Mardi Gras Cuisine with the 99 Cent Chef

You are in for a movable feast during this Cajun holiday called Mardi Gras. The real partying is underway and continues through Fat Tuesday, February 13. Usually, everyone lines the streets for the parades and floats with masked bead throwers. This is the time of year when New Orleans lets its freak flag fly -- almost all month long! 

Hang out and I'll show you how locals have a tasty time, even in these plague years.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Mardi Gras is more than plastic beads and King's Cake. So read on and watch my videos to see some delish Cajun recipes, plus I'll even give you a personal Po'Boy Sandwich Tour of New Orleans. So scroll on down.

King Cake is similar to a Cinnamon Roll with pecans.

Alright, let's get this party started! Walking the French Quarter in New Orleans, revelers carry drinks spiked with knee-buckling Everclear spirits. I always make a stop at the local drive-thru New Orleans Original Daiquiris for a boozy slushy beverage. 

Yep, you heard right, that's the way we roll in Cajun country. Watch the video below to see how we get away without getting a ticket for an open container violation!

                                         Daiquiri Drive-Thru - Video

Here's another of my patented GIF stories about a Cajun Happy Hour that has a chilling finale featuring my girlfriend (now, wife) Linda.

A Cajun Happy Hour

If buzzy spirits are too much for you, then settle down within view of the Mississippi River in New Orleans for a chickory-flavored cup of Joe and sugar-powdered beignets at the world-famous Cafe du Monde. After the caffeine and sugar rush, you will be ready to take in New Orleans and the outrageous French Quarter, just a few steps away.

                                                Cafe du Monde - Video

I lived in Gonzales, Louisiana, during my high school daze. I didn't know what to expect when our family moved there from Texas. I did some wild stuff over the next four years and ate a lot of down-home Cajun cooking. The video below takes place in a local flea market, so check it out to get the flavor of the place.

                                         Cajun Flea Market Eats - Video

I hitchhiked with my high school buddy Marvin (featured in the Po'boy Sandwich Tour below) to New Orleans for Mardi Gras during the school break. Back then, it was all about grabbing a Muffaletta, listening to street Brass Bands and Rock and Roll, catching some beads thrown down by inebriated revelers perched behind French Quarter iron-wrought balconies and Mardi Gras parade floats, and getting a good buzz (we were underage, so no booze, but we found other natural ways).

Chef, Marvin & Dennis - high school buddies

We knew no fear, and locals were friendly enough - even picking up a couple of hitchhiking long-haired teenagers like us. One memorable ride was in a hand-painted hippie Volkswagen van where the college-aged, tie-dye-wearing driver, and cool chicks in tight bell-bottom jeans, on the backbench seat, passed around a doobie, before dropping us off in the city.

Looks like Red State Louisiana has agreed with Blue State California in legalizing marijuana for medical use. I guess we can all get along if there's a peace pipe to share.

I've kept in touch with my high school buddy Marvin and like to look him up when I land in New Orleans. Check out the video below to see how I (dinner) roll these days, when I tour the Crescent City in search of a delicious Po'Boy Sandwich with my high school bud - all the tasty details are in my original blog post here.

You will get a street-level experience of the Big Easy and the eccentric locals from my documentary short below.

New Orleans Po'Boy Tour - Video

Recently I met up with my long-lost brother from another.....daddy, aka the Swamp Chef! He showed up on Mom's doorstep one day, and she welcomed him back into the family. I must say he's a chip off the cypress tree block. He'd fit into a rockin' Cajun ZZ Top lineup, slinging a wooden stirring spoon instead of a guitar.

99 Cent Chef, Mom, and Swamp Chef

When the Swamp Chef shows up, there is always a delicious celebration -- and this time it's a BBQ Sausage Po-Boy Party!! Here in Gonzales, Louisiana, it's all about the bread when making a Po-Boy, or as it's also known, a Poor Boy (I can't figure out how to spell Po' boy as I've seen it all kinda ways!) Just watch the video below to see how the Swamp Chef grills locally made sausages by Ivderstine Farms Butchers and stuffs them into a loaf of Reisling's French bread.

