Bringing in the New Year means itโs time for an absolute feast. But what to make without a stress overload? Well, this list of 29 New Yearโs Eve recipes will help you create an unforgettable meal your guests will be talking about for the next twelve months, from appetizers and main courses to desserts and beverages.
I love New Yearโs Eve, and itโs one of my favorite dinners on the calendar. New Yearโs Eve celebration is universal and super easy to celebrate, especially when getting together with your loved ones around the table. These are my favorite recipes for a great New Yearโs Eve dinner, and you can choose with your eyes closed because theyโre all wonderful!
FAQs
Traditional dishes that superstition believes bring good luck are pork, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and greens. If that sounds like your ideal menu, pineapple honey baked ham, collard greens, Hoppinโ John, and easy skillet cornbread sound like the perfect menu to me.
American folklore presents peas, lentils, and beans as riches, cornbread because itโs gold, collards or other greens for money, and pork because pigs go forward when rooting. Different cultures have different superstitions, so it could be fish, grapes, and specially made ring-shaped cakes.
Superstition claims lobster and chicken go backward, bringing bad luck and reversals. Plus, chickens have wings, so they say your luck and money will fly away.
New Yearโs Eve Recipes for Appetizers
1. Spinach Artichoke Dip
An artichoke dip is a great way to start the most memorable evening on the calendar. You can use with everything, from crackers to carrots sticks! Watch everyone dig in because this oneโs a crowd-pleaser! Cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, and seasonings all give ah-mazing flavor to already delicious artichoke hearts.
2. Cheese Ball
Cheese balls are so attractive and fun for a perfect starter. Think of your favorite flavors and textures merged into a creamy appetizer. Then make it the centerpiece with crackers, and let your guests knock themselves out. This super easy New Yearโs Eve recipe is all about bacon, pecans, parsley, and cheddar mixed with cream cheese and spices. Oh yeah!
3. Pigs in a Blanket
The kidsโ favorite, and you know you still love them. I know I do! Theyโre also super easy to make. This New Yearโs Eve recipe is the perfect finger food if you ask me. Wrap a bunch of cocktail sausages with crescent roll pastry, and then youโre good to go. Serve with a lovely honey mustard sauce.
4. Mac and Cheese Bites
Mac and cheese is fun, but when served as a bite-sized appetizer, itโs even more delightful! These bits of cheesy heaven also have their place on the New Yearโs Eve dinner table. And theyโre so easy; just start with regular mac and cheese turn them into fantastic bites.
5. Sausage Balls
A crispier meatball; thatโs how I describe my sausage balls. Theyโre meaty and hearty โ they also pair perfectly with a wide variety of dips, like honey mustard, remoulade, or white BBQ sauce. Serve this recipe at your New Yearโs Eve party and make your familyโs meat lovers happy. Cream cheese and cheddar with breakfast sausages are meaty bites of heaven.
6. Little Smokies
These smoky sausages are super easy to put together, and theyโre a great snack and appetizer. Just toss these little sausages with your favorite condiment โ I use BBQ sauce. But, of course, there are many ways of making these smoky bites shine. Itโs so easy to toss these little smokies together with BBQ sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and Dijon and cook low and slow.
7. Pineapple-Glazed Meatballs
These tropical and sticky meatballs taste like a beach vacation, but theyโll also keep you cozy on a chilly evening. This one is a great New Yearโs Eve recipe, especially if youโre into tropical flavors. Ground meat, bread, milk, and a few tasty herbs make fabulicious meatballs. And the glaze is just two ingredients, so youโll love it as much as I do.
Main Course Recipes for New Yearโs Eve
8. Crab-Stuffed Salmon
Now, for the main event, this crab-stuffed salmon is larger than life. Itโs two great ingredients merged into one lovely dinner. Flaky, buttery salmon stuffed with crab is a delight, especially when adding cream cheese. Yum! Panko breadcrumbs make it extra light, and cream cheese also ups the richness factor.
9. Swedish Meatballs
You probably met these babies at IKEA, but now you can make them at home. The creamiest Swedish sauce makes these meatballs a decadent meal hard to forget. Thereโs no doubt the creamy sauce makes these meatballs unique โ I guess the secret is the butter, thatโs enough for me. ๐
10. Easy Lasagna
Lasagna is one of those New Yearโs recipes that everyone loves. And itโs not as unconventional as you think because you just add some ham or Italian sausage, and you have your NYE pork dish. I must say, though, this recipe makes my type of holiday dinner. Pull out the canned tomatoes, ricotta, and lasagna noodles for a great New Yearโs Eve dinner. Yeesss!
11. Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Hereโs another holiday classic, and it also takes care of the New Yearโs Eve pork dish. Starchy, sliced potatoes coated with a creamy sauce and layered with ham! Woohoo! And butter and cream make deliciously scalloped potatoes even better.
12. Oven Pot Roast
Thereโs nothing like a good-old oven pot roast for an authentic holiday celebration. This one is so tender it falls apart! Cooked low and slow, you can pull this one off in a breeze. Rub a chuck roast with Creole seasoning and salt, sear it, and roast it, baby! After all, itโs New Yearโs Eve!
13. Southern Black-Eyed Peas
My black-eyed peas recipe is one of my greatest hits on New Yearโs Eve. An authentic Southern classic comfort food at its finest. This gorgeous stew makes people happy because these babies are kicked up to the next level with bacon, sausage, onion, celery, garlic, and jalapeรฑos. So good! Need I to say more?
