Corn Pudding

Is it a dessert or savory side dish? You be the judge for my cheap$kate video version of Corn Pudding. Maybe it's best to let your guests determine the verdict. And for these coming holidays I sentence you to make a luscious Corn Pudding!

You only need four ingredients: corn, milk, eggs and a tablespoon of honey.

The only big decision is about corn. Do you use fresh corn from the cob, a few cans of cooked corn, or fresh frozen bag of corn kernels? I went the easy route and used frozen, but you can use any type you prefer.

It couldn't be easier to make. Add 3 whisked eggs to milk and stir in a one pound bag of corn kernels (3 cups,) and finally drizzle on a tablespoon of honey (or your favorite sweetener.) Bake the mixture for 45 minutes at 350 degrees -- that's it.

Some recipes sprinkle on a little ground nutmeg for extra festive holiday flavor.

The ingredients are cheap, just the way I like it, especially one pound bags of frozen corn and canned corn.

I think you will like the texture -- it's similar to flan, with the extra crunchy addition of sweet corn kernels.

This side dish is perfect for travel and can be done at the last minute. I did it in under an hour, most of the time reserved for baking. You can make it ahead of time and serve it chilled or warm.

My latest recipe video below features sweet and savory side dish recipe that's simply delicious to make. So for this Christmas holiday meal serve my cheap$kate side dish of Corn Pudding, it has all the right ingredients.

Corn Pudding - Video

Play it here. Video runs 1 minutes, 55 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here. 

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

• 3 cups corn kernels - fresh, frozen or drained from can. I used a one pound package of frozen corn kernels, that I defrosted and drained.
• 2 cups milk - regular or low fat. I used 2 percent milk
• 3 medium eggs - add an extra egg if they are small. 1 used medium eggs.
• 1 tablespoon honey - Okay to use any favorite sweetener. You can add less, or leave out sweetener, it will still be slightly sweet from the corn.
• Salt and pepper to taste - I left it out for this version.

Directions
Prepare corn kernels, you want 3 cups total. If you use fresh corn removed from the cob, it may take about 4 to 6 ears to fill 3 cups. For canned corn use three 16 ounce cans and drain liquid.

I used a one pound bag of frozen corn. In this video I added it without defrosting, but best to let it defrost and drain any liquid, which will later settle to bottom of the pudding. (If you are eating it all in one sitting soon after baking, then no need to defrost frozen corn.)

In a bowl or baking dish, whisk 3 eggs together. Don't overdo it, just blend enough to mix well.

Pour milk into baking dish. Add the blended eggs. Stir and mix.

click on any photo to see larger

Finally add the corn and sweetener, again mix well.Okay to leave out any sweetener, corn has a bit of sweetness already.

It's best to use a deep dish so you have a thick pudding. If you only have a shallow baking pan then reduce baking time by about 10 minutes, so pudding doesn't dry out too much.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove and allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This will allow pudding to set (serve too soon and the Corn Pudding may be too watery.)

Hindsight
Some recipes add a cup (or two) of crumbled or shredded cheese and a sprinkle of nutmeg. And to keep the side dish more savory, you can leave out the sweetener.

Make sure to drain canned corn. Also, to further reduce water accumulation, defrost frozen corn and drain it too. I found a little water on the bottom of the pudding after it cooled down. You can pour it out when baking dish is easier to handle.

By the next day the Corn Pudding will start to break apart - the kernels will separate from the pudding in clumps. It will still taste fine. Also water will continue to come from the corn kernels, just drain the liquid off before serving.

2015 Best Food Finds at 99c only Stores

You never know what edibles you'll find at the local 99c only Store - everything from a package of Chia Seeds to a large container of frozen Chicken Livers. And here are some of the best, or at least, the most unusual Food Finds of 2015 that I've run across.

Even seaweed snacks have made an appearance. You know what they are right? They are super thin sheets of dried seaweed - they dissolve in your mouth like  the host given to Catholics during the Eucharist - or those sheets of breath mints.

As a joke I gave out some to Halloween trick or treaters. Well, I had a fight on my hands when a group of teenage tricksters actually shoved at each other to get a package! I guess dried seaweed snacks have been discovered by the next generation, and good for them.

The 99c only Stores cater to local ethnic enclaves here in Los Angeles, especially Latin and Middle Eastern.

While this Mole may not taste like homemade to transplanted Oaxacans, you can't beat the price. Mole is a complex blend of spices and chilies, really too complex for the average cook to make. I found small boxes of it, and it tastes fine, especially paired with a nice fillet of chicken.

They also sell plantains ready to ripen for sweet fried bananas. I've made them to accompany my Cuban recipes, like tender Roast Pork and Black Beans. I also see peeled and frozen packages of Yucca, a potato-like starch that Central Americans go for.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Whole pomegranates appeal to Middle Eastern tastes buds. I like the sour/sweet pulp. Inside the cardboard hard shells there are tiny fruit lozenges with seeds, and you eat the bright red flesh with seeds - quite tasty. I made an cute video with my neighbor Bob's 4 year old daughter, Lola, where we try to get her to eat some. You can see it here.

My go-to drink of choice is Diet Cran-Pomegranate by Ocean Spray made with real fruit juice. They have carried it here for the last few years. After work I sometimes add it to a shot of gin over ice.

My beer of choice are 16 ounce cans of Henninger Beer from Germany. They don't carry it all the time and I always stock up when they do. It's a light crisp pale lager that goes down easy. I found another refreshing beer on sale once called Chang, from Thailand.

I've lucked out a few times with the frozen fare that comes in. I liked the Veggie Lasagna from Stouffer's and a Whole Grain Pilaf from Luvo. While the servings are small, the quality and taste are superior.