Sausage Po-Boy Recipe - Video

The Swamp Chef & Zak get gooey and spicy with Cajun Nachos.

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

Swamp Chef Cajun Nachos - Video

The Swamp Chef knows the lay of the land around here, and he recommends all you Mardi Gras tourists who need a pitstop, to park here in Gonzales, Lousiana for a big lunch plate of Jambalaya. Just check out the Swamp Chef giving you the lowdown in the video below. And it's dirt(y rice) cheap of course!

Jambalaya Plate Lunch Review - Video

I know you are here for the recipes, too, and boy, do I have a pirogue boat full. Between Mom and my Cajun line-cooking nephews, Matt and Zak, I got that covered.

If you hang out in Louisiana for any amount of time, you will inevitably eat spicy steamed mudbugs, crayfish, or as the locals call them, Crawfish. 

They are milder in seafood flavor than shrimp and are about the size of a small bay shrimp. If you've never had one, then watch my video below to learn how to eat one.

How to eat a Crawfish - Video

It quickly becomes a party when I visit Gonzales, Louisiana, to see my Cajun family with nieces, nephews, and their kids galore

And this first recipe is made with a beer-flavored sauce. Warning, in the video, we had to go through a Party Pack of Abita Beer to find just the right flavor!

My nephew, Chef Matt, has been cooking for years now and has some major culinary skillz. I'll let him give you the lowdown on a Southern classic, Shrimp and Grits video recipe (click here for recipe photos and text).

Chef Matt's Shrimp & Grits - Video

The cheapest Cajun entree is Red Beans and Rice -- made by my Southern friend Miss Patti. She is a vegetarian with a menagerie of critters she keeps on her property just outside the city of New Orleans.

For real New Orleans-style Red Beans, you should use the brand of beans called Camellia. But if you can't find them, it's okay to use any cheap red kidney beans.

We always have a good time together, and you will too, watching us cook together. Recipe details are a click away, here.

Ms. Patti's Vegan Red Beans and Rice - Video

 Mom knows Cajun cuisine best. And she is here to share a few with you right now.

It's best to start at the beginning and here's the first recipe we did, Mom's Jambalaya.

I make this recipe the most. Nothing to it: just brown chicken pieces and sausage with a whole chopped onion. Finally, add rice and water to make the best comfort food ever. This is my Mom's version of Jambalaya (click here to read all about it).

                                                 Mom's Jambalaya - Video

Mom also makes a killer Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. The trick is all in the deep chocolate-colored roux - actually just flour that's slowly browned in oil.

I'll let Mom explain in the video below (the recipe text is here).

                                      Chicken and Sausage Gumbo - Video

Lately, when Mom makes hot and spicy Gumbo, she adds a scoop of cool Cajun Potato Salad. The last time she was here in Los Angeles, I got her to make some, and my cute niece Maranda dropped by to help. This recipe is a family affair; you can check it out below.

                                          Mom's Cajun Potato Salad - Video

Next to Gumbo, a rich and creamy Étouffée made with local crawfish is another decadent stew. Check out local Chef Tony's take on Crawfish Étouffée.

                                    Chef Tony's Crawfish Etouffee - Video

My other line-cooking nephew, Zak, knows how to blacken fish the Cajun way. And boy does he do a skillful job at it, as my video below will attest. He also throws in a mind-blowing side of Sweet Potato Hash, and yes, it's loaded with bacon.

 Zak's recipe gets everyone in on the action, including his Mom and my sister, Brenda, who make noshing appearances. So do check out his delicious Cajun recipes below and click here for all the written details.

                           Zakk's Blackened Fish with Sweet Potato Hash - Video

The South's favorite nut, next to boiled peanuts, is the pecan. And my nephew Chef Matt has the best Pecan Crusted Fish recipe this side of the Mississippi River. And he throws in a vegan Spinach Salad with a creamy Strawberry Vinaigrette. Now that's a mouthful.

