For this New Year’s Eve, it's about time you start the year on the right note and take some stress off your plate by ditching dinner in lieu of party food like dips, appetizers, desserts, and co*cktails. On the one hand, it'll cut down on the mess of forks and knives without sacrificing good eats, and leave you more room for what’s important—celebrating having made it through another year! We’ve included 53 of our favorite party foods for you here, including some fun spins on ones guaranteed to bring you good luck this year (12 boozy grapes at midnight, here we come 😉).
What kind of food you serve this New Year’s really depends what kind of party vibe you’re going for. Are you having more of a wine-and-cheese-style soirée? Go for our cornbread stuffed mussels, our bacon-wrapped dates, our black-eyed pea bruschetta, or our bagna cauda. They’re all just a little bit fancier than your average fare, perfect for serving to dressed up guests.
Throwing more of a relaxed get-together, everyone in comfies watching those suckers freezing their butts off at the ball drop in Times Square? Serve up classic crowd-pleasers, like nachos or a cheesy dip, but with a little good luck spin. Try our pulled pork nachos or sausage rolls (pork represents progress); our pub beer cheese with pretzels or our pretzel bites (pretzels for prosperity); or our bacon spinach dip or our cheesy mini meatball skillet dip (serve these with golden cornbread for wealth).
Looking for something in the middle? Try the high-low approach, where you utilize nicer ingredients in approachable ways. Check out our mushroom “calamari”, our baked brie wreath, our fondue bites, or our spicy ahi tuna nachos to see what we’re talking about. They're a little of of the ordinary, but not so much so as to seem like you tried too hard.
And don’t forget drinks! We included a few of our top contenders here, like our holiday punch or our Champagne margaritas, but check out even more New Year’s drink ideas here too.
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1
Antipasto Squares
Antipasto salad gets even better when layered between flaky, buttery crescent rolls. Feel free to swap in and out your favorite ingredients, then serve these as an anytime app (or an easy packed lunch the next day!).
Get the Antipasto Squares recipe.
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2
Bacon Wrapped Dates
If you're unfamiliar with dates, it's time to familiarize yourself! The date's sweetness is the PERFECT counterpoint to crisp, salty bacon and creamy goat cheese. We guarantee these will fly off the platter before the party's really even started.
Get the Bacon Wrapped Dates recipe.
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3
Meatball Sub Egg Rolls
This herby and cheesy deep-fried hybrid is essential party food and will steal the show at your next tailgate. They're exactly what they sound like—all of the fillings you'd find in a meatball sub loaded into an egg roll wrapper and deep-fried until golden brown, delicious, and perfect for folks who don't want their hands covered in hot marinara sauce.
Get the Meatball Sub Egg Rolls recipe.
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4
Black-Eyed Pea Bruschetta
With leafy dark greens that flop around like cash, collard greens represent wealth and money, while black-eyed peas represent coins and luck. Combine both with bacon and goat cheese on this easy bruschetta to ensure a prosperous (and delicious) year ahead.
Get the Black-Eyed Pea Bruschetta recipe.
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5
Kir Royale
When it comes to sparkling wine-based co*cktails, few beverages are as classy and sophisticated as a Kir Royale. The Kir Royale is a fixture at holiday celebrations, soirées hosted by the likes of Ina Garten and Martha Stewart, and even episodes of Emily in Paris.
Get the Kir Royale recipe.
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6
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
Bacon-wrapped scallops are one of those dishes that wow guests but secretly are so easy to make. With five ingredients—not including salt and pepper—you can make a bite-sized appetizer that will have everyone’s mouth watering this NYE.
Get the Bacon-Wrapped Scallops recipe.
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7
French Onion Soup Bites
French onion soup is already a bowl of perfection: fortifying broth, sweetly soft onions, a few chunks of bread, and a molten layer of cheese. These little bites prove that perfection can come in many forms.
Get the French Onion Soup Bites recipe.
