Deviled eggs are a necessity in a snack-filled dinner. (Photo: Mary Jane Miller)
By Haley Scarpino
My favorite way to celebrate New Year’s Eve is with a few people I love — the people who were in my life this year and will undoubtedly be in my life next year. My favorite way to celebrate with those people, or any people, is with food, and lately, my favorite food is snacking food, particularly of the retro variety.
Snacking food, or what I like to call “snacking dinner,” works particularly well for NYE. It’s generous without being overdone, designed for a long night when people drift in and out of the kitchen and eat whenever they feel like it. Snacking dinner isn’t the moment for culinary ambition or perfect timing. It’s about food that feels festive but still familiar and comforting in a way that invites everyone to relax, nibble and settle in as the clock counts down.
Relish Tray
A Midwest relish tray is essential. It’s the kind of thing that looks simple but keeps the whole spread in balance. It’s cool, crisp and refreshing — a reset between bites of richer food. A proper Midwest relish tray calls for carrot sticks, broccoli trees, gherkins, green and black olives, radishes, cherry tomatoes, green onions, cubes of mild cheddar, summer sausage and, in Des Moines, a tub of AE Dip — the gold standard. The tray works because it’s unfussy and generous, arranged to be grazed without explanation.
Caramelized Onion Dip & Chips
Ina Garten’s Caramelized Onion Dip makes any party feel special. Slowly cooking the onions until they are sweet and caramelized creates a depth of flavor that feels luxurious without being fancy. I always serve it with Simply Lay’s Potato Chips because they are the perfect thickness. They’re crisp, salty chips that stand up beautifully to the creamy, savory dip.
Deviled Eggs
My love for deviled eggs knows no boundaries. Deviled eggs are always welcome, no matter the event. They’re endlessly adaptable, easy to dress up with herbs, crème fraîche or even a little caviar, but I almost always keep them classic: good eggs, real mayonnaise, a little mustard, pickle relish, salt and pepper. The filling should be smooth, rich and familiar. The eggs are meant to be picked up and eaten in one or two bites, and they are always the first to disappear.
Little Smokies
Little smokies belong in a NYE spread because they’re nostalgic, slightly ridiculous and universally loved. Just three ingredients — mini smoked sausages, barbecue sauce and grape jelly — go into the slow cooker and turn into something glossy, sticky and impossible to stop eating. Little smokies must be served with toothpicks.
Brownies
For something sweet, I stay on theme and serve something timeless, which is exactly why boxed brownies are perfect. I’ve spent the last 10 years or so trying to make homemade brownies that taste as good as boxed brownies and have finally concluded: If the perfect brownie exists, why am I trying to recreate it? I like to cut them small so I can eat them in one or two bites — no utensils necessary.
The Balance
A balanced spread is everything at a snacking dinner party. There should be something fresh, something salty, something carby, something meaty, something creamy, something hot, something cold and, of course, something sweet. When every craving has a place to land, guests graze freely, reconsider their favorites and eat according to their own internal clock. That’s the beauty of this kind of spread: It’s relaxed and generous, designed for lingering and second helpings.
Haley Scarpino is a chef, home cook, recipe tester, food editor and graduate of the Iowa Culinary Institute. And if things go according to plan, she’ll start Thanksgiving morning with a pan of pumpkin bread pudding.