    Pecan Crusted Fish and Spinach Salad with a Strawberry Vinaigrette - Video

My most outrageous Cajun recipe is an Alligator Po'Boy sandwich made by my nephew Chef Matt. They say alligator tastes like chicken -- to me, it is close to the texture of a pork chop and tastes somewhere between chicken and shrimp. Just check out the recipe video and make sure to watch all the way to the end, where the relatives go hog wild over the Alligator Po'Boy.

                                                 Alligator Po'Boy - Video

How low can one recipe go? Well, check out the Swamp Chef and nephew Chef Matt's Deep-Fried Frog Legs...not for the faint of palate! This recipe goes from a swamp frog hunt to the deep fryer.

                                              Frog Legs Recipe - Video

If you are not in New Orleans attending the glittery and debauched Mardi Gras festivities, you can still have a tasty good time - if you remember to bookmark this page and come back to make any of my Cajun Mardi Gras meals. So laissez les bons temps rouler!

New Orleans Po'Boy Dining:
Short Stop Po-Boys - 119 Transcontinental Drive (near New Orleans Airport)
Metairie, Louisiana 70001
Phone: (504) 885-4572
Website: http://www.shortstoppoboys.com

Mother's Restaurant - 401 Poydras
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

Phone: (504) 523-9656

Website: http://www.mothersrestaurant.net

Parasol's Bar and Restaurant - 2533 Constance Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Phone:(504) 302-1543
Website: http://www.parasolsbarandrestaurant.com

For a tasty local Los Angeles Po' Boy, try The Gumbo Pot in the Mid-City Farmer's Market. I ordered the Shrimp or Oyster Po' Boys for $15. For the menu, click here. Warning, the seafood Po' Boys have a sour bite because of the inserted sliced lemon -- I usually take the slices out.

Another local food find for Cajun Cuisine is a restaurant and deli store called Little Jewel, in downtown LA's Chinatown. It's the real deal, too. Listen in as you get all the tasty details in my special Restaurant Nocturne arty video below. (BTW, the chef/owner drops an F-bomb at 1:53 minutes.)

Super Bowl Recipes - Touchdown!

Head to the end zone for a long pass of recipes from The Culinary Quarterback. Are you ready for Super Bowl LVIII Sunday? The Fried Pig Skin Lovin' Chef has some tasty football food that will leave enough green in your wallet to buy an extra keg for your tailgate party.

Click on any recipe name to see the original recipe blog post.

The NFC Conference Champions, the San Francisco 49ers, are up against the AFC Conference Champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, for Super Bowl 58. My recipe list below has local food spins according to both cities. The lineup for the San Francisco 49ers features seafood, and for the Kansas City Chiefs, it's all about the beef and pork!

Before I get to the recipes, here is a short I made in Las Vegas, home to this year's Super Bowl LIV. I made the video a while ago. The video starts with a quick food tour (man, have prices changed in a dozen years), then on to a gold nugget gambling story, oh boy! 

So if you are looking for regular eats for your Superbowl Party, I got your halfback, I mean back. There are no fumbles in this recipe list! 99 Thanks go to my local 99c only Stores and Dollar Trees. Hey, I even find 99-cent deals at regular grocery stores and ethnic markets, so all the bases, I mean, the whole field are covered.

San Francisco 49ers fans are all about seafood in the City by the Bay. And boy, do I have a cheap$kate sammie for you, I call a Scallop Roll. This recipe is so scrumptious that it was featured on the Huffington Post website! Click here to see the write-up. Lobster meat breaks the bank, while scallops are tender and a tasty, cheap substitution I find in the frozen deli case. One small 4-ounce package is enough for a Scallop Roll or two.

  Scallop Roll

I love BBQ, and so do Kansas City footballers. And the local BBQ sauce is tomato-based just the way I like it, too. If you have a fave BBQ sauce recipe, then use it - Out here in L.A., we have Newman's Own that was carried in my local Dollar Tree - talk about a big score!

