This New Year’s Eve will not consist of set menus, bottle service at bars and clubs and the use of limos but is that such a bad thing? New Year’s Eve is a loaded night (no pun intended), but there is always a lot of pressure to kick off the start of a new year in the perfect way. Make some of these recipes to impress any guests.
Last year before we knew what 2020 even had in store for us several friends made a road trip to my parent’s house in North Las Vegas and rather than heading to casinos and clubs we decided to stay in. I still insisted we all still dress up for the occasion though we didn’t leave the house, opting for a home craps table purchased from Amazon, poker and an array of other games and a home cooked dinner. Staying in doesn’t have to mean the typical combination of Netflix and eating in front of the TV.
Try making the evening special by cooking something you wouldn’t typically make and stay away from screens for the night with an intimate group. Happy New Year to all and let’s welcome 2021 with open arms (and maybe a little bit of apprehension). These are some of my favorite New Year’s eve appetizers to ring in 2021 with a bang.
This rack of lamb with its savory combination of herbs, mustard and breadcrumbs makes for either the perfect appetizer or an impressive holiday entrée.
These dumplings are formed into little “purses” and are filled with a simple yet flavorful filling of ground pork, chives, cabbage and ginger. They are like an “almost but not quite” version of Chinese sheng jian bao. They’re extremely juicy, but not to the level of the pan-fried soup dumplings.
These buttery, crispy smashed potatoes topped with luxe contrasting textures of creme fraîche, caviar, salmon roe and chives is one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes.
These golden, crispy fried egg rolls are filled with a blended cream cheese and jalapeño mixture. I serve them paired with a huckleberry dipping sauce for a sweet and spicy appetizer.
This recipe is inspired by the crispy rice and spicy tuna at Nobu. Fried rounds of sushi rice are topped with diced tuna combined with a spicy mayo and topped with eel sauce, avocado and jalapeño.
Pierogi are like a polish ravioli made with sour cream-based dough and classically stuffed with a cheesy potato mixture.
These scallion pancakes remind me of a cross between croissants and naan bread. The flakey layers are seasoned with diced scallions. Painting the layers of dough with sesame oil as you roll the dough will yield flakey layers.
Crispy crostini are topped with slices of seared steak and melted Boursin cheese spooned over the top for an easy fan-favorite appetizer.
Ricotta cheese is combined with honey, olive oil, red pepper and oregano for a slightly sweet and spicy seasoned appetizer.
The white beans are blended with garlic oil, rosemary and cheese for a creamy starter fit for a cocktail party.
Eating oysters can be intimidating – and shucking them can be even scarier! Read all about how to choose and open oysters as well as what to pair them with.
Arancini are basically cheese stuffed rice balls. They’re coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried. The Sicilian appetizer is one of my favorites, you can’t go wrong with crispy rice and cheese!
Bathing shrimp in a silky, buttery wine sauce is tough to beat.
Gougères are basically French cheese puffs but with the added luxury of lobster and a fancy name. These are like luxury cheddar bay biscuits; they have similar flavors but are so light and airy.
Baked Brie, or Brie en croûte, consists of a wheel of brie wrapped in buttery pastry dough then baked to until crispy and golden brown.
Golden brown latkes with a crunchy exterior and the soft inside, similar to hash browns, served with a dollop of sour cream, caviar & chives.
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