Make your New Year's Eve at home special by cooking a delicious meal for family and friends—it's the last dinner of the year and should be fantastic. We’ve got a lot of New Year's Eve dinner ideas for meals for a small group that are celebratory but also easy on the cook, like one-pot entrées and dishes that need little tending, quick yet luxurious pastas, and sublime fish dishes. There are also make-ahead desserts for a grand finale. So chill some bubbly and line up your co*cktails—after you peruse this collection of recipes, dinner plans will be taken care of!
20 New Year's Eve co*cktails That Are Perfect for Celebrating
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Sirloin Steak With Spinach and Onions
Steak is the star here. We love this dinner for the steak and because it’s worthy of an occasion but also easy to cook. It’s all made in one pan and is on the table in just 40 minutes.
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Barley Risotto With Mushrooms and Dill
A hearty, plant-based dinner that’s worthy of a celebration. This risotto uses pearled barley in place of the usual rice and a mix of mushrooms such as shiitake, oyster, and beech. Make it vegetarian by using vegetable stock in place of chicken.
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Martha's Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes
Finish your New Year's Eve dinner with these individual chocolate pudding cakes served warm from the oven. You can make them a day ahead and refrigerate. Then, bake them when you sit down to dinner, and they'll be ready at dessert time.
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Broccolini With Peperoncini
Looking for an elegant side dish for your New Year's Eve celebration? Try this simple recipe in which broccolini is sautéed with thinly sliced garlic, dried chiles, and lemon.
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Baked Chicken Legs With Chickpeas, Olives, and Greens
An easy one-pot dinner means minimal clean-up, just what you need on New Year's Eve. Even better, this hearty meal bakes in the oven, so it doesn't need tending. It's a marvelous marriage of flavors, including Aleppo pepper, chickpeas, olives, hearty greens like spinach or kale, and thyme, coriander, and orange.
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Poached Pears With Saffron Whipped Cream
Elegant, delicious, and luxurious, these poached pears are cooked with the zest and juice of an orange, cinnamon, saffron, and vanilla bean. They're served with a saffron whipped cream for a decadent finishing touch.
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Butter-Lettuce Salad With Buttermilk and Herbs
Dress up butter lettuce with fresh herbs and fennel fronds in this easy salad that's worthy of a special occasion. The greens are tossed with a creamy dressing made from buttermilk, crème fraîche, and lemon juice.
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Chicken-and-Polenta Puttanesca Melts
Welcome the New Year with this cozy main course that comes together in under half an hour. Seared chicken cutlets nestle in a skillet with polenta, marinara sauce, and plenty of mozzarella cheese.
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Kale-and-Apple Salad
Use hearty greens like kale in this winter salad. Thinly sliced apple, celery, celery leaves, and Parmesan cheese garnish the leaves along with a classic Dijon vinaigrette.
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Mile-High Triple-Chocolate-Espresso Mousse Pie
This showstopping dessert has three layers of chocolate. There's a chocolate wafer cookie crust, a bittersweet chocolate mousse, and a milk chocolate mousse. It's topped off with espresso whipped cream that perfectly complements the chocolate. And, you can make this stunner a day ahead and refrigerate until the party starts.
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Roasted Chicken Breasts With Grape Stuffing
End 2023 on a high note with this spectacular chicken recipe. Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts are served with a hearty stuffing made with ciabatta, grapes, and plenty of herbs.
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Red Wine Pasta
If you're serving pasta for New Year's Eve, may we suggest this party-ready version? Spaghetti is twirled in a flavorful sauce made from red wine, pancetta, shallots, garlic, and Pecorino Romano.
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Rice Pudding With Sea Salt-Caramel Sauce
A haute take on a humble, comforting dessert that's not to be missed. Our rice pudding is made with short-grain rice, which is starchy and makes the pudding even creamier. And that sea-salt caramel sauce is divine.
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Pork Tenderloin With Kale Salad
Colorful and festive, this healthy meal pairs baked pork loin with kale, quinoa, and roasted sweet potatoes (which cook alongside the meat). And, it's ready in less than an hour.
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Drunken Mussels With Chorizo and White Beans
Mussels cooked in white wine is a bistro favorite that's quick and easy to make and also a little different from your usual dinner at home. Our recipe has a Spanish accent, with chorizo and white beans bringing extra flavor and heft to the table.
