New Year's Eve & New Year's Day Menu (2025)

[lilbopeep]

This is my tentative menu, which may change.

New Year's Eve and Day

Shrimp Cocktail (Medium) and Cocktail Sauce
Spinach Pies - Trader Joe's
Homemade Pigs in a Blanket (cocktail franks and puff pastry)
Pizza Rolls - Store-bought

Salads/Dips:

Kidney & Cannellini Bean Salad
Olive salad
Onion dip
Blue cheese dip
Macaroni Salad
Potato Salad
Salsa
Mushroom Liverwurst Pâté
Bruschetta

Assorted Chips
Toasted sliced Italian Bread

Dessert:

Apple Crumble

Beverage:

Sparkling Cranberry Apple cider
Prosecco

 

[Sass Muffin]

Probably popcorn and iced tea New Year's Eve while watching the ball drop.
Before that nothing planned.

New Year's Day is just another day for me.
Not an occasion to eat celebratory and big.

 

[QSis]

This is my tentative menu, which may change.

New Year's Eve and Day

Shrimp Cocktail (Medium) and Cocktail Sauce
Spinach Pies - Trader Joe's
Homemade Pigs in a Blanket (cocktail franks and puff pastry)
Pizza Rolls - Store-bought

Salads/Dips:

Kidney & Cannellini Bean Salad
Olive salad
Onion dip
Blue cheese dip
Macaroni Salad
Potato Salad
Salsa
Mushroom Liverwurst Pâté
Bruschetta

Assorted Chips
Toasted sliced Italian Bread

Dessert:

Apple Crumble

Beverage:

Sparkling Cranberry Apple cider
Prosecco

My kind of menu!

I will be making a few snacks for two of my friends (Kathy and Babs) and I, early in the evening over cocktails. They each live 2 doors away from me (I'm in the middle), so no driving. None of us will be awake for the ball drop.

Lee

 

[lilbopeep]

 

[Sass Muffin]

 

[QSis]

Had the girls over for appetizers and cocktails tonight. I did have a martini.

They had shrimp cocktails for them. I also served a ring of cocktail sausage with Dijon, and in my stepmother's antique Lazy Susan were storebought tempura shrimp with my soy ginger sauce, truffle jack cheese and crackers, crispy pea snacks (Kathy loves them), and my family's Cheese 'n Shits on pumpernickel and rye party breads.

Then we opened a bottle of prosecco that Babs brought over last year and it's been in my fridge ever since. Delicious!

America's Funniest Videos in the background of our talking. A great evening!

Happy New Year, all!

Lee

 

[Kathleen]

I got a Jamon Iberico leg for pennies on the pound. Am having a bit of it tonight with cheese and fruit. Mance is sad that he is not getting a big plate...but just with the ham.

We will have a lot of leftovers, so 2026 may bring to you lots of items made with left over Jamon!

 

[QSis]

Wow, what a beautiful cat! Ham is nice, too, lol!

Lee

 

[Kathleen]

@QSis He is a love-bug too. The girls weigh a bit over 9 lbs. Mance weighs 16lbs. He is so laid back unless he thinks something or someone is troubling his sisters.

 

[elenafj]

This is my tentative menu, which may change.

New Year's Eve and Day

Shrimp Cocktail (Medium) and Cocktail Sauce
Spinach Pies - Trader Joe's
Homemade Pigs in a Blanket (cocktail franks and puff pastry)
Pizza Rolls - Store-bought

Salads/Dips:

Kidney & Cannellini Bean Salad
Olive salad
Onion dip
Blue cheese dip
Macaroni Salad
Potato Salad
Salsa
Mushroom Liverwurst Pâté
Bruschetta

Assorted Chips
Toasted sliced Italian Bread

Dessert:

Apple Crumble

Beverage:

Sparkling Cranberry Apple cider
Prosecco

That sounds like a really fun and relaxed spread, perfect for New Year’s without feeling overly fussy. I like that you’ve got a good mix of store-bought and homemade items, it takes a lot of pressure off hosting. The variety of dips and salads works well for grazing, and having both shrimp cocktail and pigs in a blanket gives you something for everyone. Toasted Italian bread ties a lot of those dips together nicely. Apple crumble is a great choice too, comforting but still festive, especially with Prosecco or the sparkling cider. Overall it feels balanced, flexible, and easy for guests to enjoy at their own pace.

 

[elenafj]

That sounds like a really fun and relaxed spread, perfect for New Year’s without feeling overly fussy. I like that you’ve got a good mix of store-bought and homemade items, it takes a lot of pressure off hosting. The variety of dips and salads works well for grazing, and having both shrimp cocktail and pigs in a blanket gives you something for everyone. Toasted Italian bread ties a lot of those dips together nicely. Apple crumble is a great choice too, comforting but still festive, especially with Prosecco or the sparkling cider. Overall it feels balanced, flexible, and easy for guests to enjoy at their own pace.

It also leaves you free to actually enjoy the evening instead of being stuck in the kitchen, which is half the battle on New Year’s. A spread like this lets people come back for seconds or just nibble while chatting, and nothing feels too heavy. The mix of fresh, salty, and crunchy elements keeps it interesting Website without overthinking it. Plus, most of it can be prepped ahead, so once guests arrive it’s really just about topping up and pouring drinks. That’s exactly the kind of low-stress setup that makes a long night feel effortless and fun.