A baked Rack of Ribs is easy and extra succulent the 99 Cent Chef way. All I do is season them with a dry rub or coat in a fave BBQ sauce, wrap in foil, then bake for 3 to 4 hours until fall-apart tender, that's it. You can smoke them your way once they are baked tende,r like I do right here. My recipe below uses Pork Spareribs, but meaty Beef Ribs can be used as well.

Serve the Rack of Ribs with a classic but simple Potato Salad or Coleslaw.

King Crab rules in San Fran. Now I can't afford to use crab in my recipes, but I've found that imitation crab does the job for this Bottom Feeder Chef. Krab, or imitation crab, is a cooked fish blend that has the texture and taste of lump crabmeat. It may not be for the pescatarian purist, but I've grown to love it.

 Fake Crab

I offer to my 49er comrades the mighty Krab Louie Salad made with fantastic fake krab, of course. Originating in San Francisco (or Oregon, as some claim), this king of salads also has asparagus, plus cheap iceberg lettuce, tomato, a hard-boiled egg, and is topped with my Homemade Thousand Island Dressing. Of course, use real lump crab...if you can afford it!

This West Coast fan favorite is a California Roll. Like a stadium wave, this California spin on Japanese sushi has traveled to grocery deli cases all around the country. And I substitute cheap imitation crab so you will save big bucks on usually expensive crabmeat.



Another meaty meal is a big bowl of Kansas-style Chili. Simple is best, and if a hot bowl of Homemade Chili and a mug of icy cold beer are what you crave on game day, then you've come to the right place. What's great about Chili is it can be made a day or two ahead and stay on the stovetop on low heat the whole gameday! Go ahead and add a can or two of black, pinto, or red beans to the chili pot at the end of cooking for a more filling chili bowl. I like to top mine with chopped onion, shredded cheese, and crunchy Fritos Corn Chips!

Anybody can make a Hot Dog right? If you have a fave Kansas City frankfurter, set out the toppings while the weenies steam or saute and let the grandstanders build their own. Here is a favorite of mine in the video below. I use chili from the can and sauerkraut from a jar -- use what you got or can easily get.



If game day is foggy and cold in San Francisco, then throw another log on the fire and gather in front of the big screen with a steaming bowl of my cheap$kate Clam Chowder. 49er fans will throw off their warming blankets, peel off their gloves, and line up for a big bowl. And serve it in a hollowed-out loaf of sourdough bread for extra points!

You gotta serve BBQ Pork if you are a Chiefs fan, right? I have the perfect recipe for you, a succulent and smoky BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich recipe. I usually just add pickle and sliced onion, but my Homemade Coleslaw goes on it, too, or as a side dish. My recipe is easy and cheap to make, of course. Just check out the video below or click here to see all the tasty recipe details.



Also, you can start with a reverse flea-flicker of a recipe called Carnitas. Hours of braising reduce a pork shoulder to a tender and succulent Mexican-style taco or burrito filling. Carnitas are what I order for late-night noshing at a taco truck.



Weave through the living room backfield with a pile of Mexican Carnitas Tacos (slow-cooked pork) and you'll be lucky to make it through without being sacked!

And here are more recipes for Game Day, just read on and click on your faves, some familiar and some, like the next one, uniquely a 99 Cent Chef game changer.

Serve my most outrageous Hot Dog recipe, a the LA Street Dog -- a freeway pileup of flavors that make an end-run around any foot-long out there.



Of course, the simplest is best, and I like a hot dog with just mustard and pickle relish. One trick I learned watching local wiener wranglers work is to steam the bun like I show below.



When your guests rush through the patio gate, have a bowl of Chips and Salsa to greet them. Now you can just set out a jar of cheap Pace Chunky Salsa or go for extra points with my Mango Salsa Recipe.



Make a simple chopped Pico de Gallo salsa or get a package of dried chilis for an intense Ancho and Red Chili Salsa. I also like a tangy Salsa Verde made with green tomatillos.

