New Year’s Eve Dinner Ideas

Ring in the new year with these incredible New Year’s Eve dinner ideas! Whether you’re hosting an epic New Year’s Eve dinner party or watching the ball drop with friends and family, you’ll find the perfect meal here.

New Year’s Eve Appetizers

Ring in the new year with extra delicious appetizers that everyone will enjoy. Our two favorites are the cheese bread bites, a New Year’s Eve must. The texture is crispy on the outside, soft inside, and absolutely cheesy throughout. And the hot honey baked brie which is a wheel of brie cheese drizzled in a hot honey glaze and baked until melty; it is always a crowd favorite.

Or try our easy party dips you can whip up at the last minute and rosemary nuts you can make days in advance.

And for a real show stopper on New Year’s Eve, try our smoked salmon mousse which is served on cucumber rounds; you could also serve it on puff pastry rounds. And lamb lollipops with mint pesto are fun to eat and delicious. Both will make the evening feel extra special.

Sharp Cheese Bread Bites Recipe

These cheese bread bites are the ultimate indulgence. They're made by coating pieces of white bread in butter and imperial sharp cheddar cheese then baking them until they're wonderfully crispy on the outside and soft inside. Bring these out at a party and they'll disappear in seconds!

4.83 stars (28 ratings)

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Hot Honey Baked Brie (your new favorite appetizer!)

This hot honey baked brie is gooey and sweet with a little heat. It's a wheel of brie cheese baked with homemade hot honey, and topped with pecans and fresh rosemary. It's an easy party appetizer that everyone loves, and it's ready in just 20 minutes!

4.84 stars (36 ratings)

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Easy Party Dips Recipe

These easy party dips are essential for stress-free entertaining. They're a colorful trio of dips that includes creamy parmesan, honey mustard, and green goddess. They're ready in just 15 minutes (total), and everyone will rave about them!

4.98 stars (38 ratings)

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Rosemary Nuts Recipe

These rosemary nuts are sweet, smoky, and slightly spicy. They're perfect around the holidays for snacking, gifting, and decorating your favorite cake. They're easy to make, and they're ready in under an hour.

4.93 stars (26 ratings)

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Smoked Salmon Mousse (5-minute recipe!)

This easy smoked salmon mousse recipe takes only 5 minutes to make and is a sure way to impress your guests. Pipe the tasty mousse onto cucumber rounds, crackers, or put it into a bowl to serve as a dip. 

4.70 stars (53 ratings)

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Lamb Lollipops Recipe

Lamb lollipops are marinated then seared in a hot pan for a few minutes until lightly charred and incredibly delicious. They are simple to make yet the flavor is outstanding. We like ours with an easy mint pesto for dipping! 

4.89 stars (51 ratings)

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Special New Year’s Eve Cocktails

Every New Year’s Eve dinner party needs a special cocktail, and we know you’ll love these ones. Our cotton candy champagne makes the evening feel fun and playful while a french 75 feels glamorous and sophisticated.

And to help your guests stay awake until the stroke of midnight, think about serving them an espresso martini or a coffee margarita!

For a twist on a classic, try our delicious negroni sour. And don’t forget about the non-drinkers! Our blackberry lavender soda is a great mocktail that makes the evening feel special.

Cotton Candy Champagne Recipe

This cotton candy champagne is bubbly, sweet, and perfect for parties! It's sparkling wine served in a sprinkle-rimmed glass, then topped with a cloud of cotton candy. It'll take your party to the next level, and it's ready in minutes!

5 stars (22 ratings)

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French 75 Recipe

A French 75 is a bright and bubbly cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, and sparkling wine. It's elegant enough for the most special celebrations, yet easy enough to enjoy with Sunday brunch. It's made with just 5 ingredients, and it's ready in minutes!

4.96 stars (22 ratings)

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Espresso Martini Recipe

This easy espresso martini is a classic cocktail for coffee lovers. It's strong and boozy yet sweet with a foamy top. It's the perfect after-dinner drink, and it's ready in just 5 minutes!

4.97 stars (54 ratings)

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Coffee Margarita Recipe (Espresso Margarita)

It's not every day that tequila and coffee meet, but this coffee margarita is a real treat! It's tequila, lime juice, and coffee liqueur mixed together with our two-ingredient homemade coffee simple syrup. It's refreshingly smooth and it's ready in about 5 minutes!

5 stars (55 ratings)

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Negroni Sour Recipe

This negroni sour is a bright and refreshing take on the beloved bittersweet classic. It's a stunning drink with delicate froth and familiar flavors. Cheers to a quick and easy cocktail that takes only 5 ingredients to make!

4.96 stars (22 ratings)

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Blackberry Lavender Soda Recipe

The lavender adds a light botanical flavor to the richness of blackberries. Not only is this a twist on a regular berry soda, but the syrup can also be drizzled on desserts like pound cake or angel food cake.

4.92 stars (12 ratings)

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New Year’s Eve Dinner Ideas

New Year’s Eve is one night that should definitely feel special. If you’re sitting down to dinner, let’s make it a good one. These main courses range from fancy to cozy and all aim to please.

To go all out, try our roast porchetta or chocolate braised pork ribs. Both are insanely rich and delicious and take the meal to the next level. Serve both of these with sour cream mashed potatoes, garlic butter mushrooms, and a kale salad and you’ll have a meal to remember.

If you’re craving seafood, try our favorite lingcod recipe which is bathed in lemon garlic brown butter. Cod with tomatoes and olives is a wonderful meal, especially with a slice of buttered sourdough to mop up the sauce.

