< Back to Main Blog Posted: Oct 2024

New Year’s Eve Menu Ideas

They say you should start as you mean to go on, and what better way to kick off a new year than with a night of feasting with family and friends. To get you off the starting blocks, we’ve pulled together a suggestion for a New Year’s Eve menu, perfect if you’re thinking of having a really special sit-down meal.

The last thing you want is to be toiling away for hours in the kitchen, so we’ve adopted a divide and conquer approach: you do a bit, we do a bit, and together we’ll pull off a feast.

Cocktail

Winter Fruit Bramble

We don’t know about you, but there’s only so much mulled wine we can drink over the festive season. If you’re feeling like it’s time for the hot plonk to step aside, try this refreshing Winter Fruit Bramble. It’s a quick and easy New Years menu idea - to prepare and consume – and when you think it’s time for a booze-free alternative, just replace the gin with fizzy water.

Method:

• Muddle a few blackberries

• Add 50ml gin, 25ml lemon juice and 25ml sugar syrup

• Fill the glass with ice

• Give it a good mix

• Top with crushed ice

• Garnish with lemon and rosemary

Nibbles

Effortless and appetising Greek Layer Dip

This takes about 2 minutes to pull together – really quick and easy. It also happens to look and taste delicious. It’s a keeper, and the perfect addition to any New Years Eve menu; whether you’re hosting a party or keeping it cosy, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients: serves 4

• 1 pot of hummus

• 1 pot of tzatziki

• ½ diced cucumber

• Handful of Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

• Handful of sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped

• ¼ block of crumbled feta cheese

• Sprinkling of toasted pine nuts

• Zaatar spice

• Fresh parsley and dill, roughly chopped

• Sprinkling of pomegranate seeds

• Toasted pitta bread to serve

Method:

On a medium sized plate, spoon out the hummus in a circle. Then spread the tzatziki in the same shape on top.

Sprinkle over the rest of the ingredients, garnish with the fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serve with warmed pitta bread to dip with.

Starter

Baked pears with gorgonzola, honey and walnuts

A tasty and unique starter for your New Years menu - perfectly balancing sweet and savoury, each bite is packed with flavour and feels special for any occasion. It’s a nice and easy New Years Eve starter to pull off, but also looks impressive on the table in front of guests.

Ingredients: serves 4

• 4 ripe pears

• 2 tbsp runny honey

• 8 tsp gorgonzola

• 8 walnut halves

• 8 sprigs of fresh thyme

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Halve your pears (top to bottom) and scoop out the seeds. Place them face up on a baking tray, place the thyme sprigs on top then drizzle with honey. Bake for about 10 mins.

Take them out of the oven, dollop a tsp of gorgonzola into each pear boat and pop back in the oven for another 5 or so mins.

Just before serving, garnish with walnuts and another drizzle of honey.

Main course

Beef Wellington: serves 2 or 6  (The perfect Beef Wellington)

Portobello Mushroom Wellington: serves 2

Dauphinoise Potatoes: serves 1, 2 or 6

Braised Red Cabbage: serves 2 or 4

Peas & Leeks with a Lemon & Herb Butter: serves 1 or 2

Pudding:

Our Chocolate and Raspberry Bombe (serves 8-10) is great if you’re looking for a New Years dinner menu idea and everything seems a bit too much of a hassle.

Don’t forget that this pud needs to be defrosted in the fridge for 11-12 hours or at room temp for 7-8 hours. You’ll want to take the bombe out of the packaging and place it on a serving dish whilst it’s still frozen. It’s much easier to handle. You’ll love the next bit … we suggest that once it’s thawed, you eat it as soon as possible. There we go … permission to indulge! Decorate with a few indoor sparklers if you like.

Feeling full yet?! If you’ve got too many bottoms to seat, and you’re thinking more drinks party than dinner party, check out our Party Food Ideas blog here.

< Back to Main Blog Posted: Oct 2024