17 Amazing Appetizers for a New Year's Eve Party

Start your New Year's Eve party with some fantastic appetizers.

The best New Year's snack ideas

Small canapés, dips and light appetizers are the best way to start a New Year's Eve party effectively (with champagne and, of course, festive cocktails). Whatever you decide – to set a buffet table or to put several snacks in anticipation big dinnerOur ideas are sure to please your guests. And these stuffed mushrooms are a must-have. They're filled with a savory meat filling, vegetables, and cheese, and they cook in just 35 minutes!

Recipe: Mushrooms stuffed with minced pork and vegetables

Shrimp cocktail

Cocktail shrimp are a great appetizer for any occasion. Whether it's a festive dinner or a casual house party, they're always a hit. To make delicious shrimp, simmer them in a quick vegetable broth, not water, which imparts a wonderfully spicy aroma and flavor. You can cook them ahead of time and refrigerate them. Before serving, arrange the peeled shrimp (leave the tails on) in glasses filled with a simple yet delicious cocktail sauce made from ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.

Recipe: Shrimp cocktail

Stuffed eggs for the holiday table

Deviled eggs are a classic appetizer that will brighten up any celebration. They're easy to make, all the ingredients are readily available and inexpensive, and they look stunning, especially when piped using a pastry bag with a decorative tip. This version uses the ever-popular combination of egg yolks, mayonnaise, and fresh herbs.

Recipe: Stuffed eggs for the holiday table

Polenta Bread

Italian crostini are a great appetizer at any event. They're typically slices of crusty bread with a variety of toppings. But corn crostini made with polenta and Parmesan are also delicious. You can cook fresh polenta for them, or use leftover polenta from dinner. While the porridge is still warm, spread it between two flat surfaces and press it to set. Then, slice it, sprinkle with cheese, and toast it in the oven.

Recipe: Polenta Bread

Stuffed mushroom caps in an air fryer

Mushroom caps stuffed with a savory mixture of breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, and herbs are the perfect appetizer for buffets, house parties, and holidays. They look impressive, are filling, juicy, and delicious. A blend of two types of cheese—mozzarella and pecorino—and fragrant mint add a special flavor. Fry the stuffed mushrooms in an air fryer. This will save time, and the mushrooms and filling will turn out more golden brown.

Recipe: Stuffed mushroom caps in an air fryer

Mini puff pastries with 4 fillings in ice cube trays

A regular ice cube tray takes on a whole new purpose in this recipe: it becomes a pastry mold! Its cavities allow you to make bite-sized mini puff pastries that are perfect for serving as appetizers at a house party. This recipe features puff pastries with four incredible fillings, and you'll need two ice cube trays. Once you master this method, you can experiment with any other fillings, and using store-bought puff pastry is a great time-saver.

Recipe: Mini puff pastries with 4 fillings in ice cube trays

Baked shrimp with sauce

Ina Garten roasts shrimp in the oven and then serves it with a chili cocktail sauce.

Recipe: Baked shrimp with sauce

Breaded fried olives

Serve tapas at a party with a Spanish twist: breaded fried olives, Manchego cheese, and Serrano ham.

Recipe: Breaded fried olives

Bacon-wrapped shrimp with pineapple

A great sweet and savory appetizer for any holiday or family gathering.

Recipe: Bacon-wrapped shrimp with pineapple

Lemongrass Meatballs on Sticks

A unique appetizer, lemongrass patties on sticks, will impress your guests. Mix ground pork with bacon bits, herbs, and spices, form into patties, and stuff them with lemongrass stalks. Grill them in the oven. You may need to cover the sticks with foil if they start to burn. Arrange the appetizer attractively on a platter and serve with a dipping sauce.

Recipe: Lemongrass Meatballs on Sticks

Bread with ham

Bake a simple, quick bread stuffed with Italian prosciutto ham. You can use ready-made French bread dough. Roll it out, layer it with slices of ham, and roll it into a fancy ring. Brush the bread with olive oil several times while baking. This will give the ring a delicious, dense crust and a fluffy crumb with layers of ham. This bread can be sliced and served as an appetizer with various dips or as an accompaniment to entrees.

Recipe: Bread with ham

Grilled Beef Tenderloin Appetizer

This hearty appetizer features tender beef grilled with rosemary and garlic, arugula leaves, and sweet cherry tomatoes. The base is focaccia bread with a spicy chili-flavored mayonnaise.

Recipe: Grilled Beef Tenderloin Appetizer

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Fried peppers with olives

Enhance your New Year's appetizer menu with these roasted peppers and olives. The butter, infused with sage, garlic, and lemon, can be garnished with thick slices of bread.

Recipe: Fried peppers with olives

Bruschetta with Roasted Garlic

Among the wide variety of Italian appetizers, bruschetta stands out as one of the simplest and most ancient. It differs from other similar appetizers in that the bread slices are dry-fried and only drizzled with oil and topped with toppings just before serving. The most traditional and common topping for bruschetta is olive oil, salt, and garlic. The oil should be of the highest quality, and the garlic can be used raw, but it's much more appealing to brush a slice of crispy bread with roasted garlic. Its flavor is milder yet complex. Roast a few heads of garlic in the oven and enjoy it not only with bread, but also in other dishes.

Recipe: Bruschetta with Roasted Garlic

Mini cheeseburgers with meatballs and goat cheese

Spread mini buns with goat cheese and mascarpone and top with lamb meatballs or sausage meatballs for frying.

Recipe: Mini cheeseburgers with meatballs and goat cheese

Artichoke, Spinach, and Gorgonzola Dip

This unusual take on the classic spinach-artichoke dip will be a star at any holiday dinner or party. Rachel serves it with bread sticks, celery stalks, and pita chips—a convenient side dish for dipping into the dip.

Recipe: Artichoke, Spinach, and Gorgonzola Dip

Spicy sausage balls

These sausage balls are the perfect combination of cheese, meat, and biscuit. To make them, you'll need a dry baking mix, such as Bisquick. Mix it in equal parts with uncooked Italian sausage, add the cheese, and bake the meatballs in the oven. After baking, they'll be crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside. Serve as an appetizer.

Recipe: Spicy sausage balls