We’re making each of these recipes step-by-step in a New Year’s Eve series on my Instagram and TikTok. Click to follow along!
The make-ahead, affordable New Year’s Eve party menu is below my thoughts on having a word of the year, instead of resolutions. Scroll down just a smidge to find the menu!
Many years ago, I was introduced to the concept of a word of the year, versus resolutions. Choosing a theme to guide your planning and actions in the upcoming year, rather than lofty goals and benchmarks you’ll pursue with gusto for a little… then file in the dustiest part of your archives.
The word of the year, though? It’s a concept, rather than a prescription, permeating your choices all year, keeping this one ideal in mind. Ever since I was offered this alternative to hardcore January pledges? Sold.
My words, over the years, have been everything from “level up" (Yes, two words, I know) to “growth” to “settle in.” All surrounding what’s going on in my life, my family, and my business.
This year, my word of the year is… Recover.
It’ll surprise approximately no one that the blog/website business has seen loads of changes and challenges of the last year, with AI becoming pedestrian, Pinterest being flooded with fabricated images, ChatGPT replacing real, tested recipes with scraped mash-ups of what we’ve worked on, tested, tweaked, re-tested, shot, and published. Things are just changing.
But how many times has this happened over the past 17 years that I’ve been doing this? Countless. Adaptation has always been part of the thrill of a business like this, and these circumstances are really no different.
So I’m hoping to recover any traffic that’s been lost, recover lost revenue from old sources and replace them with new streams from new sources, and generally stabilize after a foundation-rocking shift in how content is consumed.
It’s not just that, though… I have an even bigger, more literal recovery coming up, too. Early in 2026, I’ll be getting major abdominal surgery to repair my significant diastasis recti (separation of the abs) from having three babies. I’ve debated this surgery since my youngest was born and am finally staring my operation date in the eyes. I’m a bit excited, definitely looking forward to what it feels like to actually have core muscles that, uh, work, and… terrified of the recovery. Beyond just the pain, discomfort, and disruption to my routine, I’m not great at… not doing things. At sitting things out. At letting others help and do things for me because I can’t. At not doing yoga and tennis and running and being active every day so that my brain stays happy.
So recovery defines this season for me, and I’m willing myself to focus much of my 2026 on truly recovering, in so many senses of the word, instead of rushing through this necessary process.
What about you? Have you considered a word of the year over resolutions? What’s on your mind for 2026?
Affordable, Make-Ahead New Year’s Eve Party Menu
OK, why you’re really here. Let’s count down to this new year, babiesss.
Here’s what I wanted out of this menu:
Easy to make ahead
Affordable but
Not cheap
Still bougie and indulgent
A little theme-y
Not too theme-y
Boozy, duh
Here’s what’s on the menu:
Appetizer: Lobster dip (from my cookbook, coming soon!! Make sure you sign up here to get first dibs, because it’s really, really great)
Entree: Eye of round, served chilled, tenderloin-style, with caviar-service potato salad
Side: Holiday salad
Drinks: A pitcher of purple, glittery French 75s, made with Empress gin
Dessert: A themed countdown-inspired grazing board with fruit, cheese, and sweets
Why eye of round instead of tenderloin? Um, ma’am, have you seen tenderloin prices?? Eye of round is a similar cut that prefers similar treatment, and it’s delicious tender when done right. You can dry brine the meat with salt about a day ahead, and this makes the meat even juicier. And, of course, we’re serving chilled, sliced, and with plenty of creamy horseradish sauce.
Oh, and I know you’re over there like, “But Cheryl! You said affordable then put caviar in potato salad. In this economy?!” OK, and I hear you, a lot. Here’s the thing: during this time of year, caviar can be pretty affordable, if you look around and catch the right sale, you don’t use very much, you can totally use a cheap kind, and you can totally skip it without messing up the menu’s mojo at all.