14. Collard Greens
Southern-style collard greens are a must-have side dish recipe for New Yearโs Eve. These leafy greens are flavorful! Collard greens are related to kale and broccoli, but for me, theyโre a bit more sophisticated โ they have that lovely bitterness! A few pounds of collard greens and some special Southern ingredients: ham hocks, paprika, and Creole seasonings, thatโs it! And youโll love it.
15. Skillet Cornbread
Youโll have a great time watching this skillet cornbread turn the loveliest golden color in front of your eyes. Itโs so crumbly and warm! Cornbread is one of the traditional New Yearโs Eve recipes, and the skillet version is definitely the crispiest! You can also add jalapeรฑos to spice this pretty cornbread a bit!
16. Slow-Cooker Pork Loin
Cooked low and slow and covered with a smooth glaze, this is one juicy pork loin! This roast is also a great centerpiece, and it looks so impressive on the table. Fork-tender and melty, a proper pork loin is really the perfect holiday meal. Cook this one in a slow cooker with pineapple and glaze with brown sugar, balsamic, and soy sauce. Drooling!
17. Oven-Baked Salmon
Salmon is fantastic all year round, but itโs also worth being the main course at any holiday gathering. Baked salmon for a pink and flaky meal, especially tasty with a squeeze of lemon. Weโre spicing our salmon with spices, lemon juice, and coarsely chopped parsley. Itโs as mouthwatering as it is pretty!
18. Salmon Wellington
Flaky puffed pastry hiding a deliciously baked salmon fillet is my idea of a fabulicious New Yearโs Eve recipe. This sophisticated dish looks the part for unforgettable dinners! This oneโs a slight challenge, but itโs incredibly rewarding. Donโt rush this one, and your golden Salmon Wellington will be so gorgeous.
If this is your kind of New Yearโs Eve dinner, then youโd also love this Beef Wellington HERE.
19. Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Of course, while not a traditional New Yearโs Eve, turkey can steal the show. So make this fantastically easy bird in your instant pot. It turns out juicier, and you donโt have to worry as much about the ovenโs temperature. Letโs just say itโs easier than traditional turkey breast.
20. Hoppinโ John
This recipe for a traditional New Yearโs Eve party is a great Southern dish, and itโs incredibly festive! Comfort food is great for the holidays, and it just makes people so happy. Black-eyed peas are taken over the top with bacon, turkey, onion, celery, and herbs to flavor this fantastic dish.
21. Beef Tenderloin Roast
Beef tenderloin is one of the fanciest New Yearโs Eve recipes. Juicy and beautifully pink, this one caters to your meat-loving friends! The secret here is the rub; the meaty is lovely and all, but you need to infuse it with all those flavors! Rub salt and pepper on the roast with salt, also a bit of garlic and thyme. Then, make an awesome pan sauce.
22. Steak Tips
These meaty one-biters are fantastic because theyโre buttery, nicely seasoned, and fork-tender. Steak tips cook faster than regular steaks, and theyโre better for larger crowds. These pretty tips turn out super tender, by the way! To make these tasty steak tips, you only need sirloin steak, seasonings, butter garlic, and a dash of Worcestershire and soy sauce.
23. Mushroom Risotto
What a silky and creamy treat! Risotto is a beautiful dish for special dinners, especially because itโs fun to make! Risotto is a Northern Italian specialty, and although comfy, itโs super fancy! Butter and garlic are the most important ingredients here, and the arborio rice, of course. Have a splash of white wine in hand as well. So yummy!
24. Prime Rib Roast
Prime roast done right is so tasty. This big boy meal will really take your New Yearโs Eve meal over the top. And thatโs just where you want it to be! Rub the prime roast with rosemary, thyme, cloves, paprika, and cayenne pepper. The rest is easy! If you have time, make sure to marinate it, though.
Dessert Recipes for New Yearโs Eve
25. Spice Cake
Spice cake definitely has its place on the New Yearโs Eve table. Itโs incredibly seasonal and comforting because of the holiday spices, sugar, and butter. What an excellent combo! Bring out all your favorite spices for this one because the spicier, the better.
26. Rum Cake
This boozy cake is a Caribbean specialty, so it will definitely add a tropical flair to your New Yearโs Eve menu. Itโs beautifully moist and fluffy, and itโs so spicy and flavorful. Itโs also addictively moist! I think youโll love dark rum for this one because the rum glaze really takes the cake. Yay!!!
New Yearโs Eve Drinks
27. Mulled Wine
Make a batch of mulled wine and make it part of your holiday celebrations. This one truly tastes like the holiday season because itโs cozy, fruity, and spicy. This mulled wine is a must this New Yearโs Eve. Apple cider, dry red wine, brown sugar, and spices are all you need to make this ah-mazing drink. And, of course, donโt forget the citrus zing!
28. Hibiscus (Sorrel) Fruity Sangria
This one is as colorful as it is tasty. And, of course, itโs deliciously refreshing. So this drink with fresh fruit, wine, and sorrel tang make this holiday sangria will surely be a hit with your guests. Sorrel or hibiscus gives color to this tasty drink, but itโs the rum and the spices that make it so much fun!
Want a kid-friendly version of this one? Then try this Sorrel Juice Drink HERE.
29. Jungle Juice
I love this crowd-pleasing drink just because of its name.๐คฉ Itโs a free-for-all with your favorite fruits and juices, then spike it up with rum. Tropical drinks are great for cold weather, you know? They make you feel like youโre on a warm tropical island. Hibiscus, ginger, white wine, fruit, and a variety of juice come together for this refreshing punch.
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