All football fans love Pizza on game day. You can avoid the long lines at Domino's or Shakey's Pizza and make your own cheaply with my recipe that uses pre-made cooked pizza crusts from the Dollar Tree store.

What's great about making Individual Pizzas is that everyone can add the ingredients they favor. I like anchovies and an egg on mine -- I know no one else would order that one!

Just set out a stack of individual store-bought pizza crusts and bowls of pepperoni, shredded cheese, black olives, fresh basil leaves, cooked Italian sausage, a fave jar of marinara sauce -- you get the picture. And it only takes 10 minutes or so in a hot oven, and they are done! Click here to see how I make them.



Next to pizza and hot dogs, Fried Chicken is a favorite finger food, and no one fries chicken better than this Cheap$kate Game Changer.

I've come up with a crunchy coating that will empty the bleachers and have fans storming the kitchen! Get Superbowl Sunday going with my Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe, or use my special flour and spice mix for regular bone-in chicken pieces. Fry up a batch of chicken to handoff when the coin is tossed to start the game.



Bring more Southern flavor to your kitchen, no matter what State you are in. Fans will take a half-time break and huddle around your cast iron pot of my fragrant and spicy Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya and Cajun Gumbo.

 Mom's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

In Louisiana, we put a dollop of Cajun Potato Salad on our Gumbo. If you don't believe me, just check out the video below.

Or go straight up the middle with a tray of Teriyaki Spam Musubi. This Hawaiian specialty combines good old American canned spam with Japanese sushi. And does it really work? My easy-to-follow recipe will have your guests eating out of your hands...down!

While everyone's watching the pre-game show, send in any of my delicious sideline sides and appetizers, including: Bacon Wrapped Dates and Brussels Sprouts, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta, Deviled Eggs, Portabella Mushroom Fries, Sweet Fried Plantains, Ceviche with Avocado and Black Beans, and Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.

Football zealots are not just meat-eaters, but potato fanatics too. I like mine grilled, how about you? Well, I got Grilled Yellow and Orange Sweet Potato recipes for you to try.



And just click here to see my Veggie Frittata recipe that will feed all your hungry team players (go ahead and add some ham pieces to fill out the frittata).

Start Super Bowl Sunday with a couple of omelet recipes, including my French-style Cheese Omelette



And, everyone will huddle around sandwich plates of gooey, cheesy Patty Melts, hearty Meatball Subs, Homemade Deli Pastrami, Falafel Pitas, and steaming Sloppy Joe's.

If you're looking for one-pot meals, so you don't miss any action on the field, just check out my Pork Bourguignon, French Cassoulet, Chicken Tinga Stew,  Mr. Patti's Red Beans & Rice, Baked Pasta with Cheese and Cauliflower, Baked Lasagna with Ground Chicken, Shepherd's Pie, or Sausage & Sauerkraut with Beer recipes.

Baked Lasagna with Ground Chicken

 Looking for a sneak-play recipe? How about a different twist on Buffalo Wings with my African Spiced Water Buffalo Wings? This original recipe features chicken legs, but you can substitute wings.

Tired of stale, soggy stadium hot dogs? I have a great and easy Corn Dog Recipe made with Vienna sausages -- but you can use regular wieners. Your hungry guest will not be offside dipping these crunchy coated pig skins into my tasty Honey-mustard Sauce.

Since you have the fryer going, you might as well make a batch of my Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. They're as light and airy as the Goodyear blimp.

So get your backfield in motion and click on any of my tasty treat names above to watch an instant reply of recipes from my blog. Your guest will be cheering you on -- from their cheap seats!

National Pizza Day - Recipes & Reviews

 Hallelujah, it's National Pizza Day! Heck, every day should be National Pizza Day. Check out my pizza celebration below with quick and easy Pizza Recipes, and a couple reviews of frozen Pizzas -- go ahead, dig in!

