Christmas Cheap$kate Recipe Roundup!

It's the busiest and most overwhelming cooking day of the year -- well, don't fret, The 99 Cent Chef wants to take the stress out and make it a bit easier for you. 

I got it all here: my holiday recipes, along with a cupboard full of money-saving tips for you during this Christmas Season. So read on and take a few tips from the grinchiest tightwad around.

Below is everything you need to serve a sumptuous and cost-saving dinner table feast. And make sure you bookmark this page because Christmas is right around the corner -- yikes!

First up, if you live in Los Angeles, the Cheap$kate Chef would recommend getting fruits and veggies at any Superior Grocers -- just click here to see the great deals to be had, it's incredible. They cater to a Latin clientele, but everyone is welcome.

In the recent past, Superior Grocers has sold a whole celery stalk for 79 cents, fresh corn 3 for $1, and Russet potatoes at 2 pounds for 99 cents - oh boy!

My late in-laws always served Roast Duck for Christmas. They slathered it with the packaged Orange Sauce as the duck roasted. For my Roast Duck recipe, I left out the Orange Sauce, but you can add it. 

If a Baked Ham is your dining table centerpiece, be sure to save the ham bone. It will flavor the broth of my recipe for Split Pea Soup. 

And, right around the corner is New Year's Day, so any leftover ham is added to my Hoppin' John's Blackeyed Peas recipe, here. 

My simmering pot of good luck will warm you on the first day of the New Year.

I'm sure there are Turkey deals to be had wherever you are during the holiday, so this week, check out those grocery flyers in the mail before you give them the heave-ho.

This holiday, my local Ralphs Supermarket is offering Young Turkeys for 79 cents per pound with their Rewards Card! And, you don't need a $25 minimum purchase this time.

The main event is the centerpiece, a fat turkey overloaded with stuffing. Now, wouldn't it be great if you could get away with just setting out a stack of heated Banquet Turkey Dinners? That really is the cheapest way to go.

Well, I know that won't fly, but one year in my bachelor days, I had one. My wacky review of this frozen fiasco poultry dinner is a click away here.

But seriously, I posted my version of a Turkey with Stuffing recipe, and click here to read all about it. My blog post also features my Mother-in-law's decadent Sausage Stuffing. I shot a video below for you, and it's done in my movie technique of stop-motion animation to boot.



Gravy with Mashed Potatoes is a favorite part of the holiday meal. Hey, I'll end up dragging everything on the plate through the Gravy. Check out the most pungent holiday recipe you'll ever taste, my Giblet Gravy recipe video, below. 

You may find a whole turkey too much to handle, or your guest list is just yourself and maybe one or two other guests. In that case, it is easy to bake a whole Turkey Breast.

The last time I cooked a Turkey Breast, it took about 2 hours at 350 degrees to roast. I simply seasoned it with salt and pepper, leaving it uncovered. You can also add some herbs, or do it with your own family recipe way.

Check with a thermometer for a reading of 165 degrees. I usually just slice into a thick part of the  Turkey Breast and make sure there are no pink juices. And, when done, remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes so juices settle back in the meat.

The same goes for Turkey Legs. They may cook a little quicker, though, so start checking for doneness after an hour and a half. For a change of pace, I made a tasty recipe called Mexican Cola Turkey Carnitas. I just covered and braised a couple of Turkey Legs for about 2 to 3 hours in Mexican Cola with herbs. I shredded the cooked Turkey Legs, but you can serve them whole for a centerpiece presentation. Check out my sweet recipe in the video below.



To add some South of the Border Christmas tradition, serve a steaming bowl of pork, chile, and hominy stew called Pozole. Along with tamales, Pozole is a Mexican culinary holiday tradition.



Setting out a platter of plump Tamales is an edible holiday package of deliciousness. And while I don't have a cheap$kate recipe yet, I can point you to a local L.A. fave purveyor called Tamales Alberto. If you are in the 'hood do get a dozen.

My recipes are stuffed with cooking tips and cheap shopping sources like my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree. They have stepped up their holiday food deals as well. Dollar Tree items now start at $1.25. Each carries boxes of stuffing and Hormel Bacon & Pork Sausage Links on the cheap. Right now, they are selling everything but the bird!

