Social Media Roundup New Year Menu Collections

Ever wonder why many Southerners eat certain foods to ring in the new year? Or, what are the traditional foods that make up a Southern New Year's menu and how they came to be?  Read on to find out AND grab some great recipes too, straight from Deep South Dish!

I learned when I shared the image above on my Facebook page, that not every single Southerner today buys into the traditions, and they sure let me know.

That's okay for them, but some of us stand by these rituals year after year as the New Year rolls in!

I'm not a particularly superstitious person myself, but somehow I just don't seem right unless I have some kind of pork on New Year's Day along with some kind of greens or cabbage and always black-eyed peas and cornbread. Besides y'all. It's all so tasty!

For me, it's a bit of a nod to those who came before me, as well as a nod to our future generations that when things seem dire, there is always hope.

I've provided the history, well as I know it, as to why these things are traditional, along with a variety of my classic recipes for each of those elements.

Just tap or click on the photo above or this link to get your choices for your New Year's Day pork roast, greens, black-eyed peas and cornbread - there are a lot of recipes, just scroll through them to find your own favorite!

Of course can't miss the party before too!

I've gathered up some of my favorite appetizers for New Year's Eve including Grape Jelly Sausages or Meatballs, Shrimp and Grits, Sausage Cheese Balls, Green Chile Cheese Squares, Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Stuffed Potatoes, Sausage Hanky Pankies, Chex Mix and much much more, including the "after party" things you might need, and for convenience, some of the next day recipes as well.

Tap on the champagne glasses above or this link to check out all of the New Year's Eve goodness!

Happy New Year y'all!

Image Credit: istockphoto.com
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An old school party food, made with a mixture of sausage and beef, seasonings and cheese on tiny party bread.

Hanky Pankies Appetizers

In the world of my favorite old school appetizers, these Hankie Pankies are right up there in the category some folks call "trash" food as 7-Layer Mexican Dip, Sausage Balls, Chex Mix and Rumaki. I made these for our Super Bowl party and oh my goodness they are soooo good y'all!

I actually drafted the recipe to the blog years ago and have made them several times, but just never got around to publishing them for some reason. One thing is for sure - there are just not a lot of ways to photograph these little bites of deliciousness to make them look pretty, but heck... the taste sure makes up for it.

Black-eyed Pea Jambalaya - Deep South Hoppin' John

Our Deep South version of the lowcountry favorite, Hoppin' John, this Black-eyed Pea Jambalaya contains bacon, ham, spicy smoked sausage, black-eyed peas and rice.

Deep South Hoppin' John

Black-eyed Pea Jambalaya is just the way we down here in The Deep South look at what most other southerners call Hoppin' John, but let me tell you. I have seen lots of folks, from magazines to big bloggers, being scolded by Hoppin' John purists all around the internet here lately for incorrectly referring to a dish of black-eyed peas as Hoppin' John, because the newer trend lately seems to be serving black-eyed peas over rice and calling it Hoppin' John.

As always, just scroll down the page a bit past the chit-chat to get right to the recipe and a printable, otherwise...

A great cold weather soup, this delicious beans and greens soup starts with a chicken base and includes both black-eyed peas and collard, mustard or turnip greens.

Greens and Black-Eyed Pea Soup

This super quick and easy recipe for Greens and Black-eyed Pea Soup is a basic take on good ole beans and greens, but in a soup form. You can use any greens and southern pea that you prefer, and it won't matter a bit.

A lovely pimento cheese made with roasted red peppers.

Roasted Red Pepper Pimento Cheese

I don't what it is about pimento cheese, but I sure love it.

Yeah, I even like the stuff in the little containers in the refrigerator case at the market, though I admit, homemade is so much more delicious, and just super easy to throw together.

A southern favorite, and of course, like most traditional and old fashioned recipes, every southern cook has their own way of making it too. I happen to have a couple of my own, but I love this one that replaces those little jars of chopped pimiento peppers with flavorful roasted red peppers.

Delicious little mini burgers made with very thin meat patties, melted cheese and real minced onion.

Homemade Mini Burger Beef Sliders

These aren't an authentic copycat of the original White Castle sliders, because I haven't actually ever had a White Castle slider. They weren't a part of my south, though we did have Krystal's little yummy burgers. They sure were a favorite late night after-party snack after a long night of dancing back in the days of disco.