Let’s get into it! I’m sharing the recipes below, and at the bottom of this post, you’ll find a step-by-step prep schedule to make hosting a breeze.
Lobster Dip
You’ll find this decadent dip highlighted in my cookbook in its own New Years Eve At Home spread, and I really think you’ll love it. Enter you email address here to know *exactly* when the cookbook preorders drop!
Ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
2 tbsp snipped chives
½ tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound cooked lobster meat, finely chopped
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup crushed kettle-cooked potato chips, plus whole chips for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheese, lemon zest, 1 ½ tbsp chives and the lemon juice. Fold in the lobster and season with salt and pepper. Scrape the dip into a small shallow baking dish and scatter the crushed potato chips on top.
Bake the dip for about 15 minutes, until hot and lightly browned on top. Sprinkle with chives for garnish and Serve with kettle-cooked potato chips.
Make Ahead: The unbaked dip can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.
Eye of Round with Creamy Horseradish Sauce and Caviar-Service Potato Salad (Caviar: Optional!!)
Beef
1 (3–4 lb) eye of round roast
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
Creamy Horseradish Sauce
½ cup crème fraîche
½ cup sour cream (or use all creme fraiche or all sour cream)
2–3 tablespoons prepared horseradish (add more for spicier)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt + pepper, to taste
Caviar-Service Potato Salad
2 lbs baby red potatoes, quartered
½ cup crème fraîche
¼ cup mayonnaise (or more crème fraîche)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons capers, drained (we have this lol)
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
¼ cup finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt + black pepper, to taste
Optional but fabulous: 1ish oz caviar or trout roe, plus more for serving
Optional: finely diced red onion (just a tablespoon or two)
The Beef
Preheat oven to 500°F.
Pat the roast dry. Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Rub all over the roast, then rub with Dijon and olive oil.
Place roast on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet.
Roast at 500°F for 10 minutes, then immediately reduce oven to 225°F (don’t open the door).
Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 120–125°F for medium-rare, about 1½–2 hours, depending on thickness.
Remove from oven, transfer to a board, and let cool completely.
Wrap tightly and chill at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Do not skip this part!
Horseradish Sauce
Whisk together crème fraîche, horseradish, lemon juice, chives, and Dijon. Season to taste. Chill until serving.
Make the Caviar Potato Salad
Add potatoes to a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until just fork-tender, about 10–12 minutes.
Drain well and let cool completely (spread on a sheet pan for speed).
Stir together crème fraîche, mayo, Dijon, capers, dill, chives, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
Fold the cooled potatoes into the dressing. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
Right before serving, if using caviar and/or red onion, gently fold some into the salad and reserve some for topping. Garnish with additional chopped chives.
Serving
Slice the chilled beef thinly (⅛–¼ inch). Arrange on a platter with the horseradish sauce and fresh herbs.
Spoon the potato salad into a bowl and top with additional caviar, dill, chives, and capers.
Tips for the Perfect Roast
The long, low finish is what keeps it tender. Don’t skip the overnight chill.
Always slice against the grain and as thin as possible.
If you want even juicier meat, dry-brine the roast 12–24 hours in advance with the salt only.
Holiday Salad
You can find that at 40aprons.com. She’s real, real good.
Empress French 75s
Base (Make Ahead)
1½ cups gin (Empress 1908 gin will make these dramatic and purple but any gin works)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup simple syrup (1:1 sugar + water)
A few shakes of edible glitter (optional but very TikTok)
1 cup cold water (to balance the acidity for a pitcher batch)
Right Before Serving:
1 bottle VERY cold Prosecco or Champagne
(Prosecco is cheaper and totally perfect for this!)Ice for glasses (NOT the pitcher)
Garnishes:
Thin lemon twists or wheels
Blackberries or Luxardo cherries
Make the best, either the morning-of or up to 24 hours ahead. In a large glass pitcher or jar, stir together:
gin
lemon juice
simple syrup
cold water
edible glitter (optional)
Refrigerate until fully chilled.
