Image by Moritz Knöringer

2021 is nearly at an end.

Celebrate all of your accomplishments and welcome the new year with style, grace, and an unforgettable holiday party! 

With the end of the year rapidly approaching, there are only a few more holidays to make spectacular before the new year begins! Not to worry, because with the right tools, you can throw an unforgettable and entertaining party to celebrate the new year. Aside from sparkling champagne and great company, there are only a few things you need to guarantee an exquisite New Year’s Eve party. Here are three tips for fun festivities to welcome 2022 in style! 

Image by The Creative Exchange

Appetizers

If there’s one thing that makes a party go from ‘fun’ to ‘awesome’ is having great food. New Year’s Eve is the perfect opportunity to test your culinary skills and impress guests with a spread of incredible dishes. And, with the help of Table & Thyme and Mealfit, you can achieve these staple starters with hardly any effort! These late-night-snack themed appetizers are the perfect pairing for a midnight get together!

Loaded Jalapñeo Poppers

Crispy, oven baked jalapeño poppers with gooey cheddar cheese, hearty bacon bits, and topped with fresh cilantro and even breadcrumbs for that perfect crunch! 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes 

Yield: 18-20 poppers

Ingredients

• 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 10 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and cored 

Directions

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 375°F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. In a large skillet, place the bacon over medium heat and allow to sauté until crispy. Once it is finished, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat, and drain the skillet of the grease until about 1 Tablespoon remains. Once the bacon has cooled completely, chop to create bacon crumbles. 
3. Add the Panko crumbs to the grease reserved in the skillet and sauté the breadcrumbs for 2-3 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently to avoid burning and remove from heat once the breadcrumbs have reached a golden brown color. Place in a separate bowl and set aside. 
4. In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cilantro, chives, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and most of the chopped bacon, leaving about 2 Tablespoons for use later. Stir until the mixture is evenly combined, then transfer the mixture to a ziploc bag. Seal the bag and cut off one of the bottom corners of the bag to create a piping bag.
5. Slice the jalapeños length wise, removing the cores and the seeds, and place the halves in an even layer on the baking sheet. Pipe the mixture into the jalapeños until they are all evenly filled, then top each with a sprinkle of Panko.
6. Bake the jalapeños until the filling is melted and the jalapeños have slightly softened, about 15-20 minutes.
7. Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack. Top the jalapeños with a pinch of the reserved bacon bits plus some extra chives, serve, and enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Brussel Sprouts with Honey Mustard Glaze

Tender, smoky brussel sprouts wrapped in savory bacon glazed with sweet and tangy dijon mustard. Plus, these tasty bites are dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, and even paleo-friendly!  

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 45

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 28 small brussel sprouts
• 14 slices bacon
• 2 1/2 Tablespoon dijon mustard, divided
• 3 Tablespoon honey (or maple syrup), divided
• 2 Tablespoon mayonnaise
• pinch cayenne pepper 

Directions

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F and place a wire rack onto a baking tray. 
2. To prepare the glaze, whisk ½ Tablespoon of the dijon mustard and 1 Tablespoon of the honey together in a bowl until smooth. 
3. Prep the brussel sprouts by washing them and cutting off any of the tough outer leaves. 
4. Wrap a strip of uncooked bacon around each brussel sprout ensuring that it slightly overlaps, and cut off any excess bacon. One strip of bacon should be enough for 2 brussel sprouts. (If need be, you can secure the bacon to the brussel sprouts using a toothpick). Then, place the bacon wrapped brussel sprouts on the wire rack. 
5. Brush each of the brussel sprouts with the dijon glaze and place the tray in the oven to bake. Bake for 30 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the brussel sprouts are tender. Half way through baking, remove from the oven and brush with more glaze before continuing to bake. 

Homemade Pizza Rolls

A savory cousin to the tried-and-true cinnamon rolls, these homemade pizza rolls are the perfect appetizer for a late night event! 

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Yield: 12 rolls

Ingredients

• 1 pound pizza dough or 1 can refrigerated pizza dough
• 1 cup pizza sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoon fresh parsley, plus some for garnish
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated and divided
• ⅔ cup mini pepperoni or chopped pepperoni
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F and roll out the pizza dough into a 16" x 14" square.
2. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of parsley, and ½ cup of pizza sauce. Use a spoon or a ladle to spread the mixed sauce over the raw pizza dough. 
3. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella, ⅓ cup of parmesan cheese, and the mini pepperoni over the dough. Once the ingredients are placed, roll the dough as if you were making cinnamon rolls (length-wise).  
4. Cut the roll into 12 slices and place in greased muffin tins upright.
5. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the rolls and bake for 12-14 minutes.
6. Allow the rolls to cool for at least 5 minutes and serve with remaining pizza sauce for dipping! 

Image by Jeshoots

Activities for the New Year’s Festivities!

For a lot of people, staying up until midnight to count down the end of the year can be a struggle. Make sure your party is full of life with some fun and festive New Year’s-themed games! 

2021 Bingo 

Use an online bingo template like this one to create a bingo sheet filled with some memorable pieces of the previous year. It’s the perfect opportunity to reflect, reminisce, and share stories with one another in remembrance of 2021 before ringing in the new year.

Guess the Number

Fill a container with a number of sweet treats like Hershey’s kisses or jelly beans (make sure to keep track of how many are placed) and allow guests to put in their guesses on how many are in the container! This is a fun and minimally competitive game with a built in prize for the winner that guesses the closest to the actual number! Plus, it ensures guests stick around until the end of the party to figure out who the winner is.  

Year in Review Trivia 

For groups that love trivia, hosts can put together a list of 2021-related trivia questions to test party-goers on how much they pay attention to news, pop-culture, and more events of the past year!  

Image by Georgia de Lotz

New Year’s Party Favors 

Finally, be sure to send off your guests with all the tools they need to welcome the new year! Here are some ideas for an adorable New Year’s Eve party kit to make for each guest before midnight!   

Small (single serve) bottles of wine

Chocolates or other sweet treats

Take Out Boxes, small baskets, or gift bags

Paper filler – holographic or foil-colored will be the most festive (gold and silver)

Party favors – horns, noise makers, necklaces, etc.

Customized champagne flutes

We hope these tips help you host the perfect New Year’s Eve party filled with good times, great food, and good company! Thank you for keeping up with Table & Thyme in 2021 and we can’t wait to continue to create elevated catering experiences in the upcoming year! 

Image by Kelly Sikkema 

For more information on Table and Thyme, contact them today! Follow us on our social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest to see the other amazing events, lavishing grazing tables and beautiful graze boxes we have created.