Yes, y'all... I am that old. In the craziness of the world we currently live in, I actually kinda miss those days a bit.

Southern seasoned collard greens made with smoked pork hocks, or other smoked meats, and served with raw onion, vinegar pepper sauce and cornbread or hoecakes on the side.

Southern Style Collard Greens

Collard greens and ham hocks were just meant to be together in my opinion. I mean, is there possibly anything more southern than a big bowl of southern style collard greens, made with ham hocks and a couple of hoe cakes tucked into the corner of the bowl? I absolutely adore collards personally, and really, though you can use a few other types of meats to season them with, ham hocks rule.

Traditional Southern New Year's Day Recipes

Ever wonder why Southerners eat certain foods to ring in the new year? Or, what are the traditional foods that make up a Southern New Year's menu and how they came to be? Read on to find out!

I don't know about 'round the rest of the country, but most Southerner's wouldn't dare allow the New Year to pass without eatin' some kind of pork, often a roast, sometimes a ham, a big ole mess o' black-eyed peas (or some other form of southern cowpeas) and greens of some kind, often either collard greens, turnip greens, or good ole, basic southern fried cabbage.

It's a tradition, steeped in both superstition and hope for better days ahead that we participate in the first of every year, and important enough that even people who don't particularly care for greens or black-eyed peas - such as The Cajun himself - make sure that they at least have a bite of both of 'em - though to be honest, tradition says it is best to ensure that you get at least 365 peas in your body on New Year's Day just to account for the whole year. Might as well just eat a "mess of 'em" I reckon, just to be on the safe side!

All controversy aside on preferred ingredients for cornbread, in my mind there really is only one thing that truly sets southern cornbread apart. It's always best cooked in a screaming hot, cast iron skillet.

Southern Skillet Cornbread

Skillet cornbread is a southern staple. Baked in a preheated, sizzling hot oiled cast iron skillet, it produces a beautiful crunchy crust on the bottom, and that is what makes it so unique. But cornbread in The South can certainly be cause for debate, that's for sure.

Southern seasoned baked beans with chili sauce, mustard, brown sugar, bacon, onion and bell pepper - they're a cookout tradition! Pictured here with grilled ribs, Mama's Southern potato salad and marinated tomatoes.

Classic Southern Style Baked Beans

I have been cooking my baked beans pretty much this same way since the 70s. And all those years I have been doing them in this old Pyrex dish.

Well... that is until one day I dropped it and broke it. This was a wedding gift back then and I can't tell you how many potlucks that little carrier basket has been to over the years! {I told y'all I had some old dishes, though I guess the politically correct way to say that would be "vintage."}

Fresh chicken wings, done up Buffalo-style, are given a quick deep fry, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then tossed in a buttery hot sauce. Serve this with a homemade sour cream, mayonnaise and blue cheese dipping sauce.

Buffalo-Style Hot Wings with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

The Cajun and I are kinda tiring of all the holiday leftovers now, so most everything went into the freezer today and I decided to make some hot wings to go along with the football watchin' since we only really wanted a snack. Now, I have never been to Buffalo, so I won't even begin to pretend that these are authentic Buffalo Wings, but let's just safely say they are chicken wings done Buffalo "style."

Southern Style Shortcut Corned Beef and Cabbage

My favorite way to do corned beef and cabbage is a shortcut, using canned corned beef with a basic braised cabbage recipe.

Shortcut Corned Beef and Cabbage

I've done my corned beef with cabbage this way for as long as I can remember. Frankly, it's pretty darned near perfect for my culinary appetite, plus it's easy, it's fast and it's good. Works for me! (and yeah, yeah, I know... the stuff in the can is not "technically" real corned beef, and that's just fine with me!)

New Year Appetizers and Party Food Menu Ideas

Everything you need for your New Year's Eve party from beverages to dips, appetizers to seafood dishes and all the traditional New Year's Day eats, all in one place from Deep South Dish!

