Midnight is the easy part. The dinner that gets a table of six or eight people there, fed and happy, is the part worth planning.
These twelve recipes split neatly into something finished the day before and something that only needs real attention for the last twenty minutes, so whoever cooked all afternoon is not still at the stove when the countdown starts.
Expect a beef tenderloin that sears fast and rests while you change your shoes, a whole roast chicken that shares the oven with almost nothing else, and a seafood stew that forgives a late arrival at the table.
One dish is built for the morning after, for whoever does not want to think too hard before coffee. A few of the sides use dairy, eggs, wheat, shellfish or tree nuts (almonds, pecans): swap or skip as the table needs.
Two recipes call for a splash of wine in the pan; it cooks down to flavor rather than effect, but pour it with the same care as a cocktail if anyone at the table is not drinking.
For what happens once the plates are cleared, 17 Dinner Party Games to Play Right at the Table keeps the conversation going without anyone leaving their chair, and 15 New Year’s Eve Countdown Games to Build Up to Midnight covers the stretch between dessert and the ball drop.
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Table of Contents
- Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Pan Sauce
- Honey Glazed Salmon with Garlic and Lemon
- Creamy Baked Pasta with Mushrooms and Gruyere
- Herb Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Garlic
- Seafood Stew with Shrimp, Mussels and Cod
- Eggs Benedict Casserole for the Morning After
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans Almondine
- Scalloped Potatoes au Gratin
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic
- Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls
- Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans
- Frequently Asked Questions
Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Pan Sauce
A whole tenderloin sounds like the sort of thing that needs a reservation, not an apron. It is actually the calmest protein on this table: fifteen minutes of searing and attention, then the oven and a timer do the rest while you greet people at the door.
Buy it trimmed and tied so it cooks evenly end to end, and pull it at 125F on an instant-read thermometer: it climbs another five degrees while resting, landing at a true medium-rare. The sauce is just the pan talking back, red wine and stock reduced until a spoon dragged through it leaves a trail.
Slice it into thick rounds at the table rather than in the kitchen, so the pink center shows. If the budget does not stretch to a whole tenderloin this year, a center-cut pork roast takes the same herb rub and roasts just as well for less.
Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Pan Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 center-cut beef tenderloin roast about 4 pounds, trimmed and tied
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large shallot finely minced
- 1 cup dry red wine such as cabernet sauvignon
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
Instructions
- Set the tenderloin on the counter and let it come to room temperature for 45 minutes; a cold roast sears unevenly.
- Preheat the oven to 425F and set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then rub it all over with 2 tablespoons softened butter, the garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then sear the roast on all sides, about 2 minutes per side, until a deep brown crust forms.
- Transfer the tenderloin to the prepared rack and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 125F for medium-rare.
- Lift the roast onto a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes; the internal temperature will climb to about 130F as it rests.
- While it rests, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 1 minute, until softened.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, until the liquid reduces by half and coats the back of a spoon.
- Add the beef stock and simmer another 6 to 8 minutes, until reduced to about 1 cup.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter cubes a few at a time until the sauce turns glossy. Slice the tenderloin into 3/4-inch rounds and serve with the sauce spooned over.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Honey Glazed Salmon with Garlic and Lemon
Salmon earns its place on this table because it asks for almost nothing back: fifteen minutes in the oven and it is done, which matters on a night already crowded with other pans.
The glaze is honey, soy sauce, garlic and lemon simmered until it thickens enough to cling rather than run. Brush it on twice, once before roasting and once under the broiler for the last two minutes, where it turns a deep, sticky mahogany.
A whole side feeds eight without any carving drama. If shellfish is already on the menu in the stew below and doubling up on seafood feels like too much, swap this for the roast chicken instead and save the glaze for vegetables.
Honey Glazed Salmon with Garlic and Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 whole side of salmon skin on, about 2.5 to 3 pounds
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Lemon slices and chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Whisk honey, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan.
- Simmer over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the glaze coats the back of a spoon and has reduced by about a third.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lay the salmon skin-side down; brush half the glaze over the top and let sit at room temperature 15 minutes, or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Roast the salmon for 12 to 15 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork at the thickest part.
- Switch the oven to broil, brush on the remaining glaze, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the top turns deep amber and slightly sticky.
- Let rest 5 minutes, then slide onto a serving platter.
- Scatter with lemon slices and parsley just before bringing it to the table.
Good to Know
Creamy Baked Pasta with Mushrooms and Gruyere
This is the dish for the person who swears pasta bakes are boring: cremini mushrooms browned hard, a cream sauce laced with nutmeg, and a crust of gruyere that cracks when the spoon goes in.
