Host New Years

If you want to host something this New Years, keep things fun and fancy. So, yes this is a food blog, but we all want to eat...

This a fun deconstructed pizza dinner, but it's doable and a crowd pleaser.

It's ok to serve an inexpensive champagne like Cook's especially for all your thirsty guests. I know people expect Moet to flow like it's running from a faucet...(but)

First start off with snacks. What's going to work this New Years is pretzels, chips and a cheese board. There is no wrong way to make a cheese board. You just need a really good wood cutting board.

The picture below has really good items for a cheese board for starters.

Here is the written cheese board list:

Olives

Colby Cheese

Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Pepper Jack Cheese

Wheat Thins

Mixed Nuts

Raisins

Triscuits

Bunch of Grapes

Laughing Cow Wedges

MnM's

BUBBLY CHEESE GARLIC BREAD

New Year's Eve is all about the bubbly. So in addition to the champagne this bubbly, cheese garlic bread recipe will "WOW" on the dinner table. Serve with marinara sauce.

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 to 1 c. creamy Italian salad dressing

1 loaf Italian bread, halved lengthwise

2 c. shredded Cheddar, mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese (Italian blend of cheese is good also)

2 t. dried parsley

Directions:

Blend butter, garlic and salad dressing together in a small bowl. Place bread on a baking sheet, cut-side up. Spread butter mixture over both halves. Top with shredded cheese and parsley. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice each half into 8 pieces; serve warm. Makes 16 servings.

PIZZA PASTA BAKE

So instead of ordering pizza's make a pizza pasta bake the main dish. Add chicken wings, salad, Italian Soda or a good 2 liter of soda pop and enjoy with the garlic bread.

lb of Pasta ( I like farfalle)

1 Large onion diced

Minced garlic

1b of ground beef

1/2 lb of Italian sausage

1 Red pepper diced

10 oz Can of mushrooms

2 14 oz Cans diced tomatoes

2 Cups of pasta sauce

3 Cups of mozzarella cheese

1 Cup of sliced pepperoni

Italian seasoning

Red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a deep 9 x 13 inch pan.

2. Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain when ready and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, brown onion, garlic, beef and sausage in a large saucepan. Once browned, drain off any fat.

4. Add red pepper to pan and mushrooms to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes Stir in Italian seasoning, tomatoes and pasta sauce really well.

5. Add pasta to the meat mixture.

6. Pour pasta and meat mixture into the greased 9 x 13 pan.

7. Top with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.

8. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and pasta is heated through.

9. Let cool and sprinkle lightly with red pepper flakes.

Dessert

Finally, dessert this New Years is a really good white sheet cake. With White icing so you can decorate it for the festivities.

1 Box of white cake mix

I box of instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1/3 cup of oil

1 cup milk instead of water

1/2-1 stick of melted butter

White icing and Decorations

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to temperature recommended on the box.

2. Mix cake mix and dry pudding together

3. Pour one cup milk instead of water

4. Add 4 eggs at room temperature (extra egg beyond what the box says)

5. Add oil amount on box

6. Add 1 stick of melted butter.

7. Cook according recommendations of box in a 9 x 13 pan

8. When finished let cake cool to room temperature

9. Ice with white frosting and any decorations for the New Year.

Happy New Year