Top 9 Recipes of 2021

 As for year-end lists, my Top 9 Recipes of 2021 is one you can really sink your incisors into. And all of my top picks are deliciously cheap to make. Just click on any recipe name to see the original 2020 blogpost for tasty photos and my money-saving tips, and be sure to play any embedded video below. The ranking order is random and not by delectability, so go ahead and dig in! 

1. Blackberry Pancakes

This fruity breakfast series is ongoing and past posts have featured Mangos, Strawberries, and Cherries. Now I can add tangy Blackberries. My Blackberry Pancakes are easy to do like my video below shows.

2. Swamp Chef Nachos

I can bet you've not had Nachos like these before! When I visit Louisiana to see Mom and my kin, the Swamp Chef comes out of the bayou to hang out. Check out the Cajun gooey hot mess he came up with, Swamp Chef Nachos.

3. Southern Fried Fish

What makes Fried Fish Southern is the cornmeal coating. And the fish of choice is usually tender fillets of catfish. So get out the hot sauce and a cold brew and check out my easy and tasty Southern Fried Fish recipe.

4. Chicken, Cabbage & Carrot Stir Fry

The Cheapest Chef has reached a new low. You can't squeeze more pennies out of a recipe that uses the cheapest protein and even cheaper veggies and it all comes together quickly as a delicious Chicken, Cabbage & Carrot Stir Fry.

5. Vegetarian White Beans

To make these Vegetarian White Beans extra-scrumptious I add plenty of flavorful chopped carrot, celery, and onion. If you have a fave veggie then go ahead and make this recipe your own,

6. Yuca & Mojo Sauce with Onion

Yuca or Cassava is unappetizing in appearance but tender and tasty when boiled like a potato. I first had Yuca at my local Cuban restaurant served with Black Beans, White Rice, and Roast Pork. It was made with a tangy Mojo Sauce that is just sauteed onion and garlic with lime juice. If you can boil a potato then you can make my Yuca & Mojo Sauce with Onion.

7. Swamp Chef's BBQ Sausage Po'boy

It's always a party when the Swamp Chef is cooking. Check out the Swamp Chef's BBQ Sausage Po'boy recipe and use the sausage of your choice.

8. Meatloaf with Spinach & Mushrooms

This is a comfort food recipe at its most satisfying. Everybody likes Meatloaf and I had to kick it up a delicious notch with the addition of sauteed spinach and mushrooms. Meatloaf may be boring, but give my Meatloaf with Spinach & Mushrooms a try, and the family will ask for seconds and thirds!

9. Easy Corned Beef

Come St. Patrick's Day holiday week, I always stock up on packages of Corned Beef to freeze. It is super cheap that week. The packages hold raw but brined hunks of beef brisket that only need three hours of boiling to tenderize for sandwiches or a main course served with boiled potatoes and cabbage. See below for my Easy Corned Beef recipe.

It has been a fruitfully abundant year of recipes here at the Cheap$kate Chateau. I did the heavy lifting for you, so now all you have to do is pick a recipe link and save yourself some hard-earned cash by trying out any of the above. And if you have a favorite recipe of mine, then leave a comment to share.

And make sure to keep checking in here from time to time. I create yummy-looking blog posts with a dollop of humor, and while my tastes are cheap, my recipe flavors are top shelf !

My Top 9 Recipes of 2020

As for year-end lists, my Top 9 Recipes of 2019 is one you can really sink your incisors into. And all of my top picks are deliciously cheap to make. Just click on any recipe name to see the original 2020 blogpost for tasty photos and my money-saving tips, and be sure to play any embedded video below. The ranking order is random and not by delectability, so go ahead and dig in! 

1. Stuffed Bell Peppers

A colorful all-in-one entree is easy to do. Stretching out no-longer-cheap ground meat with cooked rice makes this entre fairly inexpensive.

2. Peach Salsa

If you are in Peach season then jump on this recipe for your next backyard gathering. I guarantee this appetizer with tortilla chips may out-perform your BBQ grilled burgers or steak. Or keep it vegan and serve it with your fave grilled veggies.

3. Peach Cobbler

Let's keep the peach theme going. Peaches can do double duty as an appetizer and dessert. 

3. Blueberry Pancakes

Popping with flavor, my pancake recipe uses fresh whole blueberries that caramelize and sweeten even more as they grill in the batter.

4. Hot Dog with Relish & Mustard

I finally got around to making a video series of my favorite Hot Dog Recipes. I like sweet relish on mine, how do you like yours? Go ahead and leave a comment if you want to.

5. Kraut Dog

Is this Hot Dog super sour? Heck yeah, and it's just the way I like 'em. I always have a jar of sauerkraut in my cupboard to top my Hot Dogs during Super Bowl Sunday, Baseball World Series, Hockey Stanley Cup, Soccer World Cup, Monday Night Football, and the Tennis French Open.

6. Chili Dog

And I mean chili with NO BEANS! But, I will make an exception and use chili made with poultry instead of beef. I use canned chili too, so there!

