New Year’s Eve Dinner: Menu & Recipes

As if there wasn’t enough to look forward to this New Year’s Eve – the friends, the festivities, the champagne cocktails – how about adding a celebratory dinner to the mix? From the appetizer to the dessert, we’ve gone ahead and put together a dependable New Year’s Eve dinner menu that’ll take guests through the ultimate dining experience.

New Year’s Eve Menu

Though it’s customary to enjoy black-eyed peas for your New Year’s dinner, there aren’t as many traditional New Year’s Eve dinner dishes, which means you have the freedom to serve whatever you want. Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or a large event, let us help plan your evening with a collection of hand-selected recipes. Including dishes for every course, plus a signature drink, this festive – and surprisingly simple – menu will take the party through a celebration of fun and flavor.

New Year’s Eve Appetizer: Oven Roasted Rosemary Garlic Beef Tenderloin

This year, skip the boring New Year’s Eve finger foods and try something a little more elegant, like these oven-roasted bites of crunchy, juicy deliciousness.

Note: Beef tenderloin portions can be calculated at 4 raw ounces per person. The cooked weight will be 3 ounces of beef per person. One pound of tenderloin should serve 4 people.

Serves: 8
Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (2 lbs.) beef tenderloin, trimmed
• Coarse salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1½ Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1½ loaves French baguette, sliced ¼” thin
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 cups Kroger Brand Beef Stock
• 2 Tbsp. Simple Truth Organic™ Rosemary, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Season tenderloin generously with salt and pepper; let rest at room temperature 1 hour. Tie with butcher’s twine if tenderloin is falling apart or tail will not stay tucked underneath.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat large, oven-safe sauté pan over high. Add vegetable oil. Sear tenderloin on all sides until golden brown. If needed, add more oil to prevent sticking.
3. Transfer pan to oven; let roast until a meat thermometer registers 125°F for medium rare, approximately 15 minutes per pound. Remove from oven and carefully transfer the tenderloin to a platter or rimmed baking sheet. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let beef rest 10 minutes before slicing.
4. Brush baguette slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Place on baking sheet; bake 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from baking pan and reserve.
5. Deglaze roasting pan with beef stock, on high, scraping until all of the fond has been incorporated. Add rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper; simmer 5 minutes to let flavors meld. Serve hot with thinly sliced tenderloin and crostini.

New Year’s Eve Main Dish: Olive Oil Oven-Poached Scallops

Poaching your scallops in the oven helps to keep the heat level moderate, reducing the risk of over cooking. Try dipping crusty bread in the flavorful olive oil, or drizzle it over cauliflower rice for a delicious, lower carb meal.

Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 16 ounces wild caught sea scallops, thawed if frozen and side muscles removed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained
• 1⁄2 cup Simple Truth Organic™ Pitted Green Olives
• 3⁄4 cup Simple Truth Organic™ Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Slice half the lemon into thin rounds; arrange in bottom of 2-quart baking dish or pan. Top with thinly sliced garlic.
3. Season scallops with salt and red pepper flakes; arrange in single layer over lemon and garlic.
4. Scatter artichoke hearts and olives around pan. Top with olive oil and juice from remaining half lemon.
5. Bake 18-24 minutes or until scallops just turn opaque.
6. Refrigerate leftovers.

New Year’s Eve Side Dish: Truffled Macaroni and Cheese

A trio of cheeses and a dash of truffle oil transform macaroni and cheese from a basic pasta dish to a dinner party-worthy side.

Serves: 12
Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 slices white bread, crust removed and cut into ½” cubes
• 8 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 clove garlic, grated or finely minced
• 2 tsp. salt, divided
• 16 oz. Private Selection™ Italian Cavatappi Pasta
• 5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 5 cups whole milk
• 16 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
• 8 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 2 oz. Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbsp. Private Selection™ White Truffle Infused Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter or spray 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.
2. Toss bread cubes with 2 tablespoons melted butter, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
3. Cook pasta 2 minutes short of package instructions. Drain and rinse with cool water; set aside.
4. In 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour, mustard, 1½ teaspoons salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until flour smells toasted and is pale blonde in color.
5. Slowly add milk while whisking constantly until smooth. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes or until mixture thickens enough to thinly coat back of a spoon.
6. Remove from heat. Add 12 ounces cheddar cheese and Gruyère; stir until melted and smooth. Stir in truffle oil.
7. Add pasta to cheese sauce; stir gently to coat. Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 4 ounces cheddar cheese and Parmesan. Top with butter bread cubes.
8. Bake 35-45 minutes, until bubbly and starting to brown.
9. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

New Year’s Eve Dessert: Champagne Cream Mini Trifles

Using premade angel food cake and instant pudding keeps this dessert quick and easy without compromising on flavor.

Serves: 8
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 box (3.5 oz.) Kroger Brand Vanilla Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
• 2 cups cold milk
• ½ cup whipping cream, chilled
• 3 Tbsp. sweet champagne or sparkling wine
• Pink food coloring
• 2 cups angel food cake, cut into cubes
• 4 oz. white chocolate, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh strawberries, chopped
• 4 tsp. chocolate syrup
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Directions:

1. Using cold milk, prepare pudding according to package directions. Reserve 1¼ cups prepared pudding for trifles. Refrigerate remaining pudding for later use.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together cream, champagne and a small amount of food coloring on high speed 1-2 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
3. In 8 mini, wide-mouthed jars, spoon about 1 teaspoon pudding to cover bottom. Top with 2 tablespoons cake cubes, 1 tablespoon pudding, ½-1 teaspoon chopped white chocolate and 2 tablespoons whipped cream. Repeat layers. Top each with remaining white chocolate and garnish with strawberries, chocolate syrup and mint.

New Year’s Eve Cocktail: Pomegranate French 75

Every party should have a signature drink. Here, a homemade simple syrup and pomegranate juice add a sweet twist to this French 75.

Serves: 4
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup gin
• ½ cup pomegranate juice
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1½ cups champagne
• 2 Tbsp. pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Directions:

1. In small pot over high heat, bring water to boil. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. In large cocktail shaker with ice, combine simple syrup, gin, pomegranate juice and lemon juice.
3. Shake cocktail mixture; strain into 4 glasses. Top each with champagne. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

For more New Year’s Eve dinner ideas or decoration inspiration, check out our New Year’s Eve Party Tips or head over to our New Year’s Shop for all-things NYE.