Pizza for breakfast? Yeah! Or if you are a late breakfast eater like I am, then this goes down deliciously mid-morning after a second cup of joe. So check out my video recipe below for a Quick Pizza with Egg to see how fast it all comes together.

Quick Pizza with Egg - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minute, 24 seconds.

I'm surprised egg is not used more often on fast-food pizza. Like the first slice into a Mexican Huevos Rancheros where the runny egg mixes with salsa and refried beans, or a Southern breakfast of sunny-side-up eggs with biscuits and gravy, it's all about mixing in a creamy egg yolk. And you have it all with a hot pizza right out of the oven.

It's a rich eating experience hitting all the right savory pleasure points with egg yolk, melty cheese, and pungent basil with tomato sauce.

Using pre-cooked pizza crust speeds up getting your meal to the table on time. Lately, I get precooked pizza crust cheaply at the Dollar Tree store a couple blocks away. While not the best pizza crust I've tried, the added toppings help make up for any dough deficiencies. If you find tasty pre-cooked pizza dough, do leave a comment and tell us all about it.

The trick to using a precooked pizza crust is to not overcook it, or it will dry out like a cracker. I cook my Pizza with Egg for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees in a preheated oven. As soon as the whites of the egg are solid and cooked, and the egg yolk is still runny, I immediately remove the pizza. Of course, be careful taking that first hot bite!

You could use fresh pizza dough from the deli case too, just backtime it, that is, if it takes 20 minutes to cook the dough, then top the pizza with an egg during the last 10 minutes of baking.

If you can't find individual pizza crusts then slice a whole pizza crust to the size you like and work with that. It's easy enough to use the other half later, that is if you can stand the wait. Or make a whole regular-size pizza and add 2 or 3 eggs to the toppings.

I find many types of tomato sauce at dollar stores. Everything from portabella mushroom to meat-flavored, and chunky eggplant to just plain tomato sauce. There are even jars of "Pizza Sauce."

Get what you like in the can or jar, although I find a jar of tomato sauce easier to refrigerate and spoon from.

If you have a couple of cans of plain tomato sauce it's easy enough to make an Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce that does double-duty as a Pizza Sauce and Pasta Sauce. My recipe video below is easy to follow.

I kicked my Quick Pizza with Egg up a notch with fresh leaves of basil. I like to have a basil plant on my windowsill to pull leaves off. They go great in a Thai-style Basil and Chicken Stir Fry (my recipe is a click away here) and mixed into any favorite spaghetti dish.

You only need a few leaves as they are much more pungent than dried basil. But it's okay to sprinkle on a favorite Italian dried herb into any pizza tomato sauce you use.

I like Anchovies on my pizza, how about you? When I buy a frozen pizza I drape a few on top. The deal is not to add too many as the tiny salty fillets can overpower the other toppings. I recently get small tins of Anchovies with Capers at 99c only Stores, still a great deal. My quickie Pizza with Anchovies is below.

Canned Anchovies once opened will keep covered in the refrigerator for a month since they are cooked and salted for long reservation. And small single-serving Pizzas are the perfect price and size for a couple of Anchovies. 

Mozzarella and Parmesan are the preferred cheeses for pizza toppings and I get small containers and packets from 99c only Stores and Dollar Tree stores. Can you use other cheeses for pizza toppings? All you have to do is try and see for yourself.

I also find dried parmesan in a shaker container but it's not as good as dried wedges you find in a typical grocery deli case.

Eggs aren't as cheap as they used to be, especially if you use cage and are hormone-free. I used to get a dozen, but now I'm lucky to find 6 for $1.25.

Top the pizza with one egg, or add a couple of them if you like. I like my egg yolks runny, but you can cook it a few minutes more, until similar to a soft-boiled texture.

And what's great about making your own mini-pizza is you can add as much cheese and tomato sauce as you like (or can afford).

Tangy tomato sauce with pungent fresh basil leaves and melty cheese is the perfect platform for a fried egg. And it's so easy to do if you use packaged single serving sizes of pizza crust that are precooked like I do. Or if you have a leftover slice then break an egg over it, and heat the slice in a toaster oven.

