New Year's Eve Recipe Ideas
Top 5 Crowd Pleasing Holiday Appetizers to Serve on New Year's Eve
Everyone wants to bring in the New Year with good food, and good company... but have you ever thought that the menu could use some variety? You can always try to spice things up with these interesting new appetizer ideas!Eggplant Parmesan Bites
This delicious twist on the traditional Italian main course eggplant parmigiana will taste heavenly with some marinara dipping sauce.
- Heat about 3 inches of oil in a small pot until it reaches 350°F
- Prepare a bowl with a flour, salt, and black pepper mix. Prepare a second bowl with whisked eggs. Prepare a third bowl with bread crumbs and parmesan.
- Follow a 3-step coating routine by starting with the flour. Then, follow it with egg and bread crumbs.
- Fry 1-inch eggplant cubes until they’re golden brown, which will take about 8 minutes. Once they’re done, leave them on a plate with paper towels.
- Top them off with some parsley and serve them with a side of marinara sauce.
Brussels Sprouts Wrapped in Bacon
These make for a triple-threat combination (sweet, salty, and savory) that you simply must have for your holiday dinner.
- Cut your bacon strips about 5 inches long and wrap one around each Brussels sprout. Keep the bacon in place by adding a toothpick and line them all up on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Take some maple syrup and brush them onto the Brussels sprouts and sprinkle some black pepper on them. Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake them until they’re just the right balance between crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. This will take about 25 minutes.
- Serve it while it’s hot!
Mini Greek Spinach Pies
A miniature take on traditional Greek Spanakopita, these appetizers are a fantastic choice for holiday dinners, or whenever you get together with friends. All you need are mini fillo shells and some basic ingredients.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat
- Add the garlic and scallions and cook them for 2 minutes until soft
- Add the spinach, parsley, dill, tomatoes, and a pinch of salt
- Cook everything together for 3-5 minutes
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Remove the mixture from the stove, add the parmesan and feta cheese before putting it to the side
- When you’re ready to serve the pies, add the filling to the fillo cups and bake them in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes
Sweet Potato ‘Crostini’
While crostini tastes delicious with a variety of toppings, swap the bread for sweet potatoes in this fantastic recipe.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and add parchment paper to the baking sheet.
- Prepare your sweet potato crostini base by cutting the ends from the sweet potatoes. Cut them into quarter-inch-thick slices. Glaze both sides of the slices with olive oil and add some salt and pepper.
- Place the slices on the sheet and roast for about 20 minutes them until crisp. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.
- Add a teaspoon of cream cheese on each sweet potato slice. Cut up smoked salmon into even pieces and add one to each crostini. Garnish the slices with chives and serve while they’re hot.
Roasted Nuts and Pretzels
Need a quick snack to enjoy with friends during the holidays? In that case, you’ll love these sweet and savory roasted nuts and pretzels.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the nets and spread them over the baking sheet so they’re in a single layer. Roast them in the oven for about 20 minutes until they’re lightly toasted.
- Remove the nuts from the oven and add the pretzels and spice mix. Toss everything to make sure it’s properly combined. Add them to the oven again and roast them for 15 minutes.
- You can serve them warm or keep them in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.
