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 used to be a restaurant chain here in the Midwest called Max & Erma’s that had delicious chicken tortilla soup. It was creamy, lightly spicy and so comforting on a cold day.

Sadly, I think the chain mostly went out of business a few years ago, and the only one still around is at the airport, I think.

This Crockpot Taco Soup is inspired by, but quite a bit different than that restaurant soup. My version is a little lighter (less creamy) and uses ground beef instead of chicken.

Unlike many other crock pot soup recipes out there, this one doesn’t just have a dull, one-note flavor. Deeply browned ground beef, tomatoes, two types of beans, green chiles and lots of seasoning give this soup layers of comforting flavor.

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Melomakarona Recipe

I originally discovered these Greek cookies while completing a practical exam in culinary school, where I had to prepare a meal of traditional Greek foods.

The melomakarona cookies I made for dessert ended up being absolutely delicious, and I couldn’t wait to make them again.

With love, I have refined my recipe for years ever since, resulting in the soft spiced cookies bathed in honey syrup and sprinkled with walnuts that you’ll find in this post.

Not only do the warm Mediterranean flavors instantly put me in a Christmas spirit, but because these cookies stay fresh up to two weeks, I actually CAN start my holiday baking by making them earlier in the month!

“Oh, my goodness! Made these cookies to bring to my daughter’s for Christmas. I waited patiently to do the “taste test” and it was worth the wait! They are delicious and taste just like the ones I’ve been buying at the annual Greek festival close to home for years. Thank you so much!”

—Connie

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The perfect salad for Christmas Dinner

No matter what your entree is for Christmas dinner, I’m willing to be that this Christmas Salad will go with it.

It’s a combination of peppery arugula and crisp radicchio, topped with juicy oranges, creamy goat cheese, cinnamon roasted almonds and beautiful pomegranate seeds.

But the thing that sets this salad apart is the zesty orange dressing. It’s creamy but not too creamy, filled with the flavor of fresh orange juice, sweetened with a bit of honey, and made a bit tangy by white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard.

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Spritz Cookie Recipe

For years, I would see Spritz Cookies on cookie trays and think there was simply no way I would ever be able to make those myself. Too fussy, too much chance of failure, I thought.

But, in a moment of fearlessness a few years ago, I bought a cookie press and tried my hand at it using another recipe. The cookies ended up turning out fine, but there were a lot of missing details I wish I had known, since it was my first time making them.

I’m here today to walk you through how to make spritz cookies, from the viewpoint of a spritz cookie novice. Along the way, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about each step of the process so that you succeed at these cookies the first time you ever make them.

What are Spritz Cookies?

Spritz cookies are delicate, buttery little treats that are often the prettiest part of a cookie tin or platter. Their distinctive shapes and melt-in-your-mouth texture make them a favorite for Christmas.

The name “spritz” comes from German word “spritzen,” meaning to squirt or spray, which describes how these cookies are made using a cookie press or piping bag.

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Classic Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

My family’s classic Midwestern sour cream sugar cookie recipe got such a nice response on social media, that I’m back today sharing our thumbprint cookie recipe!

This recipe combines a salty nutty cookie with sweet jam, and it uses a special technique of baking the cookies for a bit first before making the thumbprints, which helps prevent the cookies from cracking quite so much.

What are Thumbprint Cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are a classic in the baking world, especially around Christmas!

The unique feature of these cookies is the indentation created by pressing your thumb into the center, which provides the perfect well for a delicious filling.

Types of Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies come in various flavors and with different fillings. Sometimes, they are made with a simple sugar cookie dough, and sometimes they are nutty.

The fillings can range from jams and preserves to chocolate, caramel or even something like Nutella. My mom actually fills hers with frosting!

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BEST Prime Rib Rub

My family doesn’t have a certain meal we eat every Christmas, but often enough, it’s prime rib. Otherwise known as a standing rib roast, it can be intimidating for a home cook to execute.

So let’s just start at the beginning. The first step to achieve a beautifully seasoned prime rib that will leave your guests impressed is a really great Prime Rib Rub.

A rub made with simple ingredients like rosemary, thyme, garlic and shallots creates a deeply flavorful and crispy crust on the meat, making it a memorable meal every single time.

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Nothing says “Holiday Season” like Chocolate Peppermint

In terms of flavor combinations, chocolate and peppermint is right up there with peanut butter and jelly, and tomatoes and basil. And chocolate and peppermint tastes BEST during the holiday season. It’s a fact.

This Chocolate Peppermint Cookies recipe has been developed using both cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate for the richest, deepest chocolate flavor. And, these cookies have a just-slight-underbaked chewy texture, so they almost eat like a brownie!

They also have both peppermint extract and crushed peppermint candy, so I guess you can say they’re double chocolate and double peppermint cookies!

These cookies are dedicated to the true lovers of the combination of chocolate and peppermint, but I think just about everybody will end up loving them!

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This is the best Sugar Cookie Recipe with Sour Cream

This is probably the most personal recipe on this blog – my family’s Christmas cookie recipe!

My mom got this recipe for Sour Cream Cookies from my grandma, who got it from a coworker, who probably got it from a local newspaper here in the Midwest.

What makes it so special? Two things – flavor and texture. The flavor largely comes from a generous spoonful of nutmeg. While most sugar cookie cutouts have very little flavor other than sugary dough, these ones have a subtle spice flavor.

And the sour cream keeps them extremely soft. They even stay soft for at least a week after they’re baked – an impressive feat for a sugar cookie.

My mom generously helped me translate our family recipe into a foolproof written version, and even helped me make the cookies for this post (those are her hands rolling out the dough in the step-by-step photos below).

What does sour cream do in baking?

Sour cream is magic! It serves several functions in baked goods such as these sour cream sugar cookies:

• Moisture Booster. Sour cream adds extra moisture to the cookie dough, ensuring a soft and tender final product.
• Flavor Enhancer. The subtle tang of the sour cream complements the sweetness of the other ingredients.
• Leavening Agent. The acidity of the sour cream reacts with the baking soda, resulting in a light and airy cookie.

“I had lost my grandma’s recipe last year in a house fire, so one of those small things that hit me when trying to make that holiday cheer. THANKFULLY I found this recipe and it will now be our family traditional Christmas cookie. Husband wasn’t a fan of grandma’s recipe but said I should receive a cookie award for these. Kids loved decorating them. Sturdy enough for little hands to grab, soft and chewy, subtle nutmeg flavor and holds details of cookie cutters very well.”

—Kris

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Air Fried Brussel Sprouts

Have you seen that meme about how everybody hated Brussels sprouts in the 80’s and 90’s because they didn’t have the same marketing person they have now? Back then, they were steamed and bland, but now they’re fried and flavorful!

The Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts I’m sharing today have the NEW marketing person, but with the healthful twist of air frying rather than deep frying.

Because we all know that a boiled or steamed sprout just can’t compare to a crispy one. It’s all about that deep golden brown deliciousness, and your air fryer can get it done!

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