Give my latest cheap$kate recipe a try, I know you will like it -- ciao and buon appetite!

You can make a traditional pizza too with this pre-cooked pizza crust. How about a Black Olive and Sausage Pizza?

All the ingredients are super cheap of course, everything from a can of olives to ground breakfast pork.

While breakfast pork is not Italian, you can make it pretty close by mixing in a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs, again easily found at Dollar Tree or the 99c only Stores.

So for about 6 bucks, I got enough Dollar Tree ingredients to make 4 individual pizzas (adding dried herbs I have at home,) with leftover pizza sauce, sausage, and plenty of olives.

What's nice is being able to add as much sauce, olives, and sausage as I wanted on each pizza. I had just enough mozzarella though, so could not go overboard with that.

I find that may budget premade individual pizzas lacking, mainly they are skimpy with the meat and cheese. Using fresh pork sausage is so much tastier and I can crumble it into any size I like.

I use a pre-cooked crust, so the baking time is only about 10 minutes at 400 degrees, just enough time to heat all the ingredients and melt the cheese -- that's it!

My first seafood-topped pizza was from a small side-street restaurant during a Rome, Italy vacation. Some may blanch when served calamari, clams, and shrimp on a pizza, but how can you resist when it's paired with melted mozzarella and artichoke hearts? Read my recipe post from a decade ago below. Some prices have changed, but the flavors remain as delicious.

I simplify things by using a 99.99 cent can of chopped clams. One can is enough for three small individual pita pizzas; all other ingredients are often found in local 99c only Stores, including pita bread (although regular local markets often have sales on canned minced clams and shredded mozzarella.

And pita bread is reasonably priced), you get eight pitas per package - talk about a great deal! These pita pizzas are delish with or without clams - make it your own by adding any favorite topping.

These budget pizzas are easy to make and are perfect for a party or as a late-night cramming snack for all you overextended, financially strapped college students. All you need is a dorm buddy with a toaster oven!

Ingredients (for 3 pita pizzas)

• 3 pita bread rounds
• 1 can minced or chopped clams (6.5 oz.)
• 1 package shredded mozzarella (4 oz.)
• 3 tbsp. dried parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 small 8 oz. can of tomato sauce or your favorite pasta sauce.
• 1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts (6oz.) in oil or water, drained.
• 3 tablespoons of 99.99 cent olive oil blend
• 1 teaspoon dried herbs including - parsley, oregano, and sage (a pinch per pita)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Layout 3 pita rounds and top each with 3 tbsp. of tomato sauce and a small pinch of dried herbs, then cover with a layer of mozzarella cheese.

 Drain artichoke heart and minced clams; evenly distribute over pita pizzas and add a sprinkle of dried parmesan cheese. Finish with a drizzle (about a tablespoon) of olive oil.

 Bake for about 10 minutes -- cheese will melt, while the pita edge becomes crisp and just starts to brown.

And don't forget to mix it up with different toppings for a party. Just set out a plate of salami, cheese, cooked sausage, tomato sauce, olives, and any other favorites.

Time for a few Pizza Deal of the Day reviews. Many are adequate, and some are even quite tasty, that is if you sprinkle on some extra mozzarella!

When you think of Oprah Winfrey, pizza does not come immediately to mind. Well, she's jumped on the celebrity food product bandwagon. She has a line of frozen pizzas and I got one at my local 99c only Store. Don't know how it ended up there but I'm not complaining. 

It's a full-sized large pizza with a thick crust and loaded with pepperoni. So how does it rate on my Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best? Just check out my video below to get all the tasty details!

Unfortunately, this Deal of the Day is bleh. I mean it's not bad, just mediocre. And that goes for both Atkins Stone Fired Pepperoni and Cheese Pizza.

I know it's hard to find a tasty frozen pizza for a buck. One day I'll find what I'm looking for, just not yet.

In general, I like Atkins frozen meals that show up in my local  99c only Store's frozen case, like this one a click away, here.  