Click on any photo to see larger.

Come take a walk on the wild sides with The 99 Cent Rebel With a Cause Chef. And you can be sure the following links will go over big with your hungry family and visiting neighbors. 

 

You've never seen stuffing made like this: Stuffing Cupcakes with Cranberry Topping & Gravy. To get the step-by-step directions for this most deliciously unique savory and sweet stuffing recipe, click here. It's easy and quick to make; all you need (to borrow) is a cupcake pan. Stuffing Cupcakes are portable for an office party or a potluck dinner. If you are like me, stuffing, next to roasted turkey, is the main event for my ravenous taste buds.

Stuffing Cupcakes

Make your own Homemade Cranberry Sauce by simmering two cups of fresh cranberries in a simple sweet syrup. My original recipe uses fresh strawberries, but you can use almost any fresh fruit, including cranberries.

Everyone knows how to make Mashed Potatoes, right? Well, if you are a newbie to pulverizing tubers, I've got your back! And you gotta have gravy to go with Mashed Potatoes. My Turkey with Dressing link has a Homemade Gravy recipe, too.

Mashed Potatoes

Boring Creamed Spinach is a typical Christmas side, but I have a Hindi twist. One of my favorite Indian restaurant side dishes is Saag Paneer, which is just like creamed spinach, but with cheese and the added spice punch of ground cumin. My version is made with easy-to-get (and lower-fat) cottage cheese instead of Indian Paneer (cheese) and Ghee (butter). Once you and your family try my cheesy and creamy Saag Paneer, you won't go back to Creamed Spinach. And the recipe is a click away, here.

If you are looking for traditional sides, I have the old-school French Fried Onions and Green Bean Casserole, which is right out of the 1960s-themed Mad Men TV series. Yeah, all you need is a can opener for the green beans and Campbell's Mushroom Soup. This is a classic recipe where Betty Crocker has it right -- creamy, crunchy, and so satisfying. Click here to see the Cheap$kate Chef's version.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts are edible Christmas ornaments that you can add to the oven during the last 30 minutes of roasting your turkey. Just drizzle them with oil and dust them with salt and pepper. It couldn't be simpler to do, and here is my stop-motion animated video to prove it.



Of course, I have some more sides for you, just click on any of the following names: Green Beans with Almonds,  Whiskey Yams with Brown Sugar Pumpkin Seeds, Squash, Tomatoes and Onions, Brussels Sprouts in Sour Cream, Roasted Potatoes with Carrots, Honey Orange Glazed Carrots, Collard Greens with Molasses, Asparagus and Red Potato Salad,  Pear and Spinach Salad with Creamy Dressing, Fresh Fruit Salad.

Green Beans & Almonds

And don't forget the appetizers like: Warm Artichoke Dip, Black Olive Tapenade with Crostinis,  Bacon Wrapped Dates with Cream Cheese, and Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Salami.

Warm Artichoke Dip

And if that isn't enough -- it's dessert time! After you push yourself away from the table and waddle to the couch to catch a holiday game on the TV, be sure to grab a handful of my wife's Cranberry Orange and Coconut Cookies (click on the name for the recipe).

But you can't do better than desserts made by Mom. They know what makes a family happy, and mine has been generous enough to show me how she does it. Here are a couple of videos I made of her homemade Pumpkin and Mini Pecan Pies.

Now is the time to hit up your local grocery for cans of pumpkin or, if you are cheap like me, less expensive cans of sweet potato. You can use either, as the taste is identically delicious (that is, when canned yams are in a sweet syrup.)

Read the recipe details of my Mom's luscious Pumpkin Pie by clicking here. And watch the video below to see how she does it.

Every Christmas holiday, I eagerly await a package from Mom of her famous Mini Pecan Pies. A dozen of them travel well inside a shoebox from Louisiana to Los Angeles. These small pies are the tastiest present one can receive, and I got her recipe for you -- all you have to do is click here.

This is a great Christmas party dessert, but make sure to give your host a few, as they will disappear way too fast. If you don't believe me, just check out the video I made of Mom setting out a plateful -- and watch my relatives devour them in no time flat! (By the way, I think you will be impressed with how the Chintzy Chef gets around paying typically exorbitant pecan prices.)



