Our 18 Favorite New Year's Eve Recipes

Green Peppercorn Marinated Feta
Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

New Year's Eve calls for celebratory food, and we've got your entire day's menu covered. Kick it off with snacks like Spinach Dip Hot Bread, Gougeres with Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Proscuitto, or Green Peppercorn-Marinated Feta. Our Herb-Roasted King Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce makes an impressive dinner centerpiece, while Orange-Anise Croquembouche with White Chocolate is the sweetest year-end finale. Read on for all our best New Year's Eve dishes.

01 of 18

Spinach Dip Hot Bread

Spinach Dip Hot Bread
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

The classic spinach dip appetizer achieves new heights in this irresistibly cheesy appetizer from Mr. Digby's in San Francisco. This gooey, cheesy appetizer is perfect for watching the game, alongside a salad or bowl of soup, or on a lazy weekend afternoon. The toasty sliced sourdough boule is filled with buttery bechamel sauce and spinach, but the real star is the Calabrian chiles, which lend each bite a gentle kick of heat. Feel free to customize this depending on the bread you have on-hand; it works nicely with a baguette, too.

02 of 18

Gougères with Smoked Salmon, Caviar and Prosciutto

Smoked Salmon and Caviar Gougeres
Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman

These cheesy puffs look fancy, but come together in minutes to make any snack feel like an occasion. You can make these as small or large as you like; large gougères can stand in for dinner rolls or even serve as the base for an eggs Benedict at brunch. And have fun experimenting with them. These gougères are made with grated Gruyère cheese and thyme leaves, but you can swap in another grated hard cheese, or use spices and other herbs. We topped these with slivers of prosciutto and smoked salmon and dollops of caviar and crème fraîche, but any toppings will do. Or, simply eat them plain — they shine on their own.

03 of 18

Cheese Croustades

Cheese Croustades Recipe
Justin Walker

A dollop of sweet-tart cranberry relish hides at the center of the goat cheese and ricotta mousse for a burst of flavor. Garnish with fresh, oniony chives or tart lemon zest for some color and brightness.

04 of 18

Four-Layer Caviar Dip

Four Layer Caviar Dip Recipe
Justin Walker

Layers of creamy egg salad, crisp red onion, herbed cream cheese, and salty, briny caviar come together in a beautiful molded dip that serves up an entire caviar platter in one dish. Serve with your favorite water crackers.

05 of 18

Orange-Anise Croquembouche with White Chocolate

Orange-Anise Croquembouche with White Chocolate
Christopher Testani

For this magnificent croquembouche, choux pastry puffs are filled with festive orange- and anise-infused cream, then secured into a tower with white chocolate. For extra magic, sprinkle the puffs with gold luster dust after they're stacked. Don't be put off by the nearly eight hours it takes to complete this showstopper — it's only one hour of active cooking time!

06 of 18

Herb-Roasted King Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce

Herb-Roasted King Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce Recipe
Justin Walker

Originally served at Seattle's Hotel Sorrento by chef David Pisegna, this throwback salmon dish stands the test of time. We simplified the original recipe but didn't change a thing about the velvety, wine-blushed beurre blanc; keep it warm and serve it immediately for the best results.

07 of 18

Steak and Shrimp Hot Pot

Steak and Shrimp Hot Pot Broth Recipe
Justin Walker

Cooking tender rib eye, fresh mushrooms, and sweet shrimp tableside makes for an interactive holiday meal. The broth, already seasoned and spiced with fresh aromatics, oils, and sauces, deepens in flavor as you cook each of the dish's components throughout the night.

08 of 18

Garlic-Butter Rib Roast

Garlic butter prime rib
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

This impressive, flavor-packed rib roast is perfect for a celebration. The secret? A compound butter made with garlic, anchovies, herbs, and shallot. Half of it is slathered all over the roast before it goes into the oven; the other half is rolled up into a log, chilled, and then sliced into medallions to serve with each slice of beef. Special order the rib roast from a local butcher, asking for one with nice marbling and an even fat cap. The roast can be prepped the night before and stored in the fridge until ready to bake — just bring it to room temperature before roasting. Thinly sliced leftovers make satisfying roast beef sandwiches or sliders. 

