Top 9 Recipes of 2023

As year-end recipe lists go, my Top 9 Recipes of 2022 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 2022 blog post for tasty photos and my money-saving tips, and be sure to play any embedded videos below. The ranking order is random and not by delectability, so go ahead and dig in! 

1. Country Breakfast

Let's start with breakfast, a cheap$kate Country Breakfast with ingredients from the Dollar Tree. Click here to see bacon to biscuits that I scrounged up.

2. Quail Egg & Avocado Crostini

Ever had a quail egg? They are very small and speckled. A quail egg is harder to break as there is a thick membrane just underneath the shell. Use a knife to pierce it and the yolk comes right out. I didn't notice a real flavor difference from a chicken egg. They are just cool to cook with. Check out my Crostini with Quail Egg & Avocado.

3. Cauliflower Vegan Soup

I like a fresh vegan soup and mine can be served chilled or warm. I use a head of steamed cauliflower and almond milk as the main ingredients. My Cauliflower Vegan Soup is quick and easy to do.

4. Cassoulet - Beans, Sausage, and Chicken

I make this recipe the most during winter days. It's a one-pot dish loaded with white beans, veggies and meat. I boil the beans until tender then finish the dish topped with chicken and sausage roasted in the oven Make my version of the French dish Cassoulet, this recipe makes enough to last the next day.

5. Tuna Melt

A Tuna Melt is so satisfying. It may seem strange to grill a Tuna Salad Sandwich with Cheese, but it works deliciously. I use cheap canned tuna and American cheese of course. I make a simple Tuna Salad as the main ingredient. Try it out!

6. Mom's Sugar-Free Cupcakes

My Mom's brother has diabetes and every time she visits him she likes to bring a container of Sugar-Free Cupcakes. She uses a box mix and frosting that is labeled sugar-free, so anyone can make these, and they taste just like regular sugary Cupcakes. My Mom is 89 years old and does not cook anymore, so enjoy the last video I may make with her? 

7. Fried Baloney Sandwich

I never thought I would have a Fried Baloney Sandwich again. I guess you can call this a return to childhood recipes and how they hold up. And it was quite a tasty sandwich. Now you can get baloney with minimum preservatives and made with low-fat turkey. Check out my flashback recipe below, it ended up being my most popular YouTube video of the month.

8. Huevos Rancheros with Tortilla Chips

I make breakfast Huevos Rancheros the most. Beans, cheese, tortillas, salsa, and a fried egg, what's not to like? When I serve Salsa for a party I usually have tortilla chips left over. I usually make Huevos Rancheros with heated soft corn tortillas, but one time I ran out and had a partial bag of tortilla chips - Wow, what a great substitution tortilla chips make! The crunchy texture elevated the recipe. Anytime I have tortilla chips I make my Huevos Ranchos with them.

9. Shrimp, Jalapeño & Egg Tacos 

Tex-Mex cuisine is familiar to the 99 Cent Chef as I grew up with it in Texas. I lived in a seaside small fishing town called Port O'Connor where shrimp is king. Seafood and eggs go together, especially with a spicy jalapeño kick. Every time I return to Port O'Connor I get them from Josies Mexican Food and Cantina. Lucky you, just click on my recipe link for Shrimp, Jalapeño & Egg Tacos to make them right in your own kitchen.

Here are some Honorable Mention Recipes of 2023, just click on the recipe name to check it out: Bagel with Cream Cheese & Salmon Spread, Easy Coleslaw with Pineapple, Egg Salad, Kiwi Salsa, Persimmon Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs with Caramelized Onions, Easy Pineapple Cobbler, Pretzel Egg Sandwich, Blueberries and Yogurt, Shepherd's Pie, Cottage Pie, and Dirty Rice with Chicken Liver, 

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 !!

Easy Pineapple Cobbler - Video Recipe

I don't make dessert videos very often so you know it has to be tasty and cheaply made. I grew up with my Mom making fresh Dewberry Cobblers (a dewberry is the same as a blackberry.) 

My Easy Pineapple Cobbler is another favorite, and you don't have to wait for berry season or worry about being all scratched up picking them. Give my Easy Pineapple Cobbler video a go and it will move right up to the top of your favorite dessert list. This is probably the easiest baked dessert you will ever make!

Some canned fruit loses flavor and texture but Pineapple holds up and still has some crunch, unlike some mushy canned fruit.

My recipe uses a buttery crumb topping perfect for scooping and mixing with bubbly hot pineapple filling -- and don't forget a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Hey, it's delicious with or without ice cream.

This Pineapple Cobbler is perfect for family gatherings since all you need is a big spoon for serving. No worry about cutting a perfect slice of pie, or your pie filling spilling out all over the plate -- nothing sadder than a flaccid pie!

And I find the main ingredients from my local Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores. 

Canned Pineapple comes in a few variations with light or heavy syrup or sometimes in fruit juice. Of course, I prefer Pineapple in fruit juice if I can find it. 