Assemble it completely the night before and it only improves, the noodles drinking in the sauce overnight so the bake comes out closer to a custard than a casserole. Pull it from the fridge while the oven heats so the center does not stay cold.
It holds heat well under foil, which makes it the forgiving middle dish if the tenderloin or the chicken is running a few minutes behind schedule.
Creamy Baked Pasta with Mushrooms and Gruyere
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne or rigatoni
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk warmed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese divided
- 1 cup grated parmesan divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta 2 minutes short of the package directions, until just shy of tender; drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes, then stir and cook another 4 minutes, until deeply browned.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir constantly for 1 minute, coating everything, to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Pour in the warm milk in a slow stream, whisking as you go, then add the cream and nutmeg.
- Simmer, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold a line when you drag a finger through it.
- Remove from the heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups gruyere, 3/4 cup parmesan, the thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth.
- Fold the drained pasta into the sauce and pour into a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Scatter the remaining gruyere and parmesan over the top, then toss the panko with the olive oil and sprinkle that over everything.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours, or bake right away.
- If baking from cold, let the dish sit at room temperature 20 minutes, then bake uncovered at 375F for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving so the sauce sets enough to hold its shape when spooned.
Good to Know
Herb Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Garlic
A roast chicken proves nothing on this table had to be complicated: butter under the skin, a lemon and a head of garlic in the cavity, into the oven, done.
Two smaller birds, about 4 pounds each, roast faster and more evenly than one large one, and there is more crisp skin to go around. Spatchcock them if the oven is already crowded, since a flattened bird cooks in closer to 45 minutes.
Check doneness with a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh rather than by the clock: 165F, every time, however good it smells.
Herb Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Garlic
Ingredients
- 2 whole chickens about 4 pounds each
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 6 cloves garlic minced, plus 2 whole heads halved crosswise
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 lemons halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt per bird
- 1 teaspoon black pepper per bird
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and set a rack in a large roasting pan.
- Pat both chickens dry inside and out with paper towels; a dry skin crisps, a damp one steams.
- Mix the softened butter with the minced garlic, rosemary and thyme in a small bowl.
- Loosen the skin over each breast with your fingers and push half the herb butter under the skin of each bird, then rub any remaining butter over the outside.
- Season both chickens generously, inside and out, with salt and pepper.
- Stuff each cavity with a halved lemon and a halved head of garlic.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.
- Drizzle the skin with olive oil and place both birds breast-side up on the rack, leaving space between them for air to circulate.
- Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165F and the juices run clear.
- Let rest, loosely tented with foil, for 15 minutes before carving; this keeps the juices in the meat instead of on the cutting board.
Good to Know
Seafood Stew with Shrimp, Mussels and Cod
A seafood stew forgives a messy schedule better than almost anything else on this table: the broth simmers alone for twenty minutes, then the fish and shellfish go in for the last few minutes before anyone sits down.
Watch the mussels, not the clock. Pull the pot the moment they open, because a shell still shut after 6 minutes is one to throw away, not force open. Cod breaks into soft flakes almost immediately, so it goes in last.
Serve it in wide bowls with crusty bread for the broth, and set out an empty bowl at the table for shells. If one guest will not eat shellfish, poach their portion of cod separately in a cup of the broth before the mussels and shrimp join the pot.
Seafood Stew with Shrimp, Mussels and Cod
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 fennel bulb diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups seafood or chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound mussels scrubbed and debearded
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 pound cod or halibut cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and just turning gold.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer 3 minutes, until the sharp smell of alcohol cooks off.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes, until the broth thickens slightly and tastes rounded rather than sharp.
- Season the broth with salt and pepper; remove the bay leaf.
- Raise the heat so the broth is at a steady simmer, then add the mussels. Cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes, until the shells open; discard any that stay closed.
- Add the shrimp and cod and cook, uncovered, 4 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and the cod flakes easily with a fork.
- Taste the broth one more time and adjust the salt.
- Ladle into wide, shallow bowls, making sure each one gets a share of mussels, shrimp and cod.
- Scatter with parsley and serve immediately with crusty bread for the broth.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Eggs Benedict Casserole for the Morning After
Nobody wants to poach eggs at 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day. This casserole does the whole job overnight: torn English muffins, Canadian bacon and a custard of eggs and milk soak in the fridge while everyone sleeps, and it bakes into something close to the real thing, minus the standing over a pot of simmering water.