For an ultra-cheesy meal, make it special with a New Year’s Eve cheese fondue. Or keep it cozy with a pot of four cheese mac and cheese! (Bonus here is that any leftover noodles taste great reheated on New Year’s Day.

Italian Porchetta (All-Belly Pork Roast)

This porchetta recipe is as good as it gets. It's all-belly porchetta with rich and tender meat flavored with fennel and traditional Italian seasonings and has the crispiest, chicharron-like crackling. And won't worry, making this famous Italian dish is surprisingly simple.

4.86 stars (67 ratings)

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Braised Pork Ribs (literally the best recipe)

These braised pork ribs are as good as it gets. They're slow-cooked in a ridiculously delicious sauce made with dark beer and chocolate that, by the time the ribs have finished cooking, becomes the best gravy you'll ever try.

4.96 stars (45 ratings)

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Favorite Lingcod Recipe with Brown Butter Garlic Lemon Sauce

Our favorite lingcod recipe proves how flavorful simple can be. Lightly seasoned filets are pan-seared to flaky perfection and then drizzled in a rich, brown butter garlic sauce. It makes a quick and easy dinner for weeknights and it's ready in just 20 minutes!

4.85 stars (103 ratings)

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Cod with Tomatoes and Olives Recipe

Cod with tomatoes is an easy recipe where the cod is gently simmered in a rich tomato sauce with capers and olives. In less than 30 minutes, you'll have a delicious dinner on the table!

4.74 stars (15 ratings)

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Pork Medallions with Pan Sauce

These pork medallions are incredibly tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Rounds of pork tenderloin are perfectly seasoned, seared until golden, and served in a rich, savory sauce. They're easy enough for weeknights, and they're ready in just 25 minutes!

4.81 stars (113 ratings)

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Tomahawk Pork Chops with Honey Garlic Sauce

These tender tomahawk pork chops are smothered in an incredible honey garlic sauce that caramelizes as it cooks to become ultra delicious. You'll love them baked in the oven or cooked on a grill! 

4.60 stars (27 ratings)

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Gruyere Cheese Fondue Recipe

This cheese fondue is creamy, smooth, and by far the best! It's classic melted gruyère cheese flavored with caramelized shallots, apple brandy, and warm spices. It's an easy recipe that's perfect for seasonal gatherings, and it's ready in just 35 minutes!

4.91 stars (42 ratings)

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Four Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe

This four cheese mac and cheese is an all-time family favorite! It's a classic, creamy stove-top recipe made with only real ingredients, and no baking is required. It's easy to make, and it's ready in just 30 minutes!

4.98 stars (35 ratings)

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New Year’s Eve Desserts

End New Year’s Eve dinner on a sweet note with one of these delicious desserts. For chocolate lovers, don’t miss our chocolate pie with bacon praline. Or try our chocolate lava cakes that are filled with salted caramel.

Amaretto poached pears and citrus-flavored orange blossom panna cotta are two sophisticated desserts that are perfect for welcoming in the new year.

If you’re a cake fan, you’ll love our chocolate beet cake that is frosted in all-natural pink buttercream and our frosted coconut pineapple upside down cake. Both are beautiful and delicious!

For something simple that the whole crowd is guaranteed to love, try sweet bacon caramel popcorn or whipped cream filled profiteroles.

Easy Chocolate Pie (restaurant-quality made at home)

This chocolate pie is a dreamy, decadent dessert for any occasion. It's a rich chocolate filling chilled in a golden pie crust, served with whipped cream, and an easy cocoa nib praline. It's simple to make with only real ingredients.

5 stars (43 ratings)

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Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes

It doesn't get more delicious than the infamous chocolate lava cake. This caramel chocolate lava cake version has a cakey exterior and an irresistible warm chocolate caramel center. It's the perfect individual dessert for dinner parties and special occasions.

4.98 stars (41 ratings)

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Amaretto Poached Pears Recipe

These poached pears are an easy, elegant dessert for any occasion. They're simmered in a sweet amaretto syrup and served with whipped cream or mascarpone cheese. With just three ingredients, they're simple to make, and they're ready in just 30 minutes!

4.91 stars (50 ratings)

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Orange Blossom Panna Cotta Recipe

This orange blossom panna cotta is a delightful take on the classic Italian dessert. It's smooth, creamy, and delicately flavored with orange blossom water. It's an easy make-ahead dessert that's perfect for dinner parties or special occasions!

4.91 stars (32 ratings)

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Chocolate Beet Cake Recipe

Now this is a stunning cake! This chocolate beet cake is just as decadent as it is gorgeous, and you'll never ever know there are beets in it. It makes the perfect chocolate birthday cake, Valentine's Day cake, or a fun cake to make with the kids. 

4.98 stars (42 ratings)

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Coconut Pineapple Upside Down Cake (with frosting!)

This pineapple coconut upside down cake tastes like a tropical dream! It's a light, moist, and fruity cake with a sweet pineapple cream cheese frosting. It's simpler to make than it looks, and it's ready in just an hour!

4.98 stars (42 ratings)

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Bacon Caramel Popcorn Recipe

If you like caramel corn then you will LOVE bacon caramel popcorn! We add crispy bacon pieces and peanuts to bacon fat popped popcorn then drizzle the whole deal in caramel. It's unbelievably delicious!

4.96 stars (22 ratings)

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Profiteroles Recipe

Profiteroles are an elegant classic dessert, and they're surprisingly easy to make! Bite-size French choux pastry balls are filled with a delicate chantilly cream, and topped with powdered sugar or chocolate sauce. It's a simple recipe for bakers of all skill levels, and it takes only an hour!

4.98 stars (41 ratings)

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