How To Make A 99 Cent Gourmet Meal

Find recipes for jambalaya and salmon on the cheap.

ByABC News via logo
April 12, 2008, 3:58 PM

April 13, 2008— -- Food Network star Sarah Copeland knows how to budget. Inspired by Christine Jory's book "The 99 Cent Only Stores Cookbook: Gourmet Recipes at Discount Prices", Copeland showed "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" how to make these delicious dishes on the cheap, and upscale from the book.

Check out the recipes below:

Cost: approximately $9.99

Yields 12 servings

For hors d'oeuvres, spread on a baked homemade pizza crust (see Pizza recipe in "Main Courses"), heat through, and cut into bite-size servings.

4 (6-ounce) jars Reese or Empress marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

2 (10-ounce) packages C&W frozen spinach, thawed, with the water squeezed out

Chefs Choice garlic salt

16 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese

5 tablespoons Imperial margarine, plus some for the baking dish

¾ cup Springfresh milk

½ cup Aquila Parmesan/Romano cheese mixture

1. Grease a 9" X 13" baking dish with margarine.
2. Drain artichoke hearts and layer on bottom of dish.
3. Top with spinach and sprinkle with garlic salt.
4. Cream the cream cheese and add the margarine and milk, beating until well blended
5. Pour over spinach and sprinkle with Parmesan/Romano cheese.
6. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
7. Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 40 minutes, until top is bubbly and slightly golden.

Cost: approximately $3.99

Yields 16 pieces

1. Toast bread slices without crusts in a 200°F oven until dry but not browned. Crumble into crumbs and set aside.
2. Rinse and drain chicken well. Put in a bowl. With a fork, flake meat until very fine.
3. Add Worcestershire, lemon juice, parsley, chives, and garlic. Mix well
4. Add egg, then bread crumbs, and blend well.
5. Form into quarter-size balls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. Heat enough oil in a wok or frying pan and cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with peanut pesto (recipe follows).

Cost: approximately $2.99

Yields 1½ cups

This is a must with the chicken balls, but can be used for anything with which a peanut sauce is desired. This recipe makes enough for twice the chicken ball recipe since the balls will vanish quickly, you're better off doubling them.

1. In a food processor, finely grind the peanuts.
2. With processor motor running, add the rest of the ingredients through the feed tube.
3. Mix until mixture becomes a smooth paste.
4. Refrigerate until ready to use. This will keep for up to three days.

Cost: approximately $1.99

Yields about 3 servings

1 cup Bay Beauty canned salmon
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in pancake mix, and blend with a whisk.
3. Meanwhile, bring the milk to a boil and add all at once to butter mixture, stirring until thick and smooth. Let mixture cool.
4. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Season with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
5. Flake salmon and add to the mixture.
6. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites until they stand in peaks. Be careful to not overbeat or they will become dry.
7. Fold whites gently into the salmon mixture, being careful not to overblend.
8. Pour into a 2-quart soufflé dish, greased or ungreased.
9. Place in oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
10. Serve with Hollandaise sauce (recipe follows).

Cost: approximately $0.99

Serves 4

1. In a double boiler, combine egg yolks and water. Beat with a wire whisk over hot (not boiling) water until fluffy.

2. Add a few spoonfuls of the butter and beat until butter melts and sauce has started to thicken. Continue adding butter bit by bit, stirring constantly.

3. Add salt and lemon juice. Remove from heat and serve.

Cost: approximately $9.99

Yields 8 servings

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Soak dried onions in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain.

3. Melt lard in a frying pan and sauté onions and garlic until golden.

4. Add the sausage and break up while stirring. Add ham and chicken and cook for 5 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes with their liquid, rice, broth, sage, parsley, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

6. Turn mixture into a casserole dish. Cover and bake until rice is tender, about 45 minutes.

Cost: approximately $2.99

Yields 6 servings

1. First prepare the dulce de leche. I like doing it the old-fashioned way, which is exactly what the can tells you not to, by putting the 14-ounce can unopened into a saucepan with enough water to cover entire can. However you make it, the dulce de leche can be prepared up to 3 days ahead if transferred to a container and refrigerated. Reheat by stovetop or microwave before serving.
2. For the unopened-can method, bring to a boil and then simmer very low for 3 hours. Be sure to add water so that the can is always covered, and keep the flame very low so that it doesn't explode! If you want to play it safe, pierce two holes in the top of the can and place it in a saucepan with enough water to come three-quarters of the way up the can.
3. Alternatively, you can pour the milk into a saucepan and boil on medium high heat for 1½ to 2 hours or until the liquid has thickened and turned a caramel color.
4. Melt butter or margarine in sauté pan.
5. Slice bananas lengthwise and brown on both sides, working gently to keep the bananas intact.
6. When pan is hot and bananas are well browned, remove from stove, pour rum into pan and return to the stove to flambé. Cook until liquid evaporates.
7. Arrange two of the banana halves on warmed plates and drizzle with dulce de leche. Serve immediately.

Note: To flambé, you need to let the flame touch the alcohol. If you do not feel comfortable with this, don't worry the taste is just as good without the drama.

Cost: approximately $4.99

Yields 8 servings

1. First make the crust by mixing together graham crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, and 1/3 cup of melted margarine.

2. Form into, and up the sides of, an 8" or 9" pie pan. (I like to use a spring-form pan but in this case it is not necessary.) Put aside.

3. Drain pears well.

4. In a saucepan large enough for pears and liquids, add wine, vinegar, remaining sugar, rosemary, and cinnamon.

5. Bring to a boil, stirring often, until thin syrup forms, about 5 minutes.

6. Add pears, reduce heat to medium, and gently boil, turning them in the syrup for about 5 minutes. Watch closely, since these are not fresh pears and you don't want them to get mushy.

7. Turn off heat and let pears sit in syrup until cooled.

8. Remove pears to a separate bowl with enough syrup to cover.

9. Return remaining syrup in saucepan to a boil and cook until it thickens to the consistency of a nice drizzling glaze. Remove from heat.

10. Cook crust at 375°F for 6 to 8 minutes and remove from oven, leaving oven on.

11. Carefully slice the pears lengthwise and layer into crust.

12. Return pie to oven just until pears are warm. Drizzle with the reduced syrup.

13. Serve à la mode when ice cream is available.