And there are always cans and jars of premade pasta sauce.

The hot sauce du jour is Sriracha, originally bottled in nearby Irwindale. Huy Fong Foods did not copyright the name so the Sriracha lable and flavor is turning up everywhere, like in ketchup and mayo.

99c only Stores offer a wide variety of fresh fruit and veggies, sometimes it's even organic. You can pick up packages of tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, lettuce and onions.

As for fruit, how about whole pineapples for 99.99 cents! They even carry coconuts - good luck cracking them, though. I usually settle for Coconut Chips.

Now don't rush out to your local 99c only Stores hoping to find all of the above. The preferred stock that comes through, often goes right out the door quickly, so that's it. When I find a great deal I stock up -- shopping there keeps you on your toes!

I hope you have had a year of bargains, too. Just stick with me and I'll keep pointing out all the money saving food items, that make up my cheap$kate recipes, I find this coming New Year!

Atkins Fozen Pizzas - Deal of the Day Reviews

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 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 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 for single serving pizzas for a buck, I would recommend the Cheese Pizza over the Pepperoni.

Overall these are not bad Deals of the Day, just a bit underwhelming. Oh well, you can't have it all.

Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine - 99 Cent Chef Article

I was contacted by a writer for Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine in the middle of August. Come to find out it was for an article about "value-driven swaps" for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Now that's planning way ahead. Well, they came to the right place for cheap$kate advice!

If you were here last week (just scroll down to the previous post) I gave you a cupboard full of budget shopping tips and recipes for the holidays. The writer wanted a short list, so I gave them a few, and this is what I wrote back:
"It's all about the leftovers for me. Stretch out your turkey purchase with extra meals after the holidays."

"I find some guests do not like turkey skin, so I make sure to collect it - to later fry it until crisp, then add to turkey sandwiches the following days. It adds a decadent crunch to any sandwich, like bacon on a BLT. I don't waste anything, that's how you save the most!"

"One other tip is to boil the turkey carcass to make fresh broth, for a turkey and veggie loaded soup later on."

"Finally, here in Los Angeles leading up to the holidays, I find the best deals for fruit and veggies at my local Mexican/Latin grocery store. While my neighborhood Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores carry cans of pumpkin, yams, cranberry sauce and boxes of stuffing."

They ended up using the last sentence, which is fine with me -- It's all good ;-p

This holiday issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray is on newsstands now (until the second week of December,) so you can checkout the article yourself. It's on page 74 (no number on that page so go to nearest and count.) It's 2 paragraphs down from the center headline: Slice The Price! 

Okay I'll give it up, here's an animated GIF. Save yourself $5 and check out the short blurb below:

I can now call Rachael Ray my new bestie!

Thanksgiving & Christmas Recipes 2015

It's the most busy and overwhelming cooking day -- 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 Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

 Below is everything you need to serve a sumptuous and cost-saving dinner table feast. Presented with links to my recipes, easy to follow directions, and illustrated with yummy photos and fun videos. And make sure you bookmark this page because Christmas is right around the corner -- yikes!

First up, if you live in Los Angeles, the Grinchiest Chef would recommend getting your big bird at any Superior Grocers -- just click here to see the great deals to be had, it's incredible. (Be sure to check back, the deals to be found here are just beginning.)

You can get a 10-27 pound turkey for 47 cents per pound with a $25 purchase. That's no problem, when Superior Grocers sells yams at 5 pounds for 69 cents, russet potatoes 8 pounds for 99 cents, tomatoes 4 pounds for 99 cents, yellow onions 7 pounds for 99 cents, green bell peppers 5 for a dollar, collard greens for 69 cent per pound, and pork butt (2 per package) for 89 cent a pound. (I made a Mexican Carnitas recipe  video for you, just click here.)

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 poultry fiasco dinner is a click away here.

But seriously, I posted my version of a Turkey with Stuffing recipe, click here to read all about it. Not only is there a recipe that features my Mother-in-laws decedent sausage stuffing, but I made a video below for you. And it's done in my movie technique of stop motion animation to boot.



My recipe is stuffed with cooking tips and cheap shopping sources like my local 99c only Store that carries boxes of stuffing and Hormel Bacon & Pork Sausage Links for, you guested it, 99.99 cents. Right now they are selling everything but the bird!

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 pot luck dinner. If you are like me, stuffing, next to roasted turkey, is the main event for my ravenous taste buds.

Boring Creamed Spinach is a typical Christmas side, but I have a Hindi twist. One of my favorite India 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, that is right out of the 1960's 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 were 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 your roasting turkey. Just drizzle them with oil and dust with salt and pepper. Go here to see the recipe details. 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,

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.

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 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 she how she does it.



Every Christmas holiday my wife and I eagerly await a package from Mom of her famous Mini Pecan Pies. A dozen of them travel well inside a shoe box 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 how the Chintzy Chef gets around paying normally exorbitant pecan prices.)



Well after all that slaving in the kitchen you deserve an Egg Nog. In my first holiday themed video from 2008, I made a Homemade Egg Nog that went a 99 cent airline bottle of rum too far. Be sure to view past the recipe for my humorously Tipsy Tree Trimming fiasco -- blogpost with written recipe and photos here.



The holidays wouldn't be complete without leftovers. I have a hearty Tea Party Chicken Soup, click here (of course, substitute leftover turkey and the carcass, for chicken.) And the most fantastic Turkey Sandwich video is a click away, here.

I hope all my visitors have a great holiday. Keep checking back here for more budget recipes and loads of new food videos.