Are you expecting guests this New Year’s Eve and need different menu options? Look no further. Rather than organizing a sit-down meal, buffet-style bites are in vogue this holiday season, offering your guests the opportunity to socialize while indulging in delicious food.
These recipes are easy to put together and can all be eaten with ease standing up, talking, or even with a drink in hand. From pulled pork sandwiches to lobster rolls, our list of carefully-curated recipes are just perfect for welcoming friends and family into your home.
Make the most of your Le Creuset collection this holiday season and ring in the new year in style. Our cookware is crafted with premium materials, ensuring both its usability and durability for years to come. Whether it is a Dutch Oven, or the ever-reliable iron handle skillet, Le Creuset cookware is made to last, allowing you to tackle new recipes and cooking techniques with the minimum of fuss.
Here are 9 buffet-style recipes for your big New Year’s Eve bash.
Three-Onion Pizza
The holiday season calls for some home-made pizza, and our three-onion pizza recipe is the answer. Simply mix the yeast and water along with flour, salt, and a dash of olive oil to make the dough and knead it for 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Once the dough has been properly kneaded, divide it into two and let rise for one hour.
Next comes time to roll out the dough and spread a generous coating of ricotta all over. The final step before enjoying this pizza is to add the prosciutto, onion, tomato, chopped oregano and torn mozzarella and bake the pizza for approximately eight minutes on a Large Sheet Pan. When ready, divide the dish into smaller bites and offer your guests a fresh slice of home-made pizza before the ball drops.
Of course, this recipe can be prepared in many different cooking vessels, including a Pizza Pan, an Iron Handle Skillet, a Braiser, and even a Dutch Oven.
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Pulled Pork Sandwiches
This southern classic epitomizes what finger food should be and makes for a great addition to your New Year’s Eve menu. Our pulled pork sandwiches recipe elevates this classic dish, transforming it into a delicious bite-sized treat.
The trick is getting the sauce just right by mixing the barbecue sauce with chicken stock, brown sugar, and vinegar. Once the sauce is mixed, sear the pulled pork in your Dutch Oven or braiser to drain away all the excess fat. With the pork sizzling, introduce the barbecue sauce and bring the Dutch Oven to a simmer.
Ideally, the pork should slow-cook for three hours until it is fall-off-the-bone tender and occasionally be turned. The Dutch Oven will take care of the rest, locking in all the rich flavours and basting the meat until it is ready. Serve on warmed buns with coleslaw and pickles and add another delicious dish to your New Year’s Eve buffet.
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Beet Slaw
Our beet slaw recipe is the side dish you didn’t know your New Year’s Eve menu needed. Easy to put together with a delicious blue ranch dressing draped over it, this dish has all the potential to become a staple in your household.
Begin by thinly slicing the beetroots in rounds and finely shredding the cabbage along with the onions. Next, peel the fennel into small shavings and place in a cold bowl of water for 10 minutes. Finish by mixing all the ingredients of the dressing together, including cremezola cheese, tangy mayonnaise, and plain yogurt.
Serve in Le Creuset coupe bowls depending on how many guests you’re expecting and enjoy! This recipe takes under an hour and serves up to eight people.
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Individual Meat and Cheese Pies
Meat pies are a classic in many households across Canada throughout the holiday season and could feature on your menu. Our individual meat and cheese pie recipe offers a unique twist on this traditional dish by adding slow-cooked squash into the mix.
Begin by browning all sides of the beef in your Dutch Oven, before introducing the onions, bacon, thyme, and sage. Add in the stock, beer and Worcestershire sauce and cook all the ingredients together for an hour and a half on a medium-low simmer.
Once the beef is cooked how you want it, start layering out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and start rolling. After refrigerating the puff pastries for 30 minutes, divide the beef stew accordingly and grate cheese atop it. Finish by sealing the edges of the dough together.
Bake your individual meat pieces in mini au gratin dishes for 30 minutes! This recipe may require an element of finesse at first but will quickly become a favourite once mastered. For more information, watch how these individual meat and cheese pies are prepared.
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Korean Scallion Pancakes
Our Korean scallion pancake recipe provides a unique Asian twist on a traditional pancake recipe. You will need a rectangular griddle to pull this dish off, ensuring the shrimp becomes perfectly crispy. If your Le Creuset collection is lacking this piece of cookware, fret not, that’s what the holidays are for.
