New Years Eve Menu

Celebrating the coming year or saying goodbye to the current one usually calls for a celebration. If you are looking for something to serve to your family, guests, or just yourself…or are bringing something to another party, here are some ideas that may surprise you.

Spinach Hot Dip Bread

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons, butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup milk
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper
• 1 ½ cups chopped onion
• 1 package (10 ounce) fresh baby spinach
• 4 ¼ cups shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 (24 ounce) sourdough round
• 1 tablespoon chopped chiles
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and whisk to form a roux. Gradually add milk and cream, whisking so no lumps remain. Reduce heat and stir occasionally until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile melt ¼ cup butter in a large pot. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add spinach and cook until liquid has evaporated.
• Pour milk mixture into spinach mixture. Stir to combine. Add parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat
• Cut into the sourdough round almost to the bottom crust, into one-inch thick slices but leaving the bottom crust intact. Place bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon mixture evenly between bread slices and top with chiles and mozzarella.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is brown and center is gooey.

Steak Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds steak cut into one-inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1/3 cup dry vermouth or balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

• Heat a large, cast iron skillet. Season steak with salt and pepper. Add oil to the skillet and when the oil is shimmering, cook the steak in two batches to desired doneness. Transfer steak to a large bowl. Do not wipe skillet clean.
• Reduce heat and add garlic and cook to golden brown.
• Add vermouth or balsamic vinegar and scrape the bottom of the skillet. Cook until liquid is reduced to about 3 tablespoons.
• Remove from heat the add butter until melted and creamy. Add worcestershire sauce and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
• Pour mixture over steak and toss to coat. Garnish with parsley.

Antipasto Rolls

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup pepperoncini, finely chopped
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• all-purpose flour for surface
• 1 sheet (from a 17.3 ounce box) frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 8 thin slices provolone
• 8 thin slices salami
• 8 thin slices pepperoni
• 8 strips roasted peppers
• ¼ cup romano or parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl combine pepperoncini, olives, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt to taste.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 10 X 10 inch square. Spread mixture over dough. Cut into 8 rectangles.
• Onto each rectangle place one slice: provalone, salami, pepperoni, and roasted pepper.
• Starting at the short side, roll dough into a tight log. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Brush tops with oil. Sprinkle with romano or parmesan.
• Refrigerate for one hour.
• Bake in an oven preheated to 400 until golden brown and puffy, about 20 minutes.

Mini Reubens

• 2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• ½ pound corned beef
• 6 slices swiss cheese
• ¾ cup sauerkraut
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• caraway seeds

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or with parchment paper.
• Unroll one tube of crescent rolls and pinch seams together. Bake 10 minutes or until barely golden.
• Layer corned beef, swiss, and kraut on top of par-baked crescent rolls. Top with second tube of rolls. Pinch seams and sides together. Brush with butter and sprinkle with caraway seeds and optionally salt.
• Bake until golden and dough is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes.
• Cut into squares and serve with Russian dressing.