09 of 18

Hazelnut and Chocolate Meringue Cake

Hazelnut-and-chocolate meringue cake
© Stephanie Foley

This extraordinary dessert, made with crisp chocolate-hazelnut meringue and billowy whipped cream, is simple to make. But pastry chef Daniel Jasso has nicknamed it "the beast" because slicing it can be tricky — the meringue tends to crumble. The solution: Freeze the cake, cut it with a serrated knife, and let it return to room temperature before serving.

10 of 18

Spiced Sweet and Sour Ribs

Spiced Sweet and Sour Ribs
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Rubbed with toasted ground spices then lacquered with a sweet and tangy glaze of maple syrup and a duo of vinegars, these meaty ribs have a deep flavor and an irresistibly crackly crust. To work ahead, you can roast the ribs the day before, then glaze and broil them just before serving.

11 of 18

Ruby Red Spritz

Spiced Pear Spritz and Ruby Red Spritz Recipe
Victor Protasio

This rosy, bittersweet aperitif will prime your appetite. If you want it sweeter, add a dash of simple syrup, or replace the fizzy soda water with a splash of grapefruit soda.

12 of 18

Farro Mafaldine with Black Truffle Butter and Mushrooms

Farro Mafaldine with Black Truffle Butter and Mushrooms
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

"The best way to cook with truffles is as simply as possible," says chef Karen Akunowicz. Bold in scent and flavor, black winter truffles require very little coaxing to lend their heady punch. This elegant yet hearty dish pairs creamy butter, nutty farro pasta, and a fortifying mix of wild mushrooms and grated truffle.

13 of 18

Green Peppercorn-Marinated Feta

Green Peppercorn Marinated Feta
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Marinating cubed feta is a low-effort move with big-flavor results. Feta's slightly airy texture makes it perfect for soaking up bold flavors, such as these briny, piquant peppercorns. Pair it with crackers and fruit to anchor your cheese board.

14 of 18

Inverno Arancione

Inverno Arancione
Photo by Victor Protasio / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

"Spiced mulled cocktails are what I crave when I want to relax in the colder months," says Amy Brandwein of Washington, D.C.'s Centrolina. For this mulled cocktail, Pinot Grigio stands in for the usual red wine base to enhance the flavors of citrus and ginger, which play off the classic Italian winter specialty panettone.

15 of 18

Lemon-Ricotta Cake

Lemon-Ricotta Cake
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

This light and airy cake gets its texture from whole-milk ricotta in the batter. "I first created this cake by accident, substituting the ricotta I had in my refrigerator for the sour cream that my recipe called for," says  2020 F&W Best New Chef Camille Cogswell of Asheville, North Carolina, who shared her recipe with Food & Wine. "The result was, happily, far superior to the original! Now, this super moist and tender ricotta cake with bright lemon flavor is one of my go-tos; it comes together quickly and easily and is still exceptional even after a few days sitting on the counter.

16 of 18

Chile Crisp-Glazed Bacon Bites

Chile Crisp Glazed Bacon Bites
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

For this snack, meaty bites of slow-roasted slab bacon are tossed with a homemade chile crisp that's studded with freshly toasted chunks of dried chiles, fresh ginger, and garlic. Try this with your favorite store-bought version of chile crisp for an even easier version.

17 of 18

Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue

Swiss cheese fondue with dippers like bread, potatoes, salami, apples
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Steamed red-skinned potato chunks, grilled or toasted Tuscan bread cubes, and pear slices are all great for dipping in the melted cheese. Be sure to stir the fondue as you dip. 

18 of 18

Champagne Holiday Punch

Champagne Holiday Punch
© Tina Rupp

Erick Castro created this sparkling punch. It's terrifically light, but the malted grain–based genever adds whiskey-like depth.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles