Get festive with these New Year’s Eve Food ideas

Recently, I was talking with a neighbor about a dilemma she was having for New Year’s Eve: her and her friends need some sort of dinner, but nobody wants to cook and their group is too big for a restaurant reservation.

I’m guessing this could be quite a common issue, so I figured I would put together a board of New Year’s Eve appetizers that eats more like a light dinner, with cheese AND charcuterie AND seafood AND sweet treats AND even a simple homemade appetizer, if you want. 

While this board of New Year’s Eve finger food looks pretty epic, it actually consists of one item I made, a few things I heated up in the oven, and 98% stuff I bought at the store.

This post will give you a ton of ideas to put together the New Year’s appetizers spread of your dreams. The board pictured here is for a big crowd, but if your gathering is a little smaller, just cut it down to a few of your favorite things.

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“There’s always money in the banana stand!!!” Who’s an Arrested Development fan out there? I treasure the original series on DVD, and re-watch the whole show every few years (or, in a pinch, just watch the “Pier Pressure” episode (The Hot Cops!)).

From The Cornballer to Lucille Two’s vertigo. From “It’s an illusion, Michael” to life lessons with J. Walter Weatherman. From Tobias being a Nevernude to “No Touching!,” I love it all.

However, anything involving the frozen banana stand is my favorite bit of the show. Sadly, I don’t have a banana stand lined with hundred dollar bills, but I do have a bunch of chocolate chips and some frozen banana chunks (I used some bananas to make caramelized banana splits, and a few for banana pancake ice cream, and then froze the rest). 

I’m a sucker for cold desserts in the summer, like frozen yogurt pie and peaches and cream ice cream bars. And, I’d been wanting to make my very own chocolate covered bananas for pretty much as long as I’ve been watching AD, so I finally crossed it off my bucket list.

These frozen chocolate covered bananas are the perfect treat to eat while you’re on a TV-watching binge, no matter what show it is.

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Do any kids like coconut? I know I sure didn’t when I was young. Any coconut-related Halloween candy went directly to my parents as soon as I got home from trick-or treating.

But, I now understand coconut’s charm and adore it. Coconut shrimp with creamy sauce is on our menu at least once a month, and frozen chocolate bananas covered with coconut flakes and coconut creme brulee are some of my favorite sweet treats. Shredded coconut is essential in my carrot cake smoothie.

As an adult, I now take advantage of children’s distaste for coconut. Every year at Halloween, I buy a big bag of Almond Joys or Mounds bars “for the trick-or-treaters,” (wink wink nudge nudge) as well as other candy.

In the “before times,” we always passed out candy by holding out the bowl and letting the kids pick which piece they want. Shockingly – at the end of the night, we’re left with a big bowl of Almond Joys. Then I’m forced to eat them. It’s a curse, I tell ya.

This coconut risotto with lime shrimp is my way of making up for those childhood years where I didn’t like coconut. Just like my mushroom and kale risotto and goat cheese risotto, it’s a fun little kitchen project that works well for Sunday dinner.

And it satisfies my coconut craving all year around!

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It’s totally unplanned, but apparently I post a new baked brie recipe every other December on this blog! In 2015, it was my holiday baked brie recipe with mushrooms, pomegranate seeds, and honey. In 2017, it was my baked brie with grapefruit & pistachios.

Since it’s December 2019, it looks like I owe you a new version of baked brie to go along with the rest of your New Year’s Eve finger foods, like individual charcuterie cups and my smoked salmon platter.

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Why I love One Sheet Pan Chicken Apple Curry

People often ask me what I eat for dinner when I don’t have a recipe to develop for a client, or a photo shoot to do that day. More often than not, the answer (especially in the fall and winter) is “whatever I can make in one skillet or on one sheet pan.”

I do SO many dishes for my job throughout the work week that when it comes to dinner time for my husband and I, one pan (plus an apple cider old fashioned) sounds like enough (even though my husband actually enjoys doing dishes, like a weirdo).

While a one sheet pan dinner for us is often just a few chicken thighs, some brussels sprouts and a sweet potato, lately I’ve been experimenting with slightly more exotic (although still simple and still ONE pan) dinners. My Skillet Mac and Cheese is a favorite.

I love this recipe because of the balance of flavors. The savory chicken and curry powder, combined with the sweetness of the Fuji apples and the raisins hits the spot for me. I love this curry topped with a dollop of tangy yogurt and a sprinkle of cashews.

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I guess between some Asian chicken salad I made on Monday, and today’s Thai Curry Potato Soup, this week kind of has an Asian theme around here. This ends up happening to me a lot, even though I don’t plan things like that.

I’ll often have two cocktail recipes in a week, or like, two weeks straight of chicken recipes. Have you noticed? I guess I just make, photograph and post recipes that I’m in the mood for at any given time, and I guess this week it’s all about those Asian flavors!

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I’m back! After a few days struggling with getting everything moved over to WordPress, I’m on my way to a nifty new self-hosted blog. Sure, the old posts still look crazy. Let’s just not talk about that. Let’s live in the here and now. And let’s talk about wok cookin’.

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