As holidays go, New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite parties. I love the glitter, the stupid glasses and hats, and the traditions, but most of all, I love the food. The best holiday fare is snackable, shareable, and often hand-held—all among my favorite food descriptors.
As someone who truly enjoys the vibrant and hectic nature of party hosting, you might be surprised to learn that I have thus far only been an New Year's Eve party guest. (I can’t hog all the big parties, I suppose.) But it’s simply a matter of time—the New Year’s Eve party is my hosting white whale, and when I do make it happen, I’ll be serving a selection of the best delectable treats I've brought along with me to parties past. Here are 15 of my favorites.
A bowl of these crisp and savory mushroom chips simply must make it to your snack table. They’re extremely easy to make—you drain a can of sliced mushrooms, spritz with a touch of oil, and air fry them to a crisp. Mushroom chips are incredibly flavorful, so you can snack on them as-is or use them as tiny chips for dipping. Additionally, they’re completely vegan and gluten-free. Read the full recipe.
Is it weird to dip mushroom chips in mushroom dip? Maybe, but it sounds great to me. This umami-bomb is made by pairing caramelized onions and duxelles (finely chopped mushrooms cooked down to concentrate their flavor). This dip is great with any salty chip or pretzel, and just as pleasing when smeared onto a burger bun. Serve this mushroom duxelles dip warm for easy spreadability.
Let’s face it, all parties need multiple dips, and this one is a French onion dip that’s not weighed down with mayonnaise or sour cream. Silken tofu is the medium, providing an easily dippable texture (whether served hot or cold), and serving as a blank canvas for savory onion flavors. Check out the full recipe.
When providing bites for a crowd, it’s best to keep things simple, small, and packed with flavor. Allow me to introduce these air fryer pork belly bites. A simple dressing of fish sauce, oil, and a few other seasonings coats the tiny pieces before they tumble into the air fryer. The machine takes care of the rest while you set up the confetti horns and 2025 glasses.
Just because hand-held food rules the day doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in one slightly dramatic centerpiece. A meatloaf Wellington is the perfect middle ground between fancy and pure comfort food. You can make matters easier by making my air fryer meatloaf a day ahead and rolling it up in the Wellington components before the party. Here are the detailed instructions.
Give your brie en croûte the Crunchwrap Supreme treatment. It’s a true show stopper, and if you have Taco Bell fans in your midst, well, let’s just say you’ll be a hero. Biting into a slice of this beef and lettuce topped behemoth is the best way to finish 2024.
If you’re looking for a simpler preparation of baked brie, skip the whole baking thing completely, and use the microwave. You don’t have to bother with the puff pastry wrapper or fiddle around with an egg wash: Use the science oven to gently heat the cheese in bursts before you top the wheel with fixings like chopped nuts, honey, or jam.
Ordering pizza on New Year’s Eve is no easy task, at least not in New York City, where any usually reliable delivery place turns into a complete crapshoot. Instead, make your own pizza. Better yet, make a pizza you can’t easily order from anywhere, like a chicken crust pizza. Frankly, it’s way better than it has any right to be.
There’s another oddball pizza that has earned a spot at my New Year’s Eve party table, and it’s the hot dog crust pizza. Not only is this pie really fun to make, it’s ideal for sharing—the crust is a collection of pigs in blankets, for cryin’ out loud! It will be a particular hit with any kids attending your shindig.
For a comforting potato dish with an elegant name, look no further than the tartiflette. While you can make this mound of roasted potatoes and brie small enough for two, you can also double or triple this recipe in a casserole dish to feed a bigger crew of carb lovers.
Requiring only three ingredients and a cast iron skillet, this dish is sure to win the crowd and with the least impact on your wallet. Simply shred boiled potatoes and pack the ribbons into a buttery skillet to brown. Flip over the potato cake and crisp up the other side before serving with plenty of flaky salt. Get all the details here.
Regular pretzels are dry and sad. Seasoned pretzels are robust and lively. The best part is that you barely have to do anything to make a big batch of snackable seasoned pretzels. Grab a powder packet of tangy ranch dip, a little bit of oil, and a bag of mini pretzels to get started. (I must warn you, you’ll be fielding questions all night about what recipe you used to make them, so have this link handy.)
I usually recommend these as an emergency snacking failsafe, but I think they make sense for parties too. The microwave keeps things simple, and using a muffin cup makes for quick cooling and easy single servings. You could whip up a batch of these emergency Rice Krispies Treats 30 minutes before the party and be in great shape.
Ring in the New Year in the absolute sweetest way possible. This is obviously not an original creation: Gooey butter cake emerged from St. Louis, straight out of the pandora’s box of Butter Golden cake mix. It’s sweet, it’s decadent, and a sure conversation starter. I recommend having some hot coffee at the ready to balance it out—between the sugar and the caffeine, everyone will have plenty of energy to make it past midnight.
I have fond memories of childhood New Year's parties at which someone would always serve baked kielbasa slices, skewered on toothpicks, alongside mustard and sauerkraut. This is an upgraded, speedier version of that classic, made extra crispy with the help of crafty scoring and an air fryer.