7. Strawberries & Yogurt

A simple and obvious series where I just mix fresh fruit with plain yogurt. Whatever is in season I'll give it a go. Use your local fresh fruit from a roadside stand or Farmers Market. They have pretty fresh fruit in regular grocery stores these days, too.

8. Scrambled Eggs & Corned Beef

I usually have a hunk of leftover Corned Beef after a St. Patty's Day meal. The Corned Beef may be cabbage-flavored but that's okay. I slice up a small piece of Corned Beef, heat it up, and scramble in a couple of eggs. It's an artery-clogging breakfast but I only have it once a year. 

9. Roast Turkey Breast

How do you make a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal super fast? Follow my recipe video below and cook with half the bird in half the time.

It has been a fruitfully abundant year of recipes here at the Cheap$kate Chateau. I did the heavy lifting for you, so now all you have to do is pick a recipe link and save yourself some hard-earned cash by trying out any of the above. And if you have a favorite recipe of mine, then leave a comment to share.

And make sure to keep checking in here from time to time. I create yummy-looking blog posts with a dollop of humor, and while my tastes are cheap, my recipe flavors are top shelf !

My Top 9 Recipes of 2019

As for year-end lists, my Top 9 Recipes of 2019 is one you can really sink your teeth into. And all of my top picks are deliciously cheap to make. Just click on any recipe name to see the original 2019 blogpost for tasty photos and my money-saving tips, and be sure to play any embedded video below. The ranking order is random and not by delectability, so go ahead and dig in!

1. Mango Pancakes
Let's start with breakfast. I love mangos and have a few recipes that feature them. One of my faves is to just slice out the soft and sweet flesh to add in a pancake batter. I add the slices directly on the griddle then pour on the pancake batter - the better to caramelize the sugary mango!



2. Mango Salsa
When I bring this to a party, along with tortilla chips, my Mango Salsa is the first pot luck dish to disappear. If you don't believe me try it when your next party invitation comes in!



3. Gazpacho - vegan soup
For chilled veggie soup on a hot summer day and all you need is a blender. Attention all you home gardeners and foragers of your local farmers market and roadside veggie stands -- this recipe is for you and it's vegan! Roughly chop bell pepper, onion, garlic, cucumber, and a whole lotta tomato. Add it to a blender and pour in olive oil (or any fragrant favorite veggie oil) and blend until smooth. Serve cold or at room temperature.



4. Mushrooms Sauteed in Coconut Oil
Keepin' it vegan, mushrooms sauteed in tasty oil is a simply luscious recipe. My local 99c only Store carried all kinds of mushroom this year including shiitake, oyster and even portabella. Of course, use any cheap ones you find like white or brown button mushrooms.



5. Easy Smoked Ribs
Going from vegan to meaty in a minute, I've finally gotten around this year to BBQ Ribs! Do check out the video below and watch my easy smoking version. The main trick is to bake ribs wrapped in foil until tender, then give them a quick hour smoke on the gas grill - that's how I do it. Hey, you can just bake them with your fave BBQ sauce and stop right there.



6. Black Pepper Chicken - Panda Express Ripoff Recipe
Boy, is this recipe cheap! Poultry is the least expensive meaty protein and the veggie accompaniment is cheap celery. This stir fry I ripped off from Panda Express, a local fast-food Chinese restaurant, does use more expensive purple onion, but it will taste just as good with budget yellow or white onion.



7. Mom's Cherry Pie
Pay attention to this recipe as I do not do desserts very often, but don't worry about my lack of baking prowess, as my Mom takes the reigns of this recipe. Mom makes a homemade crust, but you can buy a frozen one from your local grocery store. And she uses canned cherries, so anyone can make my Mom's delicious dessert.



8. Mom's Chili-Cheese Enchiladas
Mom's recipes are always on my Top 9 Recipes list and this one is a childhood favorite of mine. My highschool buddy Marvin would always "just show up" when Mom made a platter of gooey cheesy Enchiladas. And he makes a return visit to Mom's kitchen one more time in the video below. Check it out and see what my whacked-out flashback enchilada version of tasting a Madeline cookie in Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past" brings.



9. Deep-Fried Frog Legs - with the Swamp Chef
Let's wrap up the year-end rundown with my most outrageous recipe of the year! You probably won't cook one yourself, so at least watch how it's done. And believe it or not, but frog legs kinda taste like chicken! Allow my brother from another daddy, the Swamp Chef, to get the tasty cooking details from my Cajun nephew Chef Matt. And be sure to watch the video all the way to the end where green swamp croakers get their revenge!



It has been a fruitfully abundant year of recipes here at the Cheap$kate Chateau. I did the heavy lifting for you, so now all you have to do is pick a recipe link and save yourself some hard-earned cash by trying out any of the above. And if you have a favorite recipe of mine, then leave a comment to share.

And make sure to keep checking in here from time to time. I create yummy-looking blog posts with a dollop of humor, and while my tastes are cheap, my recipe flavors are top shelf !