NEW YEAR'S EVE
MENU IDEAS and PARTY FOODS

Boiled Drinking Custard

Beverages

Holiday Sangria
Southern Mimosas
Pomegranate Cosmos
Party Punch (Alcohol Free)
Milk Punch
Hair of the Dog Classic Bloody Mary
Spiked and Spiced Hot Chocolate
Homemade Eggnog

More Beverages and Cocktails

Grape Jelly Cocktail Meatballs and Smokies Sausages

 

Grape jelly meatballs, made with homemade or frozen meatballs, chili sauce and grape jelly, are classic south and always a crowd favorite for any gathering.

Grape Jelly Cocktail Meatballs

Cocktail meatballs with grape jelly sauce. As country as that may sound to some, these little meatballs - and sometimes little smokies (or Lit'l Smokies) sausages - drenched in a sauce of grape jelly with tomato based chili sauce is just outright loved down south. I think it will always be.

Classic old fashioned sausage cheese balls made with baking mix, breakfast sausage and cheese.

Old Fashioned Sausage Cheese Balls

Old fashioned sausage cheese balls have been around for many years, and though some folks like to slam them for being unsophisticated, they have always been a good ole stand-by for any gathering or party that I've ever attended. They appeared on the tables of every single shower or wedding that Mama and her sisters ever catered. So easy to make, tasty and everybody loves them! And super simple ingredients too - in their purist form, simply baking mix (I prefer Pioneer brand buttermilk version), cheese and sausage. I've add a few seasonings, and it's always sharp cheese and Jimmy Dean hot sausage for me!

 

Classic spinach and artichoke dip, made with spinach, cream cheese, mayonnaise, Monterey Jack cheese, garlic, canned artichokes and Knorr seasonings is always a crowd pleaser for any gathering.

Classic Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Another long-time party favorite! You know, I actually see kids diving into this dip at parties.

I prefer to still use the old school recipe using the Knorr vegetable mix (#ad) for seasoning because I think it's the best, but for more of an Applebees copycat or other variations, be sure to check out the variation in the recipe cook's notes too

Cream Cheese and Hot Pepper Jelly Dip

Cream Cheese and Hot Pepper Jelly Dip

Cream cheese covered with hot pepper jelly, is one of those non-recipe recipes really, unless you might want to make your own hot pepper jelly, but this dip is always a big hit at parties and gatherings so give it a try at your next gathering and see how your guests react.

Now you can go and fancy it up if you want to by scooping the cream cheese into a shaped dish and maybe putting just enough pepper jelly to just dress the top, but honestly I find it works best not to dress it up at all, but to just lay that block of cream cheese out just as it is in all of it's rectangular glory, and pretty much just dump the pepper jelly over the top and let it ooze down the sides and pool up into the bowl.

Pecan and Pimento Cheese Finger Sandwiches

Pecan and Pimento Cheese Finger Sandwiches

Now I love pimiento cheese all ways - good ole basic homemade, made with roasted red peppers, and yeah, even the fluorescent orange, goopey store-bought stuff - but if you usually buy the grocery store pimiento cheese spread, then this recipe is a bit different than the spread you are accustomed to.

Much less mayonnaise than most home recipes, and an addition of cream cheese and pecans (which you can leave out if you prefer) and garlic, it's a bit of a unexpected flavor surprise to the mouth, though be sure to label it for those with nut allergies!

Basic pimento cheese spread, made with sharp cheddar cheese, chopped pimentos, mayonnaise, and for me, a little hot sauce, Cajun seasoning and Worcestershire.

Classic Pimento Cheese

Classic pimento cheese, in its purest form is simply shredded yellow, or sometimes white cheddar, anywhere from mild to extra sharp, according to personal taste, and chopped or pureed pimentos and sometimes, canned or freshly roasted red peppers instead.

Add a little pure mayonnaise, or depending on where you grew up in the South, even Miracle Whip salad dressing (but never at my house growing up). Traditionally, that'll be served up on white bread too - Bunny bread being our personal preference. That's about it, although there is many a Southern cook who is determined that she or he has that one secret ingredient they don't want to reveal to anybody.

A great Southern appetizer! Cheese straws are buttery, cheesy crisp crackers that make an appearance at parties, showers and just about any gathering in the South. 

Southern Cheese Straws

Far as I know, cheese straws are a very southern thing and so darned tasty!

Excellent finger snack for parties too. You are fairly warned though right here and now ... they are literally addictive. For a party, you'll likely want to do two batches of this recipe.