New Year’s Appetizers

Get the party off to a great start with delicious New Year’s appetizers for your guests. Treat them to some cocktail meatballs or try a simple appetizer such as cheese and crackers. Think outside of the box and make spiced pecans or even blue cheese crostini!

Try these fabulous appetizers for New Year’s:

Cocktail Meatballs

Cook up some hot and spicy cocktail meatballs, or tone it down a bit and make a sweet and sour version. Make it easy on yourself and cook and serve the meatballs straight from the crock pot.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1 chopped scallion bunch
• 1 minced carrot
• 1 minced shallot
• 1 piece of minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Form small meatballs and brown in skillet over medium heat.
3. Add a cup of chicken stock and a dash of sesame oil and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Serve with teriyaki sauce. 

Cheese Platter

Create a simple display of cheese and crackers for New Year appetizers. Offer a variety of different cheeses with different flavors and textures. Include crackers such as traditional wheat and sea salt. Here are some really wonderful cheeses to set out that will please everyone:

• Soft cheeses: gouda, brie, gruyere, camembert
• Classic cheeses: sharp cheddar, asiago, provolone, boccacini
• Unique cheeses: marinated feta, goat's milk gouda, herbed soft cheese, stilton
• Include an assortment of accompanying tastes like grapes, pear, nuts, fig spread and dried berries

Spiced Pecans

Serve spiced pecans, seasoned with sweet brown sugar. Place the pecans in a bowl with a decorative spoon for serving.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pecan halves
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Place pecans, butter and red pepper in a large skillet.
2. Cook over medium heat until slightly browned.
3. Place in a bowl and toss with sugar, cinnamon and salt. Serve warm.

Almond Bacon Cheese Crostini

Make mouth-watering almond bacon cheese crostini as one of your New Year’s Eve appetizer recipes to impress your guests. Check out the recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 1lb French bread baguette (cut into 36 slices)
• 2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
• ⅔ cup of mayonnaise
• ½ cup sliced, toasted almonds
• 6 cooked bacon strips (crumbled)
• 1 chopped green onion
• Dash of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Put the baguette slices on an ungreased baking sheet.
3. Bake the bread for 8 minutes.
4. While the bread is cooking, combine the cheese, mayonnaise, almonds, bacon, onion, and salt. Mix well.
5. Spread the mixture over bread, and bake it for an additional 8 minutes or until you see melted cheese.
6. Serve warm to your guests!

Blue Cheese and Fig Crostini

Another spin on the costini concept! Offer a simple blue cheese crostini with an accent of fig on the top for New Year’s Eve appetizers. Use blue cheese, goat cheese, and cream cheese, all mixed together, to spread on the crostini. Top the spread with a small dollop of fig paste.

Try a variety of New Year’s appetizer recipes in order to suit all of your guests. Set up a station with the appetizers for New Year’s Eve, or hire a local caterer to create a delicious custom menu for the occasion!

Start to plan your own celebration with one of our free New Year’s Eve party invitations!