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 !

Swamp Chef Cajun Nachos With Zak - Video Recipe

And now for a brief moment of levity with a tasty recipe, of course. With the Super Bowl right around the corner, you'll want to try my latest Outre Entree, Swamp Chef Nachos!

My nephew Zak lives in Gonzales, Louisiana where my Mom is, too. He has worked in the restaurant business off and on since high school, so he has good taste and he approved my latest recipe, especially after indulging in a bit of puffery, of the cannabis variety...hmmm, maybe that had a bit of influence?

And Swamp Chef Nachos? It is a similar recipe to regular Nachos, with the main difference of adding Crawfish Tails! 

This seafood spin is easy enough to substitute with cheaper small bay shrimp if you don't have access to a one-pound package of cooked Crawfish Tails.

Click on any photo or GIF to see larger.

This recipe video starts simply enough, just a walk in the neighborhood and a chance meeting.

 And who should the Swamp Chef run into but his nephew Zak and his English Mastiff and Lab mix,  Marshall. I bet you can't guess what I'm walking...well you'll have to watch the video!

 If you have been following my food blog then you may remember my nephew Zak. We have collaborated on a couple of recipe videos when I visited him in Louisiana. Click on the recipe names to see our earlier collaborations. Chef Zak's Cajun Style Tuscan Primavera Pasta and Blackened Fish with Sweet Potato Hash (his Mom Brenda, my sister, makes a nagging appearance at the end of the video.)

To quote Zak : "Uncle Swamp Chef for the win, these Cajun Nachos are lit."

You know what Nachos are, right? Happy Hour food at its best. Usually, Nachos are tortilla chips covered in melty cheese, pinto beans, and sometimes taco-style ground beef. A final topping is chopped onion and tomato, or chunky salsa.

My Cajun Nachos are seafood briny and cheesy. I also use a can of Cajun Red Beans.

The overall flavor is like a gooey seafood enchilada, with more crunch from the tortilla chips. 

The Red Beans are a tasty touch and add extra heft to fill you up with veggie protein. Red Beans are a nice substitution for typical Mexican-style Pinto Beans. I picked a local Gonzales, Louisiana brand that has a creamy bean sauce. 

But you can get the same result by heating up regular Red Beans from the can. Add half of the bean broth and as it gets warm just crush a dozen beans or so. Stir with the bean liquid to make a thick sauce, kinda like Mexican refried beans. You can add more or less bean liquid until you reach the desired creaminess. Of course, just whole beans from the can without a creamy sauce will work as well.

Canned beans are easy to find, even Red Beans. If you want to experiment try Black Beans. Regular Pinto Beans are cheap everywhere. Chili With Beans are second best!

I used a mild shredded white queso or cheese. Any favorite cheese is fine, like cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterrey Jack. I get mine cheap at Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores. I start with a pound of shredded cheese but add as much cheese as you like.

Regular corn Tortilla Chips are cheap enough and you can get hefty servings with just one 8-ounce bag.

Of course, the hardest thing to find is a one-pound package of cooked Crawfish Tails. And while not cheap I gotta break my 99-cent rules sometimes. It's okay to use cheaper small cooked Bay Shrimp. Since you are just heating up Nachos, everything is cooked.

I finally top Cajun Nachos with Creole Seasoning and Louisiana Hot Sauce. These last ingredients are optional and it's okay to use any Hot Sauce if you can take the heat! 

As the oven heats up add tortilla chips to a baking pan or dish and layer on the goodies. Pop it in the oven and when the cheese is melty then my Cajun Nachos are ready to eat! Since all the ingredients are cooked you are just heating it up.

My Swamp Chef Cajun Nachos has it all, maybe too much of a good thing, well it's up to you to decide if it's all too much.

Cajun Nachos - Video

Play it here, video runs 5 minutes, 35 seconds.

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

Ingredients

• 12 ounces to 1 pound of peeled Crawfish - Small bay shrimp are an easy substitution. Of course, you can add any cooked protein like ground chicken or beef.
• 1 can Red Beans - about 16 ounce can. Mash some beans for a creamy sauce.
• 1 pound Cheese - I used white "quesadilla" shredded cheese. Okay to use any melty type like yellow cheddar or white Monterey Jack cheese, even Velvetta. 
• 1 package of Tortilla Chips - about 8 ounces. I used half-yellow and blue chips for color. Add enough to make 2 or 3 layers of chips in the baking dish or tray, kinda like a lasagna.
• 2 Green Onions chopped - optional for a colorful garnish and extra flavor.
• Louisiana Hot Sauce - optional. To taste, okay to use any favorite hot sauce. Add as little or as much as you can handle.
• 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning - optional, and okay to add less, as it's quite salty, like tortilla chips.

Directions

Layer chips on a wide baking dish or pan. I pile on enough for 2 or 3 layers.

Next top with red beans and half the cheese.

Add a layer of crawfish tails or bay shrimp...and more cheese!

Finally, sprinkle on Cajun Seasoning, and drizzle a little Hot Sauce (these steps are optional.)

I add extra cheese on top to keep the crawfish tail meat from drying out. I used white shredded cheese, but okay to use easy-to-get cheddar cheese. You can shred or just slice it, or break it into smallish chunks. Add as much cheese as you can afford, it's up to you.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Since crawfish are cooked (or almost cooked,) all you are doing is heating up the beans and melting the cheese.

When the cheese is melted and beans heated through, remove from oven and top with chopped green onions, this gives the dish a vibrant green and white color with a little extra veggie crunch. I've had this without green onion, too.

Serve hot with a cold beverage of your choice!