This post is all about the BEST New Year’s Food Ideas. What to serve, entrees to make, appetizers to please everyone’s appetite and must-have drinks.

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Published October 23, 2023
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When it comes to New Years, you can take your party to a few different routes. Will it be adult only? Kid friendly? Drinks or a sober affair? What food or snacks to serve?

For me, serving food to my friends and loved ones is vital to any successful party. From appetizers to mains, drinks and desserts, the right food will then set the tone for the whole party.

We have all been to that party with chips galore, nothing to truly indulge in, resulting in hunger pains and going home to put in a pizza.

Avoid that all-too-often party slump by providing your party guests with a showstopper of a grazing table with party-ready drinks. Whether you let your creativity shine with a charcuterie grazing board or a buffet, make sure you plan your New Year’s Food Ideas ahead of time.

In this post, the BEST New Year’s Eve party food will be shared from appetizers to main courses, desserts and best drinks. Even if your party is casual, you can still have snacks and appetizers that are filling but NOT too time consuming that you will spend your night cooking and not watching the ball drop.

New Years Party Food Ideas

BEST DRINKS IDEAS

#1 – To Drink or Not to Drink?

Living in Wisconsin, it is hard to think of a New Year’s Party without alcohol. However, there are circumstances where you may want a few other options for your party guests.

When looking for a good mocktail, there are recipes a plenty. If you need inspiration for mocktail recipes, look no further than a mocktail recipe book. Mocktails by Caroline Hwang and Party Mocktail by Diana Licalzi and Kerry Benson are two fantastic recipe books.

There are SO many recipes you can make for drinks that are non-alcoholic. You can make punch in a large bowl and serve it with sorbet floating in it. A fantastic Punch recipe is mixing 1-liter bottle of Canada Dry Ginger Ale, a 64-oz bottle of Hawiian Punch, and 12-oz jar of Pineapple Juice.

Stir them and then add large scoops of rainbow sorbet. This is the BEST Party Punch recipe.

#2 – Party Cocktails

What is a New Years Eve party without a few drinks? For a few recipes, there are many inspiration recipe books.

Now, I am not one to tell you to go out and buy all the drinks. Trust me, there is a time and a place. Just make sure you are responsible and of-age while you do indulge!

Drink responsibly.

#3 – Champaign Toast at Midnight

New Year cannot start without a traditional Champaign toast. There are many ranges of Champaign, cost wise. Some bottles are as low as $5 and go up to hundreds of dollars a bottle.

The 10 Most Expensive Champaign Bottles

1. 2013 Taste of Diamonds – $2.07 Million
2. 2013 Armand de Brignac Rosé 30-Liter Midas – $275,000
3. 2011 Armand de Brignac 15-Liter – $90,000
4. 1996 Dom Perignon Rose Gold Methuselah – $49,000
5. 1820 Juglar Cuvee – $43,500
6. 1959 Dom Perignon Rosé – $42,350
7. 1841 Veuve Clicquot – $34,000
8. 1928 Krug – $21,200
9. Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut 1990 Millennium Cuvee Methuselah – $18,800
10. Shipwrecked Champagne – $14,181.81 Average Per Bottle

Now, you don’t need to spend $14K or even $1K on a bottle to have a good time.

Check out your local Spirits shop and parous the shelves for the perfect bottle, or the one that speaks to you and the party that you are hosting. And, if you are planning to attend a party, make sure to bring a bottle for the host!

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NEW YEARS EVE FOOD APPETIZERS

Having a steady source of Appetizers for your New Years Party is a great way to have a fabulous party. Here are a few examples of Appetizers that are GREAT for a New Years Party.

#4 – Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms are one of the simpler Appetizers you can make and then serve at a New Years Party. They can be made in two different ways, baked in the oven OR grilled. Either way, these are tasty, packed with cheesy flavor and so incredibly addictive.

For the full recipe for these Baked Stuffed Mushrooms, click HERE or the link below. They are quite easy to make, and whether you bake them or grill them, you had better make sure to do a double or triple batch depending on the size of your party.

How to make the BEST Cheesy Baked Stuffed Mushrooms

#5- Taco Salad

One of the easiest recipes to make for any party, especially a New Years Eve party, is a Taco Salad with homemade Taco Seasoning Mix. With a handful of ingredients, you can then have an appetizer that is perfect for New Years Eve.

For the full recipe for homemade Taco Salad, click the link below or HERE.

Taco Salad is incredibly simple to make, and you can then make it as often as you want.

The ingredients for Taco Salad are:

• Sour Cream
• Taco Seasoning
• Tomatoes
• Olives
• Lettuce
• Shredded cheese
• Green onion
• Rimmed Baking Sheet

Taco Salad Recipe – Using a from scratch seasoning mix

Taco Salad is not complete without chips. Not all chips are great for Taco Salad, so make sure you choose a Tortilla Chip that is solid and not flimsy. There are small rounds, traditional round, triangle, scoops, strips, hint of lime and more. Try them all with Taco Salad and pick which is your favorite.

Lately, our favorite is El Milagro Mexican Kitchen Style. These are crunchy, perfectly salted and just right for Taco Salad for a New Years Party Food. We buy them at ALDI; however, you can also find them on Amazon by clicking HERE.

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NEW YEARS PARTY FOOD DESSERTS

#6- Caramel Cheesecake

New Years Eve is not finished without dessert! This recipe for a New York Style Cheesecake is made from scratch.

However, even if you don’t make it from scratch, Cheesecake is a classic party dessert.

Cheesecake with homemade Graham cracker crust- How to make it New York Style

#7 – Ultimate Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of the BEST Desserts you can serve to party guests on New Years Eve is a good cookie. These recipes for Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies result in a soft and chewy cookie two different ways.

Your guests will absolutely LOVE having a variety of cookies and desserts at your New Years Eve Party. Check out the recipe by clicking HERE for Ultimate Soft Double Chocolate Chip Cookies or HERE for Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies or the links below.

This post was all about the BEST New Year’s Food Ideas. Which New Years Party Food Appetizers are best, best New Years Party Food Drinks, and the BEST New Years Party Food Desserts.
~Monica

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