Fresh chicken wings, tossed with lemon, seasonings and herbs and air fried.

Air Fryer Lemon Herb Chicken Wings

I love the combination of lemon and herbs with chicken, certainly one of my top favorites for a roasted chicken, so I thought, why not wings?

Afterall, as I write this it's football season and wings are just another football staple now, aren't they?

And let me tell you that if you haven't tried wings in your air fryer you are missing out!

A creamy cracker spread made with cream cheese, butter and jumbo shrimp seasoned and sauteed in a skillet with butter and extra virgin olive oil.

Biloxi Butter - Shrimp Cracker Spread

Once upon a time it was pretty common here for home gatherings that usually involved some kind of card games, and maybe sometimes a little wager might have occurred.

Unfortunately, as society has changed and legal casinos arrived here in Biloxi, those home gatherings have pretty much dropped off - but the snacks served live on!

Biloxi Butter, a creamy cracker spread made with seasoned cream cheese, butter and local shrimp sauteed in a skillet with butter and extra virgin olive oil, is one of those snacks.

A salsa made with the best flavors of summer - bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, chilies, zucchini and corn - nicely seasoned and tossed with a quality creamy Italian dressing.

Summer Vegetable Salsa

Okay. Question.

Is this a salsa? You know, like meant to be eaten with chips? Or as a condiment for grilled or pan seared proteins?

Or, is it a dip, solely meant to be scooped up on a chip?

Or, is it a salad? Meant to be eaten on its own?

A vintage appetizer made with a seasoned Boursin-style cream cheese filling and pickled okra, rolled up in slices of luncheon ham and sliced.

Pickled Okra Roll Ups

We're going old school here y'all!

I know some of you won't care for these because, well... okra. It's one of those somewhat divisive foods that folks either love or hate. More for me if you're in the latter group, because I love it!

Those of us who do love okra and are of a certain age, will likely remember this party appetizer from year's past. I'm not sure exactly when it became popular, but I seem to remember it from back in the 70s.

A cream cheese based cracker spread, made with stuffed olives and simple seasonings, great for dipping veggies, for tea sandwiches or your favorite crackers.

Olive Spread

First things first.

If you don't already have an affinity for all things olives, you won't like this spread. Ya pretty much gotta love olives, which I do. 

Briny olives and anything pickled make for a quick snack for me.

I love it all - from kosher dills, to bread and butter pickles, pickled okra and every kind of olive. And a muffuletta sandwich slathered in olive salad? Um, yes please!

Chicken wings, lightly dusted with seasoned salt, pepper and paprika, brushed with a spicy honey teriyaki marinade and baked.

Spicy Honey Teriyaki Barbecue Wings

The Cajun and I eat wings often and not just because there's a football game or party going on, although both of those times are common for sure! Our local Winn Dixie even has a great wing bar and we've visited that for a bucket of wings a few times.

As to my own recipes, you'll sometimes see that when I share a recipe for wings, the whole wing is in play and I've not separated my wings into drums and flats at all. I mean, it's just the two of us most of the time and frankly that's just another step.

Mini smoked sausages in a tangy sauce, perfect for any gathering.

Party Cocktail Sausages

Meatballs and mini smoked sausages - most notably those Lit'l Smokies - are two party staples and the best part? The sauces you use can completely customize them.

One standard mixture is the old school chili sauce and grape jelly blend and frankly everybody I know, even my grandkids, love that, whether it's on meatballs or sausages.

An appetizer bread, spread with a mix of mayo, shredded cheese, bacon, nuts and green onion, spread on French bread, baked and sliced for serving.

Million Dollar Cheese Bread

You've probably seen Million Dollar Dip and Neiman Marcus Dip all around the internet at some point. As to bloggers of food, it seems to be offered everywhere!

Million Dollar Dip was originally known simply as Almond-Bacon-Cheese Spread and later as Neiman Marcus Dip because that's where the original developer of the recipe, Helen Corbitt, happened to work as Director of Food Services at the Neiman Marcus restaurant, Zodiac Room in Texas, where it is said many of her recipes are still offered.

A snack mix of corn and rice squares with cheese crackers and a mix of pecans, cashews and peanuts, tossed with a spicy seasoned butter and slow baked.

Spicy Party Mix

Everyone makes these cereal-based snack mixes all year round because they are a great snack for parties, movie nights or just anytime, but for some reason they became a holiday favorite too. I think a lot of folks bag it up and gift it and frankly, once you start doing that, it will be expected every year!

What I call the original original 1952 advertised recipe was simply 2 cups each of wheat and rice Chex cereals, 1/2 cup nuts, butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and garlic salt. That's it! Even that original has evolved over the years and isn't the same original as is on the current Chex website.

I won't go into it here again, but you can read up a bit on that Chexistory at this link.

The classic dip combination of spinach and artichokes in an Alfredo base, with Italian and cream cheese and crabmeat.

Alfredo Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Crab

We're kind of in that awkward stage of food seasons down here along the Gulf Coast. Summer is gone from the calendar and mostly along with all the great summer vegetables, and though fall has arrived, the weather here can get a little wacky. Some days cooler, then others downright summerlike.

One thing is for certain this time of year though.

Tis the season for football and football means appetizers and snacks! Sandwiches, wings, meatballs, gumbo, chilis, soups, snacks, a wide variety of finger foods and dips, of course! You can grab up some ideas by tapping on those categories, or right here at this link.

Tortilla scoops, filled with a blend of bacon with Rotel diced tomatoes, mayonnaise and cheese and topped with taco sauce and more cheese, then baked, for a great party appetizer!

Cheesy Bacon Rotel Cup Appetizers

Football season is king around this house with my husband, aka The Cajun. He loves the game, so I'm always looking for a good appetizer to snack on when it comes to game time, and this is a great one.