The center should jiggle just slightly when the pan comes out, the way a good bread pudding does; it firms up in the first five minutes of resting. The hollandaise is the only step done fresh, and it takes four minutes flat with a blender.
Set the hollandaise beside the casserole rather than over it, so whoever wants extra can have it and whoever does not can skip it without picking around a puddle.
Eggs Benedict Casserole for the Morning After
Ingredients
- 8 English muffins split and torn into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound Canadian bacon chopped
- 10 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chives chopped, for serving
- 3 large egg yolks for hollandaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice for hollandaise
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and hot (for hollandaise)
- Pinch of cayenne pepper for hollandaise
- Pinch of salt for hollandaise
Instructions
- Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Scatter half the torn English muffins over the bottom, then half the Canadian bacon and half the cheddar.
- Repeat with the remaining muffins, bacon and cheddar.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl until no streaks of yolk remain.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the muffins, pressing down gently with a spatula so the bread soaks it up.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, so the bread fully absorbs the custard.
- The next morning, preheat the oven to 350F and let the dish sit on the counter for 20 minutes while the oven heats.
- Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden and the center only jiggles slightly when the pan is nudged.
- Let rest 10 minutes; the center will firm up as it sits.
- While it rests, blend the egg yolks, lemon juice, cayenne and salt in a blender for 10 seconds, then with the blender running, pour in the hot melted butter in a thin stream until the sauce thickens and turns pale yellow, about 1 minute.
- Cut the casserole into squares, drizzle with hollandaise and scatter with chives.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
No dinner this size survives without a big bowl of something plain and warm underneath it, and mashed potatoes are the one nobody ever argues with.
Whole garlic cloves simmer right in the pot with the potatoes, which softens their bite into something closer to sweet. Push everything through a ricer rather than a masher for the smoothest result, since a masher leaves gluey patches where the starch gets overworked.
They hold in a slow cooker on low for two hours without drying out, stirred once with a splash of extra milk, which solves the real problem: a stove with four other pans fighting for the burners!
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup whole milk warmed
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt plus more for the water
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the potatoes and garlic cloves in a large pot and cover with cold, well-salted water by 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 15 to 18 minutes, until a knife slides into the largest piece with no resistance.
- Drain well and return the potatoes and garlic to the warm pot for 1 minute to steam off excess moisture.
- Pass the potatoes and garlic through a ricer back into the pot, or mash by hand until smooth.
- Stir in the butter until melted, then fold in the warm milk and sour cream.
- Season with salt and pepper, tasting as you go.
- Keep warm, covered, over very low heat or in a slow cooker on low for up to 2 hours, stirring in a splash more warm milk if they stiffen.
Good to Know
Green Beans Almondine
Green beans almondine does a lot of work for very little effort: blanched beans, butter gone the color of light caramel, and almonds toasted until they smell like dessert.
Shock the beans in ice water the moment they turn bright green, no longer; this is what keeps them crisp instead of army-green and soft. The butter needs watching in the last minute, since brown butter turns to black butter fast.
Blanch the beans the day before and keep them in the fridge; the butter and almonds take four minutes right before serving, which is about the only active cooking this dish needs. Contains tree nuts.
Green Beans Almondine
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans trimmed
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for the water
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the green beans and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green and just tender with a slight bite.
- Drain and immediately plunge the beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking; drain again once fully cooled.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the almonds.
- Cook, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty and the almonds are toasted; watch closely in the last minute, since it can scorch fast.
- Add the blanched beans to the skillet and toss for 1 to 2 minutes, just to warm through.
- Remove from the heat, toss with the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and serve right away.
Good to Know
Scalloped Potatoes au Gratin
Where the mashed potatoes are soft and plain, this one is sharp-edged and golden on top, thin rounds of potato baked in cream until a knife cuts clean layers instead of mush.
Slice the potatoes about 1/8 inch thick, thin enough to go fully tender in the time it takes the cream to thicken; a mandoline does this in under five minutes and saves the knuckles.
Assemble the whole dish the day before and refrigerate unbaked; it only needs about ten extra minutes in the oven to make up for the cold start.
Scalloped Potatoes au Gratin
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded gruyere or sharp white cheddar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter for the dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Combine the cream, milk, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Add the sliced potatoes and simmer 5 minutes, stirring gently, just until the cream thickens slightly and coats each slice.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, layer about a third of the potatoes in the baking dish, overlapping slightly.
- Pour over a third of the cream and scatter with a third of the cheese.
