• 1 orange pepper  Diced
• 1 Heaping Tablespon McCormick Celery Seeds
• 1 Heaping Tablespoon McCormick Yellow Mustard Seeds 
• 1 Cup White Distilled Vinegar
• 1 Cup  Granulated Sugar
• Black Pepper as desired, and a pinch of salt

Directions:

*Place all chopped ingredients (Cole Slaw or Angel Hair Mix, Orange/Red/Yellow Chopped Peppers and Chopped Celery into a large Bowl)

*Mix the Dressing separately (one cup Sugar, One Cup of White Vinegar, dissolved in Vinegar) and add the Mustard Seed and Celery Seed and some Black Pepper (Salt if desired- not necessary) and mix thoroughly.

*As with all good recipes, add more vinegar if more "sour" is desired, or more sugar if more "Sweet" is needed, to taste.

*Pour Dressing over the Slaw Ingredients and mix!    

Best if it sits overnight, but can be served as is.   Makes a very large amount of coleslaw that keeps for several days, beautiful in color and taste to spice up your meals.

Gary's (Ina's!) Roasted Chicken Breast Extraordinaire

(*Inspired with Thanks from a recipe from my favorite cook, Ina Garten) 

Ingredients: 

• Boneless Chicken Breasts with THE SKIN ON   (Ask the Butcher if none available)
• 1 Jar of Sun Dried Tomatoes in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2  4 oz packages of Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese 
• Fresh Basil
• Rosemary sprig, if desired 
• Butter 
• Olive Oil 
• Salt and Pepper 

** Make as many Chicken Breasts as you have Guests

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.

CHICKEN PREP:

--  Loosen the Chicken Skin, and place under the Skin the following Ingedients:

-- Two thin slices of Herbed Goat Cheese

--  One or Two (I prefer two) Sun-Dried Tomato Slices from jar

--  One or Two Basil Leaves

--  A sprig of Rosemary (Optional: can be removed before eating)

--  A pat of salted butter for moisture

--  Brush the top of the Chicken with Olive Oil

--  Sprinkle liberally with Salt and Pepper!  

Be sure to cover the Ingredients completely with the Chicken Skin before Baking.

Bake for 30- 35 Minutes (longer, depending on Breast size)  in a 375 Degree Oven.

Once removed, place a pat of butter on the top of the Chicken and let it melt.

Serve warm if possible - Ina scores another winner! 

In:
• PTL Recipes
• Recipes
• Pittsburgh Today Live
• Talk Pittsburgh Kitchen

Heather Abraham

Heather Abraham co-hosts KDKA's "Pittsburgh Today Live," with David Highfield, every weekday morning at 9AM; and is the host of Talk Pittsburgh, every weekday afternoon at 3PM.

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