Food & Cooking Recipes Holidays & Events New Year's Eve Recipes 31 New Year’s Eve Dinner Recipes That Are Perfect for a Special Occasion Ring in the new year with these unique, showstopping recipes. By Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan Kelly is a former associate digital food editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 9, 2022 Close Photo: Lennart Weibull A new year is a reason to celebrate, and there's no better way to welcome the change than with a special dinner for family and friends. And your last meal of the old year should always be a showstopper. You'll find plenty of delicious New Year's Eve dinner recipes here, from easy yet elevated pasta to indulgent meaty entrées, sophisticated seafood mains, and classic roast chicken. We've included dinner options that can be prepped ahead and baked on the night of your gathering, as well as quick dishes to prepare right before you enjoy your first cocktail. So no matter how simple or elaborate your New Year's Eve dinner is, we have the most important part covered. 20 Special Date-Night Recipes for Two 01 of 31 Steak au Poivre With Roasted Fingerling Potatoes End the year with a touch of indulgence. This bistro steak dinner pairs peppery crusted strip steak with golden brown potatoes and a creamy white wine and Dijon mustard-infused pan sauce. View Recipe 02 of 31 Juniper-and-Gin Gravlax While this might seem like an appetizer at first glance, it’s easy to turn a whole side of salmon into a satisfying dinner. This recipe calls for marinating the fish with crushed juniper berries, fresh dill, citrus, and gin. Serve the fish alongside other party-worthy toppings, like salmon roe, crostini, creme fraiche, and fresh lemon. View Recipe 03 of 31 Saffron-and-Orange-Scented Seafood Stew Lennart Weibull The citrus and garlic aromas emanating from this pot of hearty seafood stew are almost as enticing as the buttery garlic bread that you should serve alongside. Tomato paste and a few pinches of saffron threads give the broth its signature orange hue. View Recipe 04 of 31 Leg of Lamb With Pistachio Stuffing and Potatoes Nico Schinco This succulent leg of lamb will have party guests coming back for seconds. The meat is wrapped around a fragrant filling made with roasted pistachios, lemon, and lots of fresh parsley and scallions. Roast it atop a bed of potatoes to make it a true one-pan meal. View Recipe 05 of 31 Red Wine Pasta Bryan Gardner Celebrate the arrival of a new year with this impressive yet easy pasta dish. The sauce uses an entire bottle of red wine, along with pancetta, shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, and plenty of Pecorino Romano. View Recipe Which Red Wines Are Best for Cooking? 06 of 31 Clams and White Fish in Carrot-Saffron Broth Lennart Weibull Saffron instantly elevates any meal, which is why it's just the spice for an occasion as special as New Year's Eve. This seafood stew gets plenty of bonus flavor from grated orange zest, fennel, cherry tomatoes, and clam juice. View Recipe The Difference Between Clams and Mussels—and the Best Way to Cook With Each 07 of 31 Vinegared Pork Chop Milanese With Radish Salad Johnny Miller Breaded and pan-fried pork chops are a fabulous dinner for the occasion. They're topped with a vinegar sauce and bright salad made with thinly sliced radishes, sliced shallots, fresh parsley, and dill fronds. View Recipe 08 of 31 Swordfish With Sicilian Oregano-Caper Sauce Elizabeth Cecil Serve meaty swordfish steaks with an aromatic sauce made from garlic, lemon juice, red-wine vinegar, capers, oregano, and pepperoncini for a for a dazzling New Year's Eve dinner. Pair with roasted vegetables or a light salad with greens and citrus. View Recipe 09 of 31 Chicken Scarpariello Chris Simpson This hearty Italian-American recipe is suitably spectacular for New Year's Eve. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are pan-seared, then they finish cooking with sweet Italian sausage, hot pickled cherry peppers, and plenty of herbs. View Recipe 10 of 31 Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Kate Mathis Vegetarians and meat lovers alike will love this interpretation of a Shepherd's Pie for a New Year's Eve dinner. It's made with a robust filling of cremini mushrooms and green lentils. View Recipe 11 of 31 Cream-Free Shrimp Alfredo Chris Simpson This recipe is fast and really special. Rather than the usual heavy cream, this inspired take on shrimp Alfredo creates the sauce by whisking pasta water into an egg yolk; the mixture is added to a pot with unsalted butter, more pasta water, and grated Pecorino Romano. View Recipe 12 of 31 Lasagna With Meat Sauce Justin Walker This is our ultimate lasagna recipe; the meat filling is made with ground beef and sweet Italian sausage (because one variety certainly isn't enough). Ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, and eggs make for a super creamy filling. Plus, you can assemble the lasagna ahead of time and bake it on the night of. View Recipe The Easiest Way to Assemble and Bake a Lasagna 13 of 31 Pimiento Mac and Cheese Con Poulos Who doesn't love macaroni and cheese? This pimiento-cheese-inspired version is party-worthy and pairs oh so well with Champagne. Chopped bell pepper, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce bring a lively flavor to this festive dinner recipe. View Recipe 14 of 31 Pork Wellington With Prosciutto and Spinach-Mushroom Stuffing Lennart Weibull Go all out for dinner and serve this spectacular and delicious dish. Two pork tenderloins are wrapped in all-butter puff pastry, which makes a golden brown and flaky crust for the delicate meat. View Recipe 15 of 31 Classic Beef Stew Con Poulos Celebrate the new year with this old-fashioned favorite. It's a slow-cooked dish that you can simmer on New Year's Eve or make it ahead and reheat. View Recipe 16 of 31 Sautéed Black Sea Bass With Capers and Herb-Butter Sauce Ryan Liebe This simple sauté is also a sophisticated seafood dinner. Fillets of sea bass are crisped on the stovetop and served with a sauce made from vermouth, butter, and briny capers. View Recipe How to Store Fish the Right Way (So Your Fridge Doesn't Smell) 17 of 31 Chicken Saltimbocca With Sage Marcus Nilsson Thinly pounded chicken breasts are wrapped with sage leaves and prosciutto, then pan-fried until crisp for a quick-cooking but special entrée. View Recipe 18 of 31 Miso-Tomato Braised Short Ribs Yuki Sugiura Go all out with this recipe for short ribs cooked with aromatic ingredients including allspice, bay leaves, thyme, fresh ginger, and orange zest. Serve them over a bed of mashed potatoes or creamy polenta. View Recipe 19 of 31 Pepper-Crusted Lamb With Roasted Vegetables Chris Simpson If, like us, you wonder why you don't eat lamb more often, try this simple yet special main course for New Year's Eve. Lamb loin chops are rubbed with crushed black peppercorns and salt, then pan-seared and served with roasted potatoes and broccolini. View Recipe 20 of 31 Shrimp Scampi Three Ways Lennart Weibull Wait for the ball to drop as you twirl strands of flavorful spaghetti around your fork. It's a meal that pleases both kids and adults. View Recipe 21 of 31 Roast Chicken With Vegetables and Potatoes Marcus Nilsson There's arguably no recipe that's more apt for a holiday meal than a perfect roast chicken. The chicken is nestled between a mixture of carrots, shallots, fingerling potatoes, and lemon and everything roasts together. View Recipe 22 of 31 Sea Scallops Over Shallot-Herb Pasta Elizabeth Cecil Seared scallops are delicious on their own and even better when served over pasta with grilled fennel for a rich yet lighter special occasion entrée. View Recipe 23 of 31 Seafood in Fennel Broth William Abranowicz Make your last meal of the year one to remember with this seafood stew that features a mouthwatering array of small clams, striped bass fillets, large shrimp, plus white beans for extra heartiness. View Recipe 24 of 31 Whole Stuffed Cabbage Marcus Nilsson Inspired by our founder's Polish roots (and her impressive cabbage garden), this recipe is one of Martha's favorites for a cold winter's night. Its humble roots translate well to a New Year's Eve party atmosphere. View Recipe 25 of 31 Oil-Poached Halibut With Fennel, Tomatoes, and Mashed Potatoes Ryan Liebe If you're looking for a something different for a special occasion dinner recipe, try this olive-oil poached halibut. The mashed potatoes just might be the best part; they're rich and silky as they are made with the olive oil from poaching the fish. View Recipe 26 of 31 Mushroom Risotto Dried porcinis create a flavorful stock for this rich risotto that's packed with your choice of mushrooms—oyster, morel, maitake, cremini, or a mix. It's a truly indulgent plant-based meal. View Recipe 27 of 31 Pomegranate-Glazed Ham with Jammy Cipollinis Justin Walker Spiral-glazed ham is a top-tier holiday meal on its own, but we amped it up even more with a glaze made from molasses, brown sugar, honey, mustard, and allspice. It cooks with cipollini onions, which absorb the flavors and caramelize in the bottom of the roasting pan. View Recipe 28 of 31 Drunken Mussels With Chorizo and White Beans Con Poulos This is no ordinary recipe for mussels in white wine sauce—the broth for these bivalves is made by sautéing chorizo (a spicy Spanish pork sausage) in a pan with shallots and garlic, followed by dry white wine, cherry tomatoes, and cannellini beans. View Recipe 29 of 31 Pressure-Cooker Pot Roast Marcus Nilsson An all-American classic, pot roast satisfies for every occasion. Make it easier than ever by cooking it in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot for fast and flavorful results. View Recipe 30 of 31 Chicken-and-Gnocchi Bake With Broccolini Lennart Weibull Turn store-bought gnocchi into a fantastic New Year's Eve dinner served in individual dishes. This recipe calls for building a sauce with butter, garlic, and chicken broth, then tossing the gnocchi with the sauce, cooked chicken, broccolini, and plenty of cheese—and baking until bubbly. View Recipe 31 of 31 Pork Tenderloin With Kale Salad Con Poulos Let winter greens like Tuscan kale shine in this hearty and healthy New Year's Eve dinner. Pork tenderloin is served with a salad of roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, and kale for a satisfying meal. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit