10 Recipe Ideas for Your New Year’s Eve Bash

Posted: December 26, 2021 8:24 am

Now that the Christmas holiday is over, it is time to start thinking ahead to New Year’s Eve. If you are hosting a gathering at your home, it is time to start planning your menu. New Year’s Eve is an occasion that lends itself to grazing, making this the perfect time to put out an elaborate smorgasbord of appetizers. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Fried Mac and Cheese Balls

These fried mac and cheese balls take the classic comfort food and transform it into a bite-size appetizer. You will need to plan ahead with this recipe and prepare the mac and cheese the day before so that you can refrigerate it overnight. This will help to solidify the mac and cheese so that the balls stay intact when you fry them. The balls are coated in crushed potato chips for the crunchy coating. You can use a variety of flavored chips to achieve the exact taste that you want. This appetizer is a good choice if you plan on hosting kids at your bash.

Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball

It is not a party until someone whips out the cheese ball. This bacon cheddar cheese ball is destined to be an instant hit. The base of the ball is made with full-fat cream cheese, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder. All of this goodness is coated with crumbled cooked bacon. Do not try to skimp and use imitation bacon bits. You want the real thing for this cheese ball or it will not taste the same. Serve this cheese ball with crackers or pita chips.

Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs

There are a thousand different cocktail meatball variations that you can try for your event, but these sticky honey garlic meatballs should be at the top of your list of recipes to try. Classic meatballs are baked and then coated with a homemade honey garlic sauce. This sauce consists of rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, garlic, cornstarch, and water. Be sure to sprinkle these meatballs with sesame seeds for a delicious finishing touch. Feel free to prepare these meatballs and freeze them ahead of time. You will just need to toss them in the sauce prior to serving.

Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie

Use up those leftover holiday cranberries with this classic pastry wrapped cranberry baked brie recipe. The homemade cranberry sauce is made with fresh cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, vanilla extract, sea salt, and cinnamon. This sauce sets atop a wheel of brie cheese wrapped in a puff pastry. The addition of toasted pecans adds another layer of crunch to this creamy delight. Serve this brie with bread or crackers.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Cantaloupe Bundles

These tasty prosciutto-wrapped asparagus cantaloupe bundles have everything that you want in an appetizer. They are juicy, salty, and sweet with the cantaloupe providing a great contrast to the prosciutto and asparagus. While you can serve the prosciutto uncooked, throwing them on the grill to brown it up will bring out the greatest depths of flavor. This appetizer is a colorful addition to any buffet table.

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

Nobody can resist the siren call of these bacon cheddar deviled eggs. This recipe could not be any easier. The addition of bacon and cheddar elevates them beyond the classic deviled eggs recipe. If you are short on time, you can use pre-cooked bacon for these eggs. You are going to want to double this recipe if you have a big crowd coming over. They are sure to go quickly.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

If you are looking for something heartier to serve a crowd, be sure to try these ham and cheese sliders. This is a great way to use up leftover ham from the holidays. Or you can use deli-sliced ham. The ham is layered with swiss cheese and nestled into Hawaiian slider rolls. Before baking the rolls, they are topped with a mixture of melted butter, dijon mustard, poppy seeds, dried minced onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. This creates a buttery and crusty topping to the ooey-gooey sliders. These sliders taste best when served right out of the oven piping hot.

Baked Cauliflower Bites

Not every appetizer recipe has to be full of fat and calories. These nutritious baked cauliflower bites are a good choice if you are wanting to get a head start on your New Year’s resolution to eat better. The bite-size cauliflower pieces are coated in a batter made with eggs, buttermilk, sriracha, salt, and garlic powder. After being thoroughly coated, the cauliflower is then dipped in panko bread crumbs before being baked in the oven. You can use a variety of dipping sauces for the final product. Buttermilk ranch dressing or marinara sauce work particularly well.

Carmelized Onion Dip

Don’t just settle for store-bought onion dip when you can easily whip up this homemade caramelized onion dip. You can use the onion of your choice for this dip. The key to its taste is in the proper caramelization of the onions. The onions are mixed with cream cheese, sour cream, white wine, soy sauce, and fresh parsley. Serve the dip with potato chips, pita chips, veggies, or baguettes. The dip also makes a great spread for burgers or sandwiches.

Pulled Pork Nachos

Pull out all of the stops with these pulled pork nachos. Everyone will dive into these sheet pan nachos the minute that you pull them out of the oven. While you can use a variety of meat toppings, the pulled pork takes the recipe over the top. Be sure to have plenty of toppings on hand so that party-goers can customize their nachos. Good choices include sour cream, guacamole, black olives, jalapenos, and cilantro.

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