I first tried the Stone-Fired Pepperoni Pizza. This one had 3 slices of pepperoni, not the four slices shown on the box cover - better supervision is needed at the Atkins pizza plant.

The main problem was the lack of tomato sauce and the lack of cheese. I guess to keep the price down they cut the cheese when adding pepperoni. I don't need a lot of tomato sauce, but this single serving had the tiniest smear. You would think since cans of tomato sauce are so cheap that they would ladle it on.

I thought the pepperoni slices were fine. Thin but spicy and pungent just like pepperoni should be. 

And the cheese was flavorful with mozzarella and parmesan. Like I said earlier, it could have been used more. 

And finally, the pizza crust is medium thick and blistered. I prefer thin, but the dough is tasty enough -- Chicago and New York-style crusts have nothing to worry about here. 

So on the 99 Cent Chef's Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give Atkins Stone Fired Pepperoni Pizza a 4!

So on to the next Deal of the Day, Atkins Stone Fired Cheese Pizza. 

Now, this is more like it. This pizza has plenty of melty, gooey cheese, just the way I like it! It still has too little sauce, but the cheese amount almost makes up for it. 

While not the most flavorful mozzarella and parmesan, it's fine.  I think an extra shaving or two of parmesan cheese would do the trick.

And it has the same crust. I tried frying this frozen pizza on a George Forman-like grill for a better crust, but due to the thick dough it still did not crisp up enough, before the cheese started melting all over the place, and the too little tomato sauce almost evaporated away.

The ingredient list is too long for both pizzas, but that could be preservatives in the pepperoni and cheeses.

 Click on any photo to see larger.

So on the 99 Cent Chef's Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give Atkins Stone Fired Cheese Pizza a 6 ! It's a little better than bleh.

While I shouldn't complain too much about single-serving pizzas for a buck, I would recommend the Cheese Pizza over the Pepperoni.

Welcome to the real Hunger Games, with a battle royale between 2 pizza purveyors, Geno's and Celeste. In my latest Deal of the Day, it's mini pizzas going mano-a-mano and the winner gets the Chintzy Award for Best Cheap Pie. This is a cuisine made for dorm room keg parties and minimum-wage workday lunches.

I picked up each single-serving pie from the frozen deli case at this 99c only Store for 99.99 cents (or $1.) The pizzas are the perfect size for lunchtime appetites. I got the same toppings of cheese, pepperoni, and sausage on both. Normally I like a pizza hot from the oven, but for this meal showdown, I am going with the quicker microwave preparation. -- following the box directions.

Celeste
There is more tomato sauce and chunkier meat topping -- so you can really taste the Italian sausage and pepperoni. -- Celeste is a winner in the meat category. Also, larger lashings of mozzarella cheese make individual bites varied, as the ingredients are larger but spread out more. And the tomato sauce, while plain, binds all the flavors together. There is a silver crisping plate included

Jeno's
Italian herbs shine through in the tomato sauce. But the meat toppings are hard to discern, due to the small sizes. While Jeno's has a uniform flavor profile as all the parts are almost blended together in a pleasing way.

Funny, but Jeno's did not have a silver microwave crisper, so I used Celeste's.

I'm sure both single-serving pizzas would benefit from oven baking, but at my job (and most dorm rooms) there is only a microwave oven. So this is a test in real-world conditions. In both cases, the crust is a little mushy as expected, but they share a pleasing yeasty dough flavor.

Both pies are the same size and thickness. Jeno's looks like it has more toppings, but looks are deceiving. So on a scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give the Chintzy Award to Celeste, with a 6 rating. I preferred the chunkier sausage topping and larger treads of cheese. I also liked the simple tomato sauce flavor.

While Jeno's is the loser, I give them higher marks for a more intense overall Italian herb flavor. And I would buy both again for a cheapie lunch. But I am always on the lookout for a better single-serving chintzy pizza. If you know of one, then do leave a comment about it and I'll look for it.