Right before serving, pour the entire bottle of very cold prosecco/sparkling wine/champagne into the pitcher. Gently stir (too much stirring will kill those beautiful bubbles!)
Pour into individual serving glasses and garnish with lemon twists, blackberries, or Luxardo cherries.
Countdown Grazing Board
OK, it’s a grazing board, but with… a twist? A little turn of the dragon clock… or, clock-tick, if you may. The entire board hinges on the hinge of clock hands, tick-tocking their way down to midnight. A little melted chocolate is piped onto stripped-bare Babybel cheeses (or Brie bites or macarons, if you prefer) and arranged like the numbers on a clock face. Little pirouline cookies function as clock hands, and poof, a lightly, elegantly themed dessert that allows for casual grazing, rather than formal, plated serving.
What you’ll need:
12 Babybel cheeses, Brie bies, or macaron
A little chocolate, melted, and piped onto the 12 cheeses or macarons in numbers 1-12
2 creme-filled wafer cookies, to be your clock hands
Grapes! You must have grapes. It’s legally required.
Other fresh fruit, like blueberries, blackberries, etc.
Charcuterie, like prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, etc., folded, rolled, or draped
Crackers, and if you can find these precious star-shaped lavash crackers, you’re in business
Any other fun extras that make sense to you, like chocolate bars, very roughly broken or chopped, truffles, honeycomb, spreads, whatever sounds good and, ideally, you’ve already got on hand
Garnishes: sugared cranberries, fresh sage, other fresh herbs, etc.
Prep Schedule
2 days before: optional brine
Beef: Brine eye of round, if desired.
1 day before: heavy-lifting day
Beef: Roast, cool completely, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
Horseradish sauce: Make, taste and adjust seasonings, chill in airtight container.
Potato salad: Make potato salad up until adding caviar. Don’t add that yet. Cover and refrigerate.
Lobster dip: Prep fully, cover, refrigerate.
Salad: Make dressing and refrigerate.
French 75s: Mix gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, water, glitter, if using. No bubbles yet.
Grazing board: Prep any fruit (wash & dry). Group everything in a fridge bin if you want to make it less overwhelming (I always want to make things less overwhelming). All optional.
Morning of NYE
Marvel at the fact that you’re all prepped, not frantically running around trussing things, chopping things, juicing things, baking things.
1–2 hours before guests arrive
Beef: Unwrap roast. Slice thin against the grain. Arrange on platter. Cover loosely and refrigerate (Cold sliced beef is totally the vibe).
Potato salad: Stir, correct seasonings. Gently fold in caviar, transfer to serving bowl, garnish lightly, keep chilled or at room temp if room is cool.
Holiday salad: As close to serving time as possible, toss greens with dressing, transfer to serving bowl, finish with toppings.
Grazing board: Assemble board fully. Cover loosely and refrigerate OR leave out if room is cool
15–30 minutes before guests arrive
Lobster dip: Pop the lobster dip in a 375º F oven for 15 minutes, then carefully set out. Garnish with fresh chives, if you want, and finish with plenty of kettle-cooked potato chips.
French 75s: Add very cold Prosecco/Champagne to pitcher. One gentle stir. Set out with garnishes
Final Set:
Set out beef, potato salad, dip, grazing board (if refrigerated)
Add serving utensils
Light candles, turn on music, party.
The Playlist
Speaking of music… I tried really hard to find exactly the right playlist for this event but came up with either cheesy holiday tunes or like, Pitbull. Instead, I opted for a chill, but not too chill, Olivia Dean-based playlist, and I think it really fits the bill. Try it out! We love Olivia Dean, right?!
OK, that’s all from me! I hope you have the BEST NEW YEAR’S EVE, and the very best 2026, too. We deserve a really great year, don’t we? We super do. Be safe, please, there’s gonna be crazies out on the roads that night! Call me when you get there. Love you bye!!!
XOXO
Cheryl