Are you thinking about hosting a New Year's Day party? Setting up a buffet is a great to easily feed a crowd of party goers. Whether it's an adults-only celebration or one with kids galore, a buffet is the perfect way to keep everyone fed and full during the festivities.
Breakfast Brunch
A breakfast brunch is a great way to start off the New Year. People who danced the night away will appreciate a hearty breakfast buffet the next morning. Plan to have food ready at around nine-thirty or ten o'clock - not so early that everyone is half asleep, but not so late it will bleed into early afternoon activities.
Include traditional breakfast recipes like waffles, pancakes and muffins in mini or bite-size portions. Other foods to add to the buffet include:
- Fresh cut fruits
- Vegetable tray with dip
- Egg casserole with hash browns, bacon, sausage and cheese
- Quiche
- French toast pieces
- Cinnamon or caramel pecan rolls
- Country style potatoes
- Waffles
- Biscuits and gravy
- Toast
- Croissants
- Bacon
- Breakfast ham
Set a variety of condiments out, as guests may prefer various items to go with the fare. Butter, margarine, jellies, ketchup, salt and pepper can all be placed near the items they will pair with or at the end of the buffet line.
Drinks to serve include milk, water, orange juice, apple juice and iced tea. Adults may enjoy a mimosa cocktail with their food at a New Year's Day party buffet.
Lunch Buffet
A lunch buffet is a great way to get people fed before heading out the door to other holiday parties, shopping and games. A New Year's Day noon buffet is great for family and friends who have trouble getting up in the morning after a late night.
Cold Meat Sandwich Buffet
A do-it-yourself cold meat sandwich buffet is simple and easy. Deli-sliced ham, turkey and chicken can be placed alongside cheddar, American, pepper jack, and Swiss cheeses. Sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, pickles and olives can all be extra toppings. Give guests a choice of whole wheat and white breads. Remember to put out mustard, mayonnaise and margarine as spreads. Potato chips, veggie and fruit trays, chilled salads and cookie bars are easy additions to complete the buffet bar.
Slow Cooker Buffet
Slow cookers are a great way to cook food without paying it a lot of attention, allowing hosts to enjoy their party. Pulled pork, barbecued chicken and sloppy joes are easy main dish slow cooker foods. Mashed potatoes can be kept warm in a slow cooker and baked beans from a can are as simple as it gets. Keep the temperature on "low" or "warm" once the food is cooked to avoid drying it out. Give meats and sides a stir every fifteen minutes to half hour to prevent clumping and burning.
You can also prepare tasty desserts using your slow cooker. A few delicious dessert options include:
- Bread pudding
- Hot fruit
- Peanut butter cup cake
- Rice pudding
Soup Buffet
Chilly New Year's Days call for a hot lunch. Soups are a delicious way to warm up cold toes and noses in the middle of winter. Soups to ladle include:
- Hearty tomato
- Vegetable beef
- Southwestern chili
- Cheddar chowder
- Chicken tortilla
- French onion
Soups can be served with warm French bread, chunked into pieces. Put out extra seasonings, like pepper, chili powder and garlic for those who want an extra "kick" to their meal. Crackers or tortilla chips are a must for people who enjoy dipping.
Game Time Buffet
New Year's Day is filled with college football bowl games. A game time buffet is a terrific way to keep sports fans from going hungry while they root for their favorite team.
Finger foods are a must for game time buffets. Appetizers are perfect for game buffets. Pigs-in-a-blanket and chicken wings are great meat dishes that do not require a lot of preparation. Several varieties of chips and dips can be put out, along with a few cut veggies. Trail mix, cookies and bars are sweet treats that do not require utensils.
Having good party drink recipes for a game time buffet is essential. Serve a few signature cocktails and mocktails. Cold, chilled beers in frosty mugs are a no-fail option for football junkies.
New Year's Day Party Tips
Implementing your party menu ideas can be hard after spending the previous night partying away until after midnight. Keep things painless by planning ahead. Follow these tips to make a January 1 buffet a success:
- Buy disposable plates if the kitchen does not have a dishwasher.
- Have plenty of napkins and rags on hand to deal with the inevitable spills.
- Place television trays around the party room for people to have a place to set their drinks down.
- Serve a few low fat, low carb holiday party food recipes for people who want to kick start their New Year's resolution of healthy eating.
- Ask people to bring a dish for a potluck-style buffet, with the host serving the drinks and main meat or vegetarian entrée.
- Put out extra New Year's Eve party food from the night before, providing it was properly stored overnight.
Start an Annual Tradition
When you use these ideas to create your own New Year's Day buffet, you'll be pleasantly surprised to see just how easy hosting this type of party can be. You'll have so much fun - as will your guests - that you just might decide that hosting a January 1 buffet should become your signature annual event.