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Mini Pistachio Bundts
Serving individual desserts is a fun way to make your New Year's Eve dinner feel fancy. These mini bundt cakes are just the thing; they're moist and fragrant with pistachios and orange-flower water.
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Sautéed Black Sea Bass With Capers and Herb-Butter Sauce
We've dressed up buttery, flaky sea bass for the holiday with vermouth, capers, butter, and plenty of tender herbs. It's a 25-minute entree that looks and tastes like restaurant fare.
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Chicken-and-Gnocchi Bake With Broccolini
Cozy up with this baked pasta dish on New Year's Eve. It makes use of easy ingredients, including store-bought gnocchi, rotisserie chicken, and chicken broth for a simple, satisfying meal that feels special.
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Herby Shrimp-and-Feta Bake
This Mediterranean-inspired seafood recipe is another simple but spectacular dish that's just right for New Year's Eve. Shrimp are tossed in a herb mixture made with lemon zest, saffron, garlic, fresh parsley, and oregano. Then they're baked low and slow with plenty of olive oil and feta cheese.
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Cream-Free Shrimp Alfredo
This celebratory shrimp pasta tastes indulgent but isn't too rich. There's no heavy cream needed for this take on Alfredo. Instead, the sauce is made with an egg yolk, starchy pasta water, butter, and Parmesan cheese.
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Bitter Greens With Anchovies and Breadcrumbs
Bitter greens like escarole and dandelion, plus avocado, shaved celery, and fennel, bring bright green color to this superb salad that's healthy, refreshing, and crunchy. Just what you need on New Year's Eve.
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Pepper-Crusted Lamb With Roasted Vegetables
A bistro-style entrée that's easy to make at home using supermarket ingredients. The meat is seared on the stovetop, then finished in the oven—where those irresistible roast potatoes and broccolini are cooking. There's red wine pan sauce that brings everything together.
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Easy Fudge Bites
These individual fudge bites are easy to prepare but make a big impact—they're sure to go fast.
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Persimmons and Roasted Chicories With Shallot Vinaigrette
Persimmons are at their peak in the winter. Pair them with mixed chicories such as endive or radicchio for a seasonal side that will shine on New Year's Eve.
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Pork-Meatball Skillet Bake
This one-pan dinner can serve as an appetizer or main course for a small New Year's Eve gathering. The meatballs are quick to make with ground pork, crushed fennel seeds, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. They're seared in a cast-iron skillet, then finish cooking on the stovetop in marinara sauce with bell peppers. Slices of Italian bread are tucked into the skillet and everything is topped with mozzarella cheese before it takes a quick trip under the broiler.
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Pomegranate-Coconut Trifle
This magnificent trifle is sure to delight. Pomegranates are at their peak in winter, and their unique flavor and color shine in this make-ahead dessert. Whipped cream and toasted coconut are just the right festive, finishing touches.
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Skillet Cod With Bulgur, Zucchini, and Tomatoes
See out 2023 with this healthy, nourishing meal that comes together in just 45 minutes. Cod is sprinkled with harissa seasoning and cooks along with bulgur, tomatoes, and sautéed zucchini for a delicious one-pan dinner.
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Vinegar-and-Garlic-Braised Chicken
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks braise in a combination of rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and bay leaves for a flavor-packed main course.
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Stuffed Cabbage With Beef and Rice
For a hearty main course for New Year's Eve, it's hard to beat stuffed cabbage. Green cabbage is filled with a combination of long-grain white rice and ground beef chuck and cooked in an easy tomato sauce. Swap the beef for ground pork for an equally delicious dinner.
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Turkey-Pesto Meatball Soup
Cozy up with a bowl of this flavorful soup made with homemade basil-garlic pesto and turkey meatballs. You can make the meatball base in advance to streamline the prep on New Year's Eve.
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Swiss-Chard and Almond Pasta
A colorful vegetarian pasta that makes a delicious New Year's Eve dinner. Rainbow Swiss chard takes center stage with almonds and lots of Pecorino Romano playing supporting roles.
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Chocolate-Chip Oat-Coconut Skillet Cookie
A giant gooey chocolate-chip cookie is a dessert everyone will want to dig into. Adding oats and coconut to this classic only makes it better. Served warm—with ice cream on top, of course.
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Radicchio Salad With Chopped-Lemon Dressing
The bold flavor and brilliant color of radicchio is highlighted by a simple lemon-mustard vinaigrette that's packed with fresh mint leaves. It's a zesty salad that's one of our favorites.
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