Last-minute recipes for enjoying inside or out on New Year’s Eve

Still looking for some easy and tasty recipes — emphasis on the easy — to entertain family and friends on New Year’s Eve? Try some of these out and let us know how much your crowd liked them.

Appetizers

Garlic Baguette Chips (recipe courtesy of Dale Peacock)

Ingredients:

1 small baguette sliced thinly – 1/8” or so…slice as thinly as possible.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic or onion powder
Salt to taste after cooking
(You may need to make double of this mixture depending on the size of the baguette)

Directions:

1. Slice baguette in thin slices.
2. Combine the olive oil and garlic powder and mix well.
3. Place slices (if you want on parchment paper) on a cookie sheet side by side and touching to maximize space.
4. Brush oil mixture on each slice of baguette, stirring the mixture between brushings to maintain an even flavour.
5. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Sprinkle lightly with salt while still hot.
7. Store in an air-tight container.
8. Serve with red pepper jelly or guacamole or hummus for dipping.

Bacon Wraps (recipe by theartofdoingstuff.com), makes 60 pieces

Bacon Wraps (Photo: theartofdoingstuff.com)

One of Doppler’s writers made these as an appetizer over the Christmas holidays to a chorus of OMGs from guests.

The author of the blog, Karen Bertelsen, notes that, 1. the mix of ingredients sound horrifying (don’t let that stop you) and, 2. when people try them they will ask for the recipe (true).

Ingredients:

1½ pounds of bacon, each piece sliced in half
20 slices of white bread, crusts cut off
1/4 cup of Dijon mustard
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
(You’ll also need toothpicks to hold the pieces together)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Mix together condensed milk, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard.
3. Flatten bread with rolling pin.
4. Lay three strips of bacon side by side. Lay a single piece of bread on top.
5. Smear with a large tablespoon of the condensed milk mixture.
6. Top with a fingerful of shredded cheese.
7. Roll up tightly.
8. Secure each bacon piece with a toothpick.
9. Lay bacon wraps on a rack over a foil-lined cookie sheet to catch drips. Also line the bottom rack of your oven.
10. Bake until bacon is cooked to your liking (approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour)
11. Cut, or break each piece off so you have individual, bite sized pieces, each with their own toothpick.
12. Serve warm.

You can also make these ahead and refrigerate them for up to two days and then reheat them in a microwave or under a broiler. They freeze well, too.

You’ll find photo instructions on theartofdoingstuff.com.

Salad

Sweet Potato Apple Salad

Sweet potatoes are the basis for a delicious salad that can be made any time of year for any occasion

This recipe came courtesy of an Early Years program co-ordinator about 10 years ago. It’s delicious any time of year, on its own or paired with a main dish. Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you — they’re mostly for the dressing and this comes together pretty quickly.

Ingredients:

6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
½ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
¼ cup of orange juice
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of cider or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1½ tsp poppy seeds
½ tsp grated orange peel
½ tsp grated lemon peel
2 medium tart apples, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, cook sweet potatoes in boiling, salted water until just tender, about 20 minutes. Cool completely. (You can also roast the cubed sweet potatoes instead until fork-tender.)
2. Meanwhile, combine the next nine ingredients (oil, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, mustard, onion, poppy seeds, orange peel and lemon peel) and mix well to make the dressing.
3. Combine cooled sweet potatoes, apples and green onions in a bowl. Toss with dressing. Best if refrigerated for several hours or overnight.

Main

Fondue Broth (adapted from geniuskitchen.com)

What New Year’s Eve would be complete without fondue? This broth is easy to prepare, not fussy like cheese fondue, and can be served indoors or outside over a fire (just not a roaring one). You could even take it along in a thermos on a winter ski or snowshoe afternoon and keep it hot over a small stove.

Ingredients:

2 bay leaves (optional)
2 garlic cloves (or 3 or 4 or 5 🙂 ), minced
2 tsp dried parsley (optional)
2 tsp fresh pepper (or to taste)
2½ cups of reduced-sodium beef broth (vegetable broth would work, too)
1 cup of dry white wine or water
2 cups of water
1 pkg of French Onion soup mix
¼ cup seafood sauce
(Plus items for dipping — see below)

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients in a pot and simmer for one hour.
2. When ready to start, transfer to fondue pot and bring broth to a boil or near-boil.
3. For cooking in the broth: vegetables like blanched broccoli or cauliflower, parboiled potatoes, or mushrooms; large, raw tiger shrimp; thinly sliced steak; precooked meatballs; Udon noodles (cooking these in advance will help keep them from sticking together)… or whatever else you want to cook.
4. WHEN YOU’RE DONE, DON’T THROW OUT THAT LEFTOVER BROTH! Pour it back into a pot and throw in any leftover dipping ingredients, or prepare some extra for this purpose. It makes a delicious soup for the next day.

Dessert

Deconstructed S’mores Fondue

If you’re already in the fondue zone, why not have it for dessert, too?

Deconstructed s’mores fondue (Photo: reneeskitchenadventures.com)

This recipe is adapted from allrecipes.com, but there’s one at reneeskitchenadventures.com that you could try, too.

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pkg marshmallows
(Plus graham crackers and fruit for dipping)

Directions:

1. In a heavy saucepan, over medium heat, melt chocolate chips and butter with condensed milk and water. Cook and stir constantly until thickened, about five minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
2. Transfer to an oven-proof ceramic fondue pot (or any ceramic pot if you don’t have a fondue-specific one). Cover top of chocolate with marshmallows and place under broiler until browned. Watch closely — they can go from brown to burnt quickly.
3. Serve warm in fondue holder, or if you don’t have one then just warm the mixture in a microwave for 20-30 seconds if it cools too much.
4. For dipping: graham crackers, grapes, pineapple chunks, banana slices, apple wedges, pear slices, mandarin orange sections…or whatever else you want to dip.
5. Keep leftover chocolate sauce in the fridge for snacking.

Snacks for on the go

These suggestions for snacks to pack for winter excursions like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing come courtesy of Algonquin Outfitters. They’re great for warm-weather hikes, too.

• Tortilla wraps filled with nut or seed butter, dried fruit and nuts, or with chicken and vegetables
• Crackers with pepperettes and cheese sticks
• Hummus with veggies and crackers
• Jerky
• Dehydrated fruit like apples, bananas, pears, mango, peaches or strawberries. Combine with nuts to make your own trail mix.
• If you’re bringing a small stove along, prepare one-pot meals in advance and carry in plastic bags or reusable containers: warm up some wieners and beans; cook some rice and then add beans; cook pasta, drain the water and add sauce and cheese.

Enjoy and Happy New Year!

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