With fall, or at least our version of the season, soon upon us, Saturday afternoons are reserved for football-watching parties. The velvetta rotel dip gets old fairly quickly. Especially since I had to purchase the “cheese food” this past weekend and somehow forgot it does not even have to be chilled or kept in the refrigerator. Several new or new to me, simple party foods have come my way. Here they are.

This dip is spicy, easy and is great hot or cold. I have had it with bagel bites, pita chips and Fritos. This is so much easier than making lots of wings.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 8 oz cream cheese

Cooked, chopped chicken, about 1 cup

Wing sauce

Shredded cheddar cheese, about 1 cup

Bleu cheese

Ranch dressing

Bleu cheese dressing

Spread cream cheese in a dish (I use a pie plate). Cover with chopped chicken (I have used rotisserie, but have tried it with canned, which is perfectly fine) Drizzle wing sauce. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, and then sprinkle blue cheese on top. Drizzle Ranch dressing and or bleu cheese dressing and then drizzle more wing sauce. Cook in 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese melts.

This next one is an old recipe from “Recipe Jubilee!” that I had not heard of until recently. You can put this on English muffins and broil it, but I prefer it with a bit more mayo than the recipe calls for and serve it with club crackers.

Curry Ripe Olive Dip/Sandwich

Two, seven-ounce cans chopped olives

One cup thinly sliced green onions and tops

Three cups grated Cheddar cheese

One cup mayonnaise

One-half teaspoon salt

One-half to one teaspoon curry powder

Mix thoroughly in bowl and serve with crackers or melba toast. Or, toast backs of six English muffin halves. Pile mixture high on other side (it will flatten as cheese melts). Place under broiler until puffy and brown.

More cheese here – it seems to be the trend for this column.

Greek Tomato Pastries

Four, refrigerated, not frozen, pie crusts

Eight ounces crumbled herbed feta cheese

One point cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced

Olive oil or olive oil spray

Greek seasoning

Fresh basil, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Slightly roll out pie crusts. Cut with a biscuit cutter, and spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Press crust into muffin pans. Bake five to eight minutes or until lightly browned. Crumble cheese onto crusts. Top with tomato slice, brush or spray with olive oil. Sprinkle top with Greek seasoning and basil. Bake 10 minutes or until heated.

This bean dip is quick to make, not high calorie and is a longtime favorite.

California Caviar

One fifteen-ounce can black beans, drained

One eleven-ounce can mexicorn, drained

One sixteen-ounce jar hot, medium or mild salsa

Two stalks celery, chopped

One-fourth cup chopped onion

One teaspoon ground cumin

Tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients except chips. Chill. For best flavor, marinate at least six hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Here is another vegetable dish using mushrooms that is made pungent by a whole glove of garlic.

Pickled Mushrooms

One teaspoon oregano

One teaspoon peppercorns

One garlic pod, whole

One teaspoon salt

One third cup red wine vinegar

One half cup olive oil

Two small cans button mushrooms

Mix first six ingredients in a jar and shake well. Add mushrooms. Marinate, shaking occasionally, for several hours before serving. These may be kept for two to three weeks in the refrigerator, but become stronger over time. Remove from refrigerator to allow oil to become liquefied again. Strain and serve on/with small crackers.

Toasted pecans are always snatched up, and this recipe is stellar.

Toasted Pecans with Rosemary

One-and-a-half pounds pecan halves

Two to three tablespoons butter, divided

Salt

Two-and-one-half tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

One fourth teaspoon cayenne pepper

One tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 250. Spread pecans on a large baking sheet. Toast for 30 minutes to dry. Drizzle two tablespoons butter over pecans and mix well. Return to oven for ten minutes. Sprinkle pecans with salt and drizzle remaining butter if needed Stir well and return to oven for another ten minutes. Mix rosemary, cayenne pepper and brown sugar – toss with nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

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