Top 9 Recipes of 2024 - Video Recipes

As year-end recipe lists go, my Top 9 Recipes of 2024 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 2024 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. Baltimore Baloney Hot Dog 

This recipe is too much of a good thing, that is, if you like Wieners and Baloney. They are grilled and then combined in a hot dog bun. Also called a Baltimore Dog serve this if you watch a Balimore Orioles baseball game. I haven't had baloney since I don't know when, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. I like mustard on my hot dogs. A Baltimore Baloney Hot Dog is worth a bite at least once in a lifetime.

2. Grilled Beets

When I get out the grill I like to experiment with grilling veggies like corn, potatoes, carrots, and now Beets. Grilled Beets soften and the flavor sweetens along with its naturally peppery bite. I slice mine thick enough to make a small Vegan Slider Sandwich. For a delicious change of pace try grilling sliced Beets.

3. Matt's Crab Salad

My Cajun nephew Matt is back with a couple of seafood recipes. First up is his luscious Crab Salad. If you can make a Tuna Salad then you can make this, that is, if you use pick and peeled expensive lump crab meat. My Louisiana family has local connections for whole crabs and crab clusters (boiled, cleaned, and ready to peel). Sweet and juicy crab meat is a splurge to this cheap$kate, but when I'm in Louisiana I gotta go there. A budget substitute is Imitation Crab or Krab. I like Krab and have a delicious Mexican-style Ceviche that is made with Krab and it is the bomb.

4. Matt's Shrimp & Corn Soup

My nephew Matt knows seafood as he has worked in restaurants, from fast-food to Country Clubs, most of his employed life. For his Shrimp & Corn Soup he makes a seafood broth by roasting leftover shrimp and crab shells (the crab shells come from the above Crab Salad recipe). I give you easy substitutions like clam juice and/or broth. 

5. Turkey Gumbo

My version of Gumbo uses leftover Turkey from the holidays. You'd be surprised how much meat you can scrap off the backbone of a Roasted Turkey. You can use a Turkey Leg or Breast, too. The trick for a rich Turkey Gumbo is browning flour for about 20 minutes to reach a chocolate color of Roux. These days you can buy a jar of browned Roux powder from the supermarket, so this recipe can be made in no time.

6. Roast Duck

Just a simple recipe for Roast Duck. Nothing to it, really, I just sprinkle on salt and pepper. I roast it like I would a chicken. 

7. Poached Egg 

How do you Poach an Egg? Do you stir the water and then add an egg? How about adding vinegar to the boiling water? Try Googling it and see all the methods for keeping the whites from spreading out all over the place. Check out my recipe video and see how I Poach Eggs. I serve mine simply on toast. 

8. Swamp Chili

My nephew Matt was on a tear last year, and here's another recipe called Swamp Chili. He does add a can of Chili Beans, which is okay by me. My brother from another daddy, the Swamp Chef makes an appearance, and my wife Linda gives her 2 cents at the end of the recipe video.

9. Pineapple Salsa

I'm a big fan of Salsas made with fruit and I've made my share with Mango and Peach - you can add Pineapple Salsa. I'm not a big fan of canned fruit, but pineapple holds up quite well in a can. Reserve the Pineapple juice for a Cocktail mix or a breakfast drink. This Salsa has the typical chopped veggies of onion, tomato, and jalapeño, plus cilantro. It's sweet and spicy.

Here are some Honorable Mention Recipes of 2024, just click on the recipe name to check it out: Avocado Toast, Grilled Tomahawk Pork Chop, Hot Link Po Boy, Vegan Chorizo Egg Scramble, Giblet Gravy, Blueberry Bagel and Butter, Sauteed Seafood Mushrooms in Butter, BLT Sandwich, and a good old Meatball Submarine Sandwich.

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 !!

Baltimore Bologna Hot Dog - Video Recipe

What do you get when you combine Baloney with a Hot Dog? You may not want to know.

Well, I'll spill the beans, you get a Baltimore Bologna Hot Dog. Locals call it a Baltimore Hot Dog. That's right, it's a regular Hot Dog wrapped in fried baloney with a smear of mustard, all tucked into a bun. 

The local paper, The Baltimore Sun, goes into greasy detail about the origins a click away here (quickly copy and paste the article before the paywall pops up). Basically, it was during the 1920s Depression that baloney started showing up with a hot dog in a bun to add extra calories and was popularized in the 1940's at a local deli run by Nathan Ballow. 

When you visit Baltimore get a Baltimore Bologna Dog at Attman's Delicatessen. There is a fun video visit when you click here. One notable difference between theirs and mine is they use three slices of baloney per hot dog. I use only one slice of baloney per hot dog. It could be that their hot dogs are longer or the baloney slices very thin? For my Baltimore Bologna Dog I cooked one grocery store bologna slice and one hot dog - it was a perfect balance.

        Baltimore Bologna Hot Dog

The main requirement for the recipe is that the baloney (or bologna) and hot dog are fried together so the greasy meaty flavors mix. I usually steam my hot dogs, but for a Baltimore Baloney Hot Dog you gotta go with the fried version. 

I do find that nowadays baloney and hot dogs are much leaner, so I used a teaspoon of oil to prevent the baloney and hot dog from sticking to the frying pan.

One note on frying baloney. Sometimes a slice of baloney will bubble up during frying. I will make a half-inch slice into the middle and press the slice to contact with the hot pan and get an even surface grilling.

Rotate the hot dog while grilling. Both hot dog and baloney are precooked so all you are doing is heating them both up and adding a little char or browning.

I like to steam my Hot Dog Buns, but you can grill or serve them right out of the bag. Click here Click here to see how I steam Hot Dog Buns.

Thank god that baloney, hot dogs, and buns are still cheap. I find them at my local Dollar Tree for just over a buck apiece. Use any favorites you have locally.

I still get mustard, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish for the same prices. 

The combination of Bologna and a Hot Dog is a killer combination, literally. You don't want to eat these too often, but as a tasty gimmick, it works. 

The flavors complement each other as they are similar. Some meat purveyors call baloney a large sliced hot dog. I find that baloney has more seasoning flavors, especially if you compare hot dogs made with mild pork and poultry.

I made my Baltimore Balogna Dog topped with mustard, but I would add sweet pickle relish or even sauerkraut next time. And believe me, there will be a next time! 

Baltimore Bologna Hot Dog - VIDEO      Play it here. Video runs 1 minute, 54 seconds.

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

Ingredients

• Hot Dog - any type like beef, pork, poultry, or vegan.
• Baloney - any favorite type, thick or thin-sliced.
• Hot Dog Bun - I like to steam mine. Okay to grill or serve right from the bag.
• Mustard - okay to add any favorite Hot Dog toppings.
• Vegetable Oil - 1 teaspoon. Leaner hot dogs and baloney may need some oil to keep them from sticking to a frying pan.

Directions

Nothing to this recipe. A Baltimore Bologna Dog has fried baloney and a fried hot dog.

Add a little oil to a frying pan or grill. You can fry the hot dog whole or slice it down the middle. 

Baloney may fry quicker than a hot dog, so it's okay to start the hot dog first for a minute then fry the baloney.

Don't fry the baloney too long, only a minute or two, or it will dry out. You want a slight browning on at least one side. (No need to brown both sides, just present Baltimore Bologna Dog with the browned side showing.)

I make a small slice or two in the middle of the baloney. It may bubble up so a small slice will let the air out from under the baloney. Press down in the middle to get even browning. I like to slice in the middle, not on the outer edge, so the baloney stays perfectly round.

When the baloney and hot dog are lightly browned add them to a hot dog bun. 

I like mustard on my Baltimore Bologna Dog, and you can add any other condiments you like including chopped onion, chili, sauerkraut, cheese, and pickle relish.