Start by combining the flour, ice water and egg mixture, and stir in the kimchi, sliced green onion whites and gochugaru. Once the griddle is on medium heat, cook the shrimp in sesame oil for one minute on each side until completely cooked through.
The next step is where the fun begins. Spread the batter onto the preheated griddle into a neat circle and top with green onion strips. Cook the pancakes until the bottom achieves a golden consistency and serve them warm topped with the shrimps alongside the dipping sauce.
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Pork Dumplings
This list would not be complete without at least one recipe done in the iron handle skillet. Our pork dumplings are easy to put together and offer your guests another delightful Asian-themed New Year’s Eve dish.
Start by combining the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl for the dough and gradually add water. Knead the dough for approximately five minutes until it is very smooth and let it rise. This typically takes about an hour.
The pork filling comes next. Heat up the iron handle skillet and start cooking the cabbage and mushrooms until they soften. Once complete, introduce the pork along with hoisin, ginger, Chinese 5-spice, and half of the chopped chives or green onions. The pork will absorb all the rich flavours of the surrounding spices, ensuring your dumplings will not be lacking in taste.
Finish by cutting the dough into 16 equal portions and placing the cooled pork mixture at the heart of it. Gently twist the dough to seal it firmly and cook the dumplings in the iron handle skillet when your guests are arriving.
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Lobster Rolls
Sticking with the theme of bite-sized treats, our lobster rolls recipe is the fresh treat your New Year’s Eve menu is missing. This dish derives its inspiration from the traditional New England style sandwich, and is especially good during lobster season, dating from the beginning of May until the end of June.
Bring your stockpot to a boil and plunge the lobster into it headfirst. The lobster should be cooked for approximately nine minutes before being carefully removed. This can equally be done in a Round Dutch Oven.
Shell the lobster and cut into large pieces after it cools and set it aside. Next, combine the mayonnaise, crème fraîche, mustard, lemon zest and juice and 1 tbsp (15 ml) each of chives and chervil to make the topping.
Once completed, cook the lobster pieces in browned butter for one or two minutes. Toss the lobster in the mayonnaise sauce and serve inside lightly toasted hotdog buns New England style.
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All Beef Tacos
Our all beef tacos recipe is yet another great recipe when hosting parties, offering guests a delicious bite in a perfectly baked corn tortilla. This dish can easily be transformed into a vegan or vegetarian friendly meal by simply swapping out the ground beef for a green alternative.
Begin by heating a medium skillet and lightly browning an onion until it softens. Next, add the ground beef with garlic and cook for approximately eight and 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the meat. Once complete, introduce all the spices, including chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, with the beef broth, and corn and bring it to a simmer.
Ultimately, how you assemble your tacos is entirely up to you. This recipe, however, relies on the classic ingredients, such as sour cream, radishes, green onion, jalapeños, salsa, and cheese. This dish takes under 30 minutes to prepare and is good for six servings.
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Coquilles Saint Jacques
A classic in French cuisine, diversify your skillset in the kitchen this holiday season with our Coquilles Saint Jacques recipe. This dish is essentially the French preparation of scallops in a creamy sauce under a crust of breadcrumbs, and this is no different from our recipe.
Start by searing the scallops for about one to two minutes on either side before removing them from the pan. With the pan still hot, melt two tablespoons of butter and sauté mushrooms in the skillet until they begin to soften.
Once the skillet is deglazed, stir in the cream and oregano and bring to a simmer along with the scallops. The final step is the simplest of all four and entails evenly dividing the mushroom mixture into the four shallow stoneware dishes. Add three scallops for each portion and broil until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Serve this dish hot for added flavour!
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The focus of New Year’s Eve is all about starting off 2022 on the right foot alongside your loved ones. Instead of slaving over the stove, why not opt for a buffet-style menu offering your guests a variety of delicious options? These recipes are easy to put together, require little preparation and offer you the ability to enjoy yourself without worrying about anything burning on the stove.
Whether you want to make home-made pizza, or Coquilles Saint-Jacques, Le Creuset cookware is here to elevate your holiday cooking with the very best materials. Our premium cookware even makes for a wonderful gift over the holidays for the chef in your family!
These were just nine of our favourite buffet-style recipes that are ideal for your New Year’s Eve party. For more inspiration, visit our featured recipes and step up your cooking game this holiday season with some of our favourite meals.