Typically made using phyllo cups, those can be a little hard to find around here for some reason. One day when I was adding my standard tortilla chips to the grocery list, I was reminded about the tortilla scoops. I thought hey, I bet those would work for those little snacks I like to make.

Turns out, somebody had already thought of that, so I made the adjustment and frankly, it worked out well!

Oysters, cooked stovetop or on the grill in a cast iron skillet and tossed in a seasoned garlic butter blend. Crackers are dipped in the butter, topped with oysters and a splash of hot pepper sauce.

Cast Iron Oyster Appetizer

Where's my oyster lovers because trust me on this one. You will want to make this!

It's a great snack for movie night, or as a party or game day appetizer and your oyster loving friends will love it too, although you'll want to increase the recipe two or three times.

The idea came from a local cookbook Cooking on the Coast by the O'Keefe family, contributed by Jody O'Keefe, who got it and named it Oysters A and M Breaux, after friends of theirs from Cajun Country.

Chicken wings generously seasoned and air fried naked. Saucing optional!

Air Fryer Naked Chicken Wings

I love wings. Love them!

They are one of our top favorite foods for football gatherings, movie watching or really anytime snacking.

I used to do them most of the time in the oven and still do occasionally but they are ideal and so easy in the air fryer.

Now... first a disclosure because it's important and it matters.

An appetizer of poached shrimp, marinated in a tangy cocktail sauce based on a combination of V8 and ketchup with lime and a mix of vegetables.

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail - Cóctel de Camarones

This is such a great appetizer anytime really, but will certainly go very nicely as a starter for your Taco Tuesday, any cocktail party, football gathering or tailgate and those cookouts too. Heck, just a movie night even - just bust up some saltines or tortilla chips!

A tad bit different from what you're used to seeing with our classic American-style shrimp cocktail, it's sort of a cross between that, a ceviche and a gazpacho, all in a Bloody Mary-like base!

Cocktail smoked sausages, wrapped in puff pastry and topped with fresh Parmesan with bagel seasoning and black pepper and served with a homemade mustard sauce.

Puff Pastry Pigs in a Blanket with Mustard Sauce

I love pigs in a blanket for an appetizer and apparently I'm not alone! Guaranteed they will be one of the first platters to be cleared at your gathering.

Usually made with a biscuit dough, they are a delicious two bite appetizer for any time, but let me tell you what... make them with puff pastry and they are out of the park!

They are also usually made with hot dogs, and me, I love hot dogs, yes, even though I know how they're made and I know what's in them. I. Don't. Care!

Stuffing made with boudin sausage, wrapped with well-seasoned jumbo shrimp and served with an easy shortcut demi-glace drizzle.

Boudin Stuffed Shrimp

I based this recipe on a video that passed by me one day on Facebook from The Southern Weekend show, although, because it was a chef inspired recipe, it was rather involved. 

There are a couple of sauces that a chef would automatically have already made and on hand. A demi-glace would be one of those sauces.

Traditionally a French demi-glace, a word translated as half sauce, is made up of an espagnole - a very long simmered, brown meat stock and considered the traditional "mother" of brown sauces because of its many derivatives.

Shrimp Poppers with Pepper Jelly Glaze

Jumbo shrimp, stuffed with a jalapeno popper filling, wrapped in bacon and brushed with a pepper jelly barbecue glaze.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Poppers with Pepper Jelly Glaze

The Cajun's Dad always had an abundance of shrimp on hand. Nice ones too, many jumbos.

Back in the day, the family owned a small shrimp boat, so the boys would go out with Dad for a day of shrimping. When I was a kid, most young men and yes, even some gals around here too, would have experienced working on a shrimp boat at some point in their lives. Most families were involved in the industry and it was just part of the culture then.

When The Cajun went out, we would put up about 100 pounds of fresh from the Gulf shrimp that day. What a blessing!

My version of the famous spicy tomato, garlic and cream cheese based dip sold at Central Market grocery stores in Texas and well loved by many.

Texas Love Dip - My Way

I had never heard of Texas Love Dip before. 

But, I had been seeing it passed around on social media for awhile and finally gave it a try.

Apparently it originated from a Texas grocery chain, Central Market, H-E-B, or both, and is a popular party dip there.

Wild American shrimp, dredged in a blend of flour and cornstarch, then deep fried and finished in an enhanced spicy sweet chili sauce, makes for a great snack, appetizer or main dish meal with a nice kick.

Firecracker Shrimp Appetizer

Because I'm constantly writing new recipes for this website and I cook so often, my husband aka to y'all as "The Cajun" and I don't really eat out much. On those occasions where we do, I'm often inspired to try to recreate something on the menu that we tried.

That is the case here.

Almost every local restaurant here along the Mississippi Gulf Coast has some kind of shrimp appetizer that consists of crunchy fried shrimp tossed in a slightly spicy and sweet sauce. They are known by a variety of names - like Firecracker Shrimp, Voodoo Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp and Boom Boom Shrimp, to name a few. 

Fiesta Taco "Boat Dip"

My own take of the TikTok viral "boat dip," made with a blend of sour cream, mayo, taco seasoning, salsa, Mexicorn and Mexican-style blended cheese. It's a perfect addition for your collection of dip recipes!

Fiesta Taco Dip

If you spend any time on social media you may have seen a dip going around recently called "boat dip." There are now such a wide range of variations of that dip out there that it's hard to say what the original recipe ingredients and ratios were, or even who the originator was.

The only thing that seems in agreement is that it was called boat dip because it was a dip that was routinely made to carry on boat trips for that family.

I actually tried quite a few of those variations myself and this one is the one that I settled on.