- Repeat with two more layers of potatoes, cream and cheese, finishing with cheese on top.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake 35 minutes.
- Uncover and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a knife slides through all the layers easily.
- Let rest 10 minutes before cutting into squares; this gives the layers time to set so they hold their shape on the plate.
Good to Know
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic
Brussels sprouts win over the skeptics at this table when they come out blistered and almost black at the edges, not boiled pale the way most people remember them from childhood dinners.
Cut side down is the whole trick: it is the flat side touching the hot pan that caramelizes into something sweet, so do not crowd the sheet or they steam instead of char.
The bacon renders right alongside them, and a balsamic drizzle at the very end cuts the richness. Roast them in the oven’s last empty slot, whatever else is already in there at the same temperature.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
- 6 ounces bacon chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil, salt and pepper, then spread them cut-side down in a single layer; use two sheets if they are crowded.
- Scatter the chopped bacon over and around the sprouts.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, without stirring, until the cut sides are deeply browned and the bacon is crisp.
- Meanwhile, simmer the balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until it reduces to a syrup that coats a spoon.
- Transfer the sprouts and bacon to a serving bowl.
- Drizzle with the balsamic syrup and toss once, gently, right before serving.
Good to Know
Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls
Warm rolls at the table do more for how a dinner feels than almost anything else on it, and the trick is that they do not need to be fresh-baked the same afternoon.
Shape the dough into a pan the night before and let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight instead of on the counter; a cold, slow rise builds better flavor anyway, and it means the only job left on the day is twenty minutes in the oven.
Brush them with melted butter the second they come out, while the surface can still absorb it, and they will smell like a bakery long after the oven turns off.
Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for the counter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 1 standard packet
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup whole milk warmed to about 110F
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, plus 2 tablespoons melted for brushing
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the warm milk, softened butter and eggs, and mix with the dough hook on low speed until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.
- Increase to medium speed and knead 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
- Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 15 equal pieces, rolling each into a tight ball.
- Arrange the rolls in a buttered 9x13 inch pan, leaving a little space between each for the second rise.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, 8 to 12 hours.
- The next day, remove from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until puffy and nearly doubled again.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bake 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped.
- Brush immediately with the melted butter and let cool 5 minutes before pulling apart to serve.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans
Wild rice pilaf is the side that makes the table look finished without asking for oven space, since it simmers on the stovetop while everything else roasts.
Dried cranberries plump up right in the hot rice off the heat, and pecans toasted separately in a dry skillet keep their crunch instead of going soft in the steam. Contains tree nuts.
It reheats well with a splash of stock stirred in, so make it a day ahead if the stovetop is already busy with the stew.
Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend rinsed
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2/3 cup pecans chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and celery.
- Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
- Add the rinsed wild rice and stir to coat in the butter for 1 minute.
- Pour in the stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover.
- Cook 40 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and has split open, with most of the liquid absorbed; drain off any excess.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the dried cranberries, cover and let stand 5 minutes so they plump in the residual heat.
- Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan often, until fragrant.
- Fold the toasted pecans and parsley into the rice, season with salt and pepper, and serve warm.
Good to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
What time should New Year’s Eve dinner be served?
Most hosts serve New Year’s Eve dinner between 7 and 8 p.m. leaving a few hours for dessert, games and the countdown before midnight. Starting earlier gives everyone a second wind for the late hours ahead.
What foods are considered good luck to eat on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day?
Black-eyed peas, leafy greens, pork and round foods like grapes are traditionally eaten for luck, prosperity and a fresh start. The superstitions vary by region, so pick whichever feels festive rather than treating them as rules.
How far ahead can you prep a New Year’s Eve dinner party?
Most braises, bakes and doughs can be assembled one to two days ahead and finished with just baking or reheating on the night. Sauces and glazes also hold well in the fridge for up to 2 days.
What wine should you serve with a New Year’s Eve dinner?
A medium-bodied red like cabernet sauvignon suits beef and chicken, while a dry white or sparkling wine pairs better with salmon and seafood. Serve whichever bottle is already open in the kitchen for cooking.
Is it bad luck to eat chicken or turkey on New Year’s Eve?
Some traditions avoid poultry on New Year’s Eve because birds scratch backward, symbolically scratching away good fortune. It is a regional superstition rather than a universal rule, so plenty of tables serve roast chicken without consequence.
How many courses does a New Year’s Eve dinner need?
One main course with two or three sides is plenty for a sit-down New Year’s Eve dinner; most hosts skip a formal starter in favor of snacks during the countdown instead.
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