Other recipes call for adding sugar, but I find Pineapple is sweet enough in whatever kind of liquid they come with.

The other main ingredient is plain flour which I also get cheaply from Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores. You can use whole wheat or all-purpose flour, too. Adding a tablespoon of baking powder fluffs up the topping. Baking powder is easy to find and cheap from any grocery store. If you use all-purpose flour then leave out baking powder as it's added already, although extra baking powder doesn't mess up anything if you are unsure.

Once you open a can of  Pineapple the Cobbler comes together in just a couple of minutes.

A Cobbler has the flavor of a regular pie with half the effort. You make the cobbler topping and there is no need to massage it and roll it out either. Just roughly mix flour, milk, and butter for a minute then assemble the Cobbler with canned fruit.

I like the deep dish type of Cobbler that way there is no danger of canned peach juice or syrup cooking out during the baking stage and leaving a dry filling. And you bake it uncovered for about 45 minutes -- really simple. 

Do make sure not to fill up the baking dish all the way as the topping expands and the liquid boils so your Cobbler can overflow. I keep an inch of clearance from the top and also place a baking pan underneath the baking dish just in case. 

My Easy Pineapple Cobbler is good at any time of day or night. Re-heat in the microwave and dig in! 

Easy Pineapple Cobbler - VIDEO          Play it here. The video runs 2 minutes, 26 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Pineapple Ingredients (about 4 servings)

• 2 cans Pineapple - about 15-ounce cans. I used chunky pineapple. If you use pineapple slices then cut them up into bite-sized pieces. Same thing for fresh pineapple.
• 1 can of Pineapple Syrup or Juice. 2 cans may be too much for your baking dish. Reserve an extra can of syrup or juice just in case you need it at the end of baking if the filling becomes dry.

*Okay to use fresh pineapple. Fresh pineapple pieces will make their own sauce as they bake. It's okay to add 1/2 cup water during the baking stage if necessary. Some recipes call for adding sugar, but I find pineapple sweet enough.

Cobbler Topping

• 1 cup Flour - any type including wheat. If you use "all-purpose" flour then okay to leave out Baking Powder, as that is already added.
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder - If you use self-rising flour then leave out the baking powder. Although adding baking powder to all-purpose flour will not hurt anything either.
• 1/2 cup of Milk - or a favorite dairy substitute like soy, almond, cashew, etc.
• 1/4 stick of Butter - about 6 slices (half a cup.) Okay to use your favorite butter substitute or cooking oil. Okay to add more butter for a richer topping.
• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon - optional. 

*For a sweet topping add a couple tablespoons of sugar to the flour. I find the pineapple juice soaks into the flour topping as it bakes, so that's sweet enough for me. Also, half a teaspoon of vanilla is a tasty addition.

Directions

For the dough topping, add flour then slice in about 6 pats of butter (a 1/4 of a stick of butter) or a favorite substitute like margarine or cooking oil (1/4 cup oil.) I used room-temperature butter. It's okay to add more butter (half a stick) for a richer topping.

Sprinkle on baking powder (okay to leave out if you use all-purpose flour, which has baking powder added.) Pour on 1/2 cup of milk or milk substitute.

Sprinkle on a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. This is optional as I've made Cobblers without it.

 *You can also add a couple teaspoons of sugar of your favorite sweetener and half a teaspoon of vanilla. I find the pineapple juice/syrup sweet enough, as it will soak into the dough during baking.

Roughly mix the flour ingredients with the butter and milk for a minute, until most of the flour is damp and crumbly.

Now time to bring it all together and bake the Pineapple Cobbler. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

I load the mixed Cobbler ingredients into a baking dish that holds about 4 cups of liquid. I like a pan with high sides, not a pie plate. If you use a very wide dish the liquid may cook out. A metal meatloaf pan with high sides works fine, too. 

Add 2 cans of Pineapple chunks. My Pineapple came in 15-ounce cans. Use the juice or syrup of one can. You can add more syrup/juice as long as you leave an inch or so from the top of your baking dish. Reserve extra juice or syrup for later use when reheating as the sauce will eventually be absorbed into the crust.

The liquid will rise when heated and may overflow, with the addition of an expanding dough topping -- so do leave some room at the top. I always have a pan or foil under the baking dish just in case of overflowing juice.

Finally, scoop on the flour dough mixture. Spread out dough across the top of the Pineapple. It's okay if there are holes in the crust, the dough will expand and spread across the top of the baking dish as it bakes.

Bake Pineapple Cobbler uncovered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. The dough topping will be lightly brown when done. Watch to make sure the Pineapple juice does not cook out, you want some sweet sauce, right? Add some juice/syrup toward the end of baking if necessary.

Allow Easy Pineapple Cobbler to cool down for a couple of minutes. I like to serve Pineapple Cobbler warm. Add ice cream too. Refrigerate any leftovers as they will deliciously heat up later. The sauce may absorb into the dough/topping so keep a little Pineapple juice in a separate container to add later if you like a more juicy Easy Pineapple Cobbler.