It’s New Years night, the time for all your big resolutions and for setting new goals for yourself, with everything that happened in 2020 most of us will spend the craziest night of the year in the comfort of our home with our friends and family, and honestly, we can’t imagine the better way to do so. Beautiful exclusive destinations around the world are great, but being around the people we love in health is everything we wished for the entire year. Now that we have laid out our most comfortable clothes (which are still sexy and fabulous) there’s the matter of menu/food that needs to be discussed. We decided to prepare the dinner by ourselves and here are some inputs that may help you and inspire you.
Rather than hosting a full-on dinner at this year’s NYE party, try making dips, appetizers, and desserts (and, of course, cocktails) instead. It’ll cut down on the mess of forks and knives without sacrificing good eats.
Next-Level Fondue
Is there anything better in life than melted chocolate and cheese? Not if you ask us. This fun, delicious dish is easy to make and so fun to serve, we promise your guest will love it!
Classic Cheese Fondue
INGRIDIENTS
- 1/3 c. shredded Gruyère
- 1/3 c. shredded gouda
- 1/2 c. shredded Fontina
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 1 1/2 c. dry white wine
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For Dipping: Cubed crusty bread, Cherry tomatoes, Sliced apples, Cornichons.
DIRECTIONS: In a bowl, toss cheeses with cornstarch. Rub garlic cloves all over the inside of a saucepan, then discard. Over medium heat, add wine to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add cheese mixture in four batches, whisking constantly and letting cheese melt completely between additions. Add mustard and stir just until fondue begins to bubble about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with bread, cherry tomatoes, apples, and cornichons.
Classic Fondue Chocolate
INGRIDIENTS
- 2 c. whole milk
- 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/3 c. milk chocolate chips
For Dipping: Sliced bananas, Strawberries, Poundcake, Marshmallows, Pretzel rods, Apples, Donats, Waffles
DIRECTIONS: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together milk, cream, vanilla, and salt. When bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Let chocolate sit for 5 minutes undisturbed, then whisk until smooth. Serve with dippers of your choice.
Hot-Crab Dip
Having the hot creamy dip at your New Year’s feast is a must. Our favorite is creamy, cheesy crab dip that will be gone in a matter of seconds. It’s the perfect last-minute dip to throw together with minimal effort and is best served straight out of the oven. Serve with plenty of toasted bread!
INGRIDIENTS
- 2 (8-oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar, divided
- 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan, divided
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco
- 1 tsp. paprika
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb. lump crab meat
- Toasted bread and crackers, for serving
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 cup cheddar, ¼ cup Parmesan, and mayonnaise. Add green onion, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, paprika, and lemon juice and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in crab meat.
Add dip to a medium oven-safe skillet and top with remaining ½ cup cheddar and ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake until bubbly and cheese is melty, about 35 minutes. Top with more green onions and serve warm with bread and crackers.
Champagne Cupcakes
Cupcakes are always a good idea! They are cute, bite-sized and there are a million ways to decorate them. Among all the cupcakes our favorite ones are ….. wait for it (drum rolls in the background)- CHAMPAGNE CUPCAKES. It’s not just because they’re boozy (although we do love that they are). We love them so much because you can make them with just TWO ingredients: cake mix + alcohol.
For the cake mix, we recommend a classic vanilla profile to let the champagne flavor really shine, and definitely do go with vanilla buttercream. And do NOT forget the gold sanding sugar.
INGRIDIENTS
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 1 3/4 c. champagne (or Prosecco), divided
- 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 4 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- Gold sanding sugar, for garnish
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 1 3/4 c. champagne (or Prosecco), divided
- 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 4 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- Gold sanding sugar, for garnish
DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350° and line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, mix cake mix with 1½ cups champagne. Bake according to package directions and let cool completely before frosting.
Meanwhile, make the champagne frosting: In a large bowl, combine butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and remaining ¼ cup champagne. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth. Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with gold sanding sugar. Serve.