I hope you all have a great holiday. Keep checking back here for more budget recipes and loads of new food videos. And I'll leave you with my Homemade Eggnog recipe and wacky tree-trimming video.

National Dollar Day

 The Dollar ain't what it used to be. But being the cheap$kate that I am, I can still stretch a buck even today, August 8th, on National Dollar Day. Well, I guess I should call it a Dollar and 25 Cents Day. 

National Dollar Day commemorates the establishment of the U.S. monetary system by Congress on August 8, 1786.

So read on to see recipes that use foodstuffs that cost about a Dollar. And you know the deal, just click on a highlighted recipe name to see all the tasty details from my extensive collection of cheap and tasty blog postings.

Yay, Dollar Tree!!

You can't get more basic than a Sandwich, and I don't mean a boring Fried Baloney Sandwich, although I do crave one every once in a while. 

Let's start with a Philly Hoagie Sandwich. My wife, Linda, was raised just outside of Philadelphia and when we visit her kin and friends I always make a stop for a local Hoagie Sandwich. It's really just an Italian Sandwich filled with deli cuts of meat, usually salami, pepperoni, ham, and provolone cheese, and topped with lettuce, onion, and tomato. 

The above sandwich is from Dale's Deli in Levittown, Pennsylvania, and this is where I get the best local Hoagies. They use salami and ham for theirs.

You want a bread roll with some crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. Instead of the usual mayo and mustard, a  Hoagie has a dressing of oil, vinegar, and dried Italian herbs. Check out my video below to see how I make mine.

The way I keep my sandwiches cheap is to buy "day-old" bread from my local supermarket bargain bin. If you toast bread that's been out a little too long, I bet you can't tell the difference from fresh-toasted bread, at least I can't. I even get croissants on sale that cost less than a dollar apiece when you break the package down.

I can still find tomatoes for about a dollar per pound, especially Roma tomatoes. Lettuce is cheap when you break it down, even if it costs a couple of bucks per.

Two easy side dishes are Easy Coleslaw and Potato Salad, again, I can keep the ingredients at a buck each, including the condiments, mustard, pickle relish, and mayo. 

My Homemade Potato Salad is the bomb, just check it out below and rock your next patio party with it.

How about Dollar Tree cereal and Toast 'em breakfast? And that includes coffee.

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I like fruit with my yogurt, especially when yogurt is still pretty cheap. Bananas, peaches, and even mangos can be found on the cheap at my nearby ethnic market. The container of yogurt can be small but it's enough for a snack or light breakfast when you add fresh fruit.

The same goes for Pancakes. I also like mine with fruit. You can still find pancake mixes in the box for a buck twenty-five at Dollar Tree. While the syrup there is not pure maple, you can always splurge for the real thing elsewhere - don't tell, but that's what I do these days. 

You can't get much cheaper than an Egg Sandwich. Egg prices have at least doubled, but you only need one fried egg for my recipe. 

I add lettuce, tomato, and mayo to mine. I like my egg fried with a slightly runny yolk. You can scramble an egg as well. I use toasted bread. Get fancy and use a Pretzel Roll or Croissant. I often start my day with a Fried Egg Sandwich using day-old bread.

I get many breakfast ingredients for around a buck each, and here are just some of the deals I've found.

My Old School Country Breakfast is made with some of the above ingredients. Check out my recipe below, which my dad made for me as a kid.

Pasta is still a steal and I have a few recipes up my tattered sleeves. Let's start with a fresh Fresh Veggie Pasta Salad. Just purchase the cheapest veggies on sale like carrots, onions, celery, cabbage, and spinach. You could just use a package of fresh-frozen veggies, too. Steam the chopped veggies for a couple of minutes and mix them into cooked pasta. Serve warm or cold.

And since the late, great, 99c only Stores shut down, I get the cheapest veggies at my local Latin grocer, Superior. This bottom-feeder cannot survive just on Dollar Tree ingredients!

I get packages of penne, macaroni, and spaghetti for around a buck. And I have a lot of recipes that take advantage of cheap pasta, including Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts, Veggies in Cream with Pasta,  Chicken Stroganoff (with egg noodles,) Creamy Mushrooms & Pasta, etc. Again, just type and enter the word "pasta" in the Search window located at the top-right side of this blog.

