32 New Year's Eve Dinner Ideas for Celebrating at Home We've got the recipes for a special meal including entrees that are quick to prepare, sides featuring seasonal produce, and make-ahead desserts Close Credit: Johnny Miller 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 cocktails. After you peruse this collection of recipes, dinner plans will be taken care of! 18 New Year's Eve Cocktails That Are Perfect for Celebrating 01 of 32 Sirloin Steak With Spinach and Onions Credit: Chris Simpson 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. View Recipe 02 of 32 Mushroom Risotto A hearty, plant-based dinner that’s worthy of a celebration. This risotto has double the mushroom flavor from both dried and fresh varieties, and is finished with a generous serving of Parmesan. View Recipe 03 of 32 Martha's Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes Credit: Stephen Kent Johnson 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. View Recipe 04 of 32 Broccolini With Peperoncini Credit: Paola + Murray 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. View Recipe 05 of 32 Baked Chicken Legs With Chickpeas, Olives, and Greens Credit: Courtesy of Johnny Miller 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. View Recipe 06 of 32 Poached Pears With Saffron Whipped Cream Credit: Gentl and Hyers 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. View Recipe 07 of 32 Stacked Butter Lettuce Salad Butter lettuce gets royal treatment with this careful preparation. Each individual leaf is dressed with a ginger-lime-yuzu vinaigrette, atop fresh avocado. View Recipe 08 of 32 Chicken-and-Polenta Puttanesca Melts Credit: Kate Sears 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. View Recipe 09 of 32 Kale-and-Apple Salad Credit: Con Poulos 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. View Recipe 10 of 32 Mile-High Triple-Chocolate-Espresso Mousse Pie Credit: Christopher Testani 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. View Recipe 11 of 32 Walnut-Stuffed Chicken Roulades End the year on a high note with this spectacular chicken recipe. Butterflied chicken is filled and rolled with a mushroom-walnut mixture, then coated in a crispy crumb layer before roasting. View Recipe 12 of 32 Red Wine Pasta Credit: Bryan Gardner 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. View Recipe 13 of 32 Rice Pudding With Sea Salt-Caramel Sauce Credit: Con Poulos 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. View Recipe 14 of 32 Pork Tenderloin With Kale Salad Credit: Con Poulos 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. View Recipe 15 of 32 Drunken Mussels With Chorizo and White Beans Credit: Con Poulos 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. View Recipe 16 of 32 Mini Pistachio Bundts Credit: Marcus Nilsson 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. View Recipe 17 of 32 Sautéed Black Sea Bass With Capers and Herb-Butter Sauce Credit: Ryan Liebe 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. View Recipe 18 of 32 Chicken-and-Gnocchi Bake With Broccolini Credit: Lennart Weibull 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. View Recipe 19 of 32 Herby Shrimp-and-Feta Bake Credit: Johnny Miller 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. View Recipe 20 of 32 Cream-Free Shrimp Alfredo Credit: Chris Simpson 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. View Recipe 21 of 32 Radicchio Salad With Chopped-Lemon Dressing Credit: Justin Walker Radicchio is a wonderful cold-weather green that can add fresh crunch to your table in the middle of winter. Its bitterness is tempered by a lemony vinaigrette. View Recipe 22 of 32 Pepper-Crusted Lamb With Roasted Vegetables Credit: Chris Simpson 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 a red wine pan sauce that brings everything together. View Recipe 23 of 32 Easy Fudge Bites Credit: Alpha Smoot These individual fudge bites are easy to prepare but make a big impact—they're sure to go fast. View Recipe 24 of 32 Persimmon, Beet, and Citrus Salad Credit: Martyn Thompson Persimmons are at their peak in the winter. Pair them with roasted beets and sweet citrus for an unusual and delicious salad. View Recipe 25 of 32 Pork-Meatball Skillet Bake Credit: Justin Walker 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. View Recipe 26 of 32 Pomegranate-Coconut Trifle Credit: Ryan Liebe 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. View Recipe 27 of 32 Skillet Cod With Bulgur, Zucchini, and Tomatoes Credit: Justin Walker See out the year 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. View Recipe 28 of 32 Vinegar-and-Garlic-Braised Chicken Credit: Marcus Nilsson 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. View Recipe 29 of 32 Stuffed Cabbage With Beef and Rice Credit: Marcus Nilsson 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. View Recipe 30 of 32 Turkey-Pesto Meatball Soup Credit: Lennart Weibull 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. View Recipe 31 of 32 Swiss-Chard and Almond Pasta Credit: Chris Simpson 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. View Recipe 32 of 32 Chocolate-Chip Oat-Coconut Skillet Cookie Credit: The Ingalls 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. View Recipe Explore more: Food & Cooking Recipes Holidays & Events New Year's Eve Recipes