I can’t believe there are only a few hours left in 2015 and it’s been a whole year since my roommate and I threw an amazing New Year’s Eve party! We went with an elegant, yet simple menu that had people talking about our party well into January! In order to minimize the amount of alcohol we needed to buy, we asked everyone to bring sparkling wine which was used as part of our signature drink, a Lemon Drop Champagne cocktail! Below you’ll find all the details about the menu along with some tips & tricks!

The Menu

Savory Bites 

Mashed Potato Bar with Hot Sauce, Barbecue Sauce, Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese, Bacon, & Green Onions

Pulled Pork Sliders with Coleslaw

Caprese Pops

Poppers

Philly Soft Pretzel Tray

Sweet Bites

Mini Brownies with Cream Cheese Icing

Mini Angel Food Cupcakes with Strawberry Prosecco Frosting

Drinks

Lemon Drop Champagne Cocktail

Pineapple Vodka

Assorted Beer, Wine, & Mixed Drinks

Tips & Hints

Mashed Potato Bar: I made the mashed potatoes earlier in the day and kept them warm in a slow cooker. For serving, I used an ice cream scoop and short clear plastic glasses. I served the sauces & sour cream in plastic condiment bottles (I found them for $0.99 at Walmart).

Lemon Drop Champagne Cocktail: Instead of mixing the vodka lemonade mixture and champagne together, I served the vodka lemonade mixture in a beverage dispenser (aka my orange Gatorade container that was covered in festive wrapping paper) and had everyone fill their glass half with the vodka and half with champagne. That way the punch didn’t lose its fizz and we didn’t have to buy all of the champagne!

Glasses: For the champagne cocktail, I actually used real glasses. Right before the holiday’s IKEA had an amazing deal on their champagne flutes (a 6-pack for less than $2) and I bought more than enough for New Year’s Eve. In order to prevent people from losing their glasses, I bought Crayola Window Markers so everyone could write their names on their glass. It really made the night special and caused a lot a buzz!

Other: If you’re going to have a large party, definitely put out cards identifying all the food. That way people don’t have to find you to ask questions and are far more likely to try something new!