I even find enough ingredients for a quick Homemade Pizza. Dollar Tree sometimes sells cooked pizza crusts. So all you have to do is top them with pasta sauce and anything else you like, then heat the pizza in the oven until bubbly.

Canned pasta sauce is still cheap and so are small tins of fish. Hey, that's a meal right there. Just cook the pasta and mix in some tomato sauce then add a can of fish at the last minute to heat through. Some tinned fish has tomato sauce added, so that's even cheaper to make. Click here to see my Sardines in Tomato Sauce & Pasta.

A simple pasta dish is a Bolognese that uses cans or jars of tomato sauce and a small package of ground beef or turkey. Add some garlic and dried Italian herbs and simmer. It's a small serving but hearty enough. Cooked bags of meatballs show up, too, that are good in a pasta sauce or pizza topping.

In my bachelor days, I even used grated cheese from those plastic shakers on my pasta dishes. If my wife did not object, I would still be using it, but go ahead and shave it if you got it, a block of Parmesan, that is. And most pasta benefits from garlic, which I still find fresh and in jars.

When I watch sports on TV I will invite my rowdy buddies over for hot dogs. Now, this is a meal for cheap$kates, especially when they bring the beer!

Plus, it's so easy to make hot dogs my way. I set out the condiments of mustard, pickle relish, chopped onion, and cheese. Believe it or not, I get all of that for about $1.25each.

I like a Stir Fry because you can make it cheap and fast. Rice is always a bargain, along with chicken, my favorite protein to use. I also find frozen veggies and typical Chinese condiments easily.

The cheapest Stir Fry I've come up with is Chicken, Carrot & Cabbage. Serve over rice.

Here in Los Angeles, you can get Mexican food everywhere and I do.

I have mucho recipes from Carnitas made from Pork or Turkey, to my Mom's Homemade Tex-Mex Enchiladas. To see a complete roundup of Latin recipes, just click here. 

A favorite cool summer patio party appitzer is my cheap$kate Krab and Black Bean Ceviche, made with imitation crabmeat.

I make a damn good Huevos Rancheros and I sometimes use canned beans and a jar of salsa with a fried egg, all on the cheap. I make this recipe all the time and I courted my wife with this recipe - she loves it. Try it with Tortilla Chips instead of corn tortillas sometimes.

Love or hate them, canned Tamales are a bargain and plentiful. I barely remember the taste from my bachelor days, but I used to have a can or two in my pantry as a late-night meal of last resort.

The first frozen meals I had were made by Banquet and Swanson. Old habits die hard...I do like their Salisberry Steak - there is something about the mushy sides that have stayed with me and that I crave. I have a sadly funny post on frozen Banquet Turkey Dinners.

l admit to having a sweet tooth. When I make my own sweets I usually keep the sugar amounts to half what a typical recipe calls for. I have recipes for Cobblers and Fruit Pies with fresh or canned fruit. The ingredients list is small and if you use canned fruit look for unsweetened or low sugar. Click here to see Mom's Cherry Pie and my Pineapple and Peach Cobblers.

I love my Mom's Cherry Pie and it's the best, so do check out my video below.

You will want to bookmark her Pumpkin Pie recipe, especially now that organic pumpkin puree is out there.

I get sweets that are ready to eat at my local Dollar Store. Sometimes it's a good call and other times not. Cordial or Chocolate Covered Cherries are a success, and I still have a Moon Pie on occasion.

I went to a garden party and brought some Dollar Tree Cream Puffs. Check out what my neighbors thought of my edible (?) gift -- oh boy!

I find enough ingredients for a luscious Egg Salad, a pungent Tuna Salad, and even a creamy Tuna Melt.

Canned Meat? Every once in a while it brings a flashback to my childhood school lunch dazes. 

Be sure to check out my Vienna Sausage Corndog Party and see how lowdown I can go!

My wife calls me her "Louisiana Man" so you can be sure I'm all over Cajun dollar deals that show up on the shelves.

Don't know how long dollar days will last in this economy, but keep checking back to see how to ride out any economic earthquakes, tornadoes, or hurricanes, and still have a full belly.