While the vast majority of us have been enjoying two glorious work-free weeks over the holiday seasons, those tasked with hosting New Year's Eve parties are scrambling to ensure they can feed their guests. While NYE is less formal than Christmas dinner (no ham, thank god), there's still pressure to throw a suitably glamorous party so you can ring in the new year in style. If you're hosting a party and don't know what to feed your guests, don't worry—we've got you.
The best thing about New Year's Eve is the lack of organized dinner. Sure, you probably place a massive order for pizza or Chinese and distribute it on paper plates. However, there's no pressure for everyone to sit down with a knife and fork at the same time.
Grazing Guidelines
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Generally, people will eat whatever you put in front of them. Grazing is all about bringing together a lot of little bites. Your guests will be able to sample a whole assortment of apps without filling up before dinner.
Grazing is also important for New Year's Eve parties as there is a lot of time spent standing around before the ball drops. Even if you get there at 10, you're still in for a couple hours of socializing before the most exciting minute of the year. You want your apps to be portable and neat—the last thing you want is to be cleaning crumbs out of your sofa crease for the next year.
With all those guidelines out of the way, let's get into some appetizers that are quick to prepare, easy to eat without mess, and so delicious that the plate will be empty before you can believe it. For convenience's sake, we're going to divide these apps into two categories: dips and little bites. Let's start with dips.
Dips
Masaaki Komori from Tokyo, JAPAN on Wikimedia
You truly cannot go wrong with dips. Everyone loves a spinach-artichoke dip, and buffalo chicken dip is a mainstay at Super Bowl parties. However, there's nothing wrong with veering away from the classics and dipping into something new.
If you're not having pizza for your main course, consider serving pizza dip instead! This multi-layered dip of cheese, pizza sauce, and pepperoni is perfect for sharing. It's shockingly easy to make, and you can customize the recipe to mimic any pizza of your choosing—we'd just steer clear of pineapple.
For a slightly more fancy dip, check out bagna càuda, a hot dip from the north of Italy. This "warm bath" of garlic and anchovies is traditionally served with both veggies and bread. Not only is bagna càuda pungent and warming (two things you want during the colder months), but it's a traditional holiday dish!
One thing about heavier dips is that they need a strong chip to support them. A potato chip may be fine for ranch or guac, but it will snap in the process of scooping up a hearty dip. Pita chips, mini naans, or particularly strong tortillas will do the job.
Little Bites
Let's move on to little bites. For this section, we have categories within categories: party classics, and new faves. Party classics need no introduction, while new faves are sure to open your guests to new culinary worlds.
Party classics include pigs in a blanket, shrimp cocktail, and deviled eggs. These are beloved for a reason, and you can guarantee that you won't any leftovers. These apps are simple, but can easily be dressed up. For example, you could pickle your eggs before deviling them for a purple hue, or play around with the spices, swapping typical paprika for harissa or curry powder!
When thinking up new faves to serve at a party, the world is your oyster. Onigiri, or filled Japanese rice balls, have been gaining popularity in the western world. Enlisting kids in assembling them will give them something fun to do while your other half hangs party decorations.
Another option for a new fave is antipasto skewers. If you've heard of antipasto but don't know what the name means, you can think of it as similar to charcuterie with less focus on cured meats and more marinated vegetables. As for the skewering, you can either assemble skewers yourself, or leave them out for guests to create their own!
We hope you've found these tips and tricks helpful in hosting your upcoming New Year's Eve party. Happy holidays!
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