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8
Grapefruit-Rosemary Mocktail Spritz
Spritzes are delicious year-round and should be for everyone, especially on a night like NYE! This easy-to-make, booze-free co*cktail hits all the marks. It’s tart, herby, slightly sweet, a little smokey, and definitely an adult mocktail that isn’t too heavy on the fruit juice or sweetener. Serve with some bite-size apps, and get ready to really get the party started.
Get the Grapefruit-Rosemary Mocktail Spritz recipe.
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9
Antipasto Bites
Fresh tortellini make these the hearty bite-size appetizer of our dreams. If you're not a fan of olives, pepperoncini peppers would be a delicious substitute!
Get the Antipasto Bites recipe.
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10
Cornbread-Stuffed Mussels
These mussels will make you rethink if mushrooms are the only things that should be stuffed this holiday season. You might already be using cornbread for luck in your NYE meal, so save some crumbs to make these salty-sweet morsels that are endlessly poppable.
Get the Cornbread-Stuffed Mussels recipe.
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11
Champagne Margaritas
We love a cold, refreshing margarita to cool off in the summer months, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying these classic drinks year round. For this recipe, we wanted to make a marg worthy of toasting when the ball drops this NYE. We added Champagne to our classic margarita for a festive, bubbly touch perfect for ringing in the new year.
Get the Champagne Margaritas recipe.
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12
Pigs In A Blanket
There's something very classic about the crescent roll dough flavor, so we tend to gravitate toward it, but puff pastry or even biscuit dough should work here too. Turn them into a wreath to make them extra festive if you like!
Get the Pigs In A Blanket recipe.
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13
Muhammara Dip With Crudités
Looking for a last-minute app? Add this sweet and tangy roasted red pepper dip to your next dinner party menu. Muhammara comes together in 30 minutes using jarred roasted red peppers, bread crumbs, walnuts, a few special ingredients, and a food processor. Trust us—once you've tried it, it'll become a staple on your appetizer roster.
Get the Muhammara Dip With Crudités recipe.
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14
Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine
Mulled WineWhen the weather outside gets frightful, we can all agree that there’s nothing nicer than curling our hands around a piping hot mug some mulled wine…that is, unless you’re not drinking alcohol. Rather than simply skip that sip of pure coziness, make this non-alcoholic mulled wine instead!
Get the Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine recipe.
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15
Bacon Brie Crescent Wreath
Looking for an easy NYE appetizer that doubles as a centerpiece? This cheesy, savory crescent ring is perfect for your holiday gathering. If it's a vegetarian app you're after, we'd suggest subbing in sautéed mushrooms.
Get the Bacon Brie Crescent Wreath recipe.
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16
Roasted Shrimp co*cktail With Lemon-Horseradish Aioli
We’re opting for roasting instead of the traditional poaching method to give this old-school appetizer even more flavor. The shrimp are paired with a horseradish-forward sauce to create a perfect winter-season appetizer. Serve the shrimp co*cktail warm or chilled to suit your snacking occasion.
Get the Roasted Shrimp co*cktail With Lemon-Horseradish Aioli recipe.
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17
Bacon Spinach Dip
We love baked spinach dip more than we like to admit, and this is one of our faves. The smoky bacon bits make it feel extra fancy, but feel free to skip for vegetarians. It's got enough going on with the three types of cheese.
Get the Bacon Spinach Dip recipe.
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18
Mushroom Calamari
Umami-rich oyster mushrooms are lightly battered and fried for this squid-free take on seafood favorite calamari. You can use other mushroom varieties, but the delicate “petals” of the oyster mushrooms get extra crispy.
Get the Mushroom Calamari recipe.
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19
Sausage Rolls
If you like pigs in a blanket, you’ll fall hard for sausage rolls. Featuring juicy pork filling wrapped in flaky golden brown pastry, these savory snacks are sure to become your new favorite party food.
Get the Sausage Rolls recipe.
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20
French 75
Sure, there’s the tried-and-true margarita and the timeless old-fashioned, but the French 75 has got what those two don’t: Champagne! Champagne is what makes this drink distinctively French (and totally worth the splurge), but a more affordable sparkling wine will work too.
Get the French 75 recipe.
