Prepare for your NYE 2023 party in two hours
New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to be a chore. From speedy nibbles to quick puff pastry treats, here’s how you can prepare for a party in two hours or less.
Do you have unexpected guests? Or are you just too busy to find time to prepare? Never fear, these quick tricks will have you party-ready in a flash.
Prep the drinks
Here’s a clever hack to chill sparkling wine in just 10 minutes! Instead of just adding ice to the ice bucket, pour in some salt and a little cold water too. The salt lowers the freezing point of the water, making the temperature in the bucket even colder so your wine is chilled to perfection.
Speedy nibbles
There’s probably nothing as fast as opening a bag of chips or pretzels, but you can give these snacks a homemade touch by serving them with one of these easy dips. Make an avocado dip by mashing up 2 large avos in a bowl along with 2 tablespoons of lime juice or make a speedy satay dip by combining smooth peanut butter with coconut milk and sweet chilli sauce. Have some extra time? Spray pita breads with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika, then cut into triangles and pop in the oven until they turn crispy for the perfect crunchy dipper.
Breezy bruschetta
This Italian starter usually consists of grilled bread rubbed with olive oil and garlic and then topped with fresh tomatoes and basil, however you can serve it with almost any toppings you have available. Keep it simple with some deli faves like marinated capsicum and olives or jazz things up with roasted beetroot and thin slivers of pear.
Eggs galore
It only takes a few minutes to make mini quiches and frittatas using eggs and cream and you can fill them with practically any ingredient in your vegie drawer. Otherwise, go a little retro with this updated version of devilled eggs. Remove the yolks from the hard-boiled eggs and mash them with mustard, mayo, chilli sauce and chives. Then pipe the yolk mixture back into the egg and top with sweet maple-candied bacon for the perfect pop-in-the-mouth treat.
Puff’s the stuff
Have puff pastry in the freezer? This magic ingredient can practically cater your party by itself. Twist it into fingers and sprinkle with cheese for the easiest-ever cheese straws or line the base of muffin pans to make little vol-au-vent cases. Bake it in a tart pan and then use it as the base of an easy caprese tart or top with strawberries and cream for an off-the-cuff sweet treat. Wrap puff pastry around frankfurters and bake for the world’s quickest sausage rolls or stuff with curry and fold into triangles for a not-too-traditional samosa. And if you have any leftover scraps of pastry at the end, you can sprinkle them with cheese and sesame seeds for some crunchy bites that your guests won’t be able to stop munching.
Skewer it
Kebab skewers make entertaining a cinch. For savoury options, try a combination of ham slices and pineapple wedges, or barbecued salmon with shallots and limes . For something sweet, thread fresh fruit onto the skewers and serve with a bowl of yoghurt for dipping.
For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.
Originally published as Prepare for your NYE 2023 party in two hours
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