New Year’s Eve is one of the year’s best excuses to throw a big shindig, but it’s not generally a sit-down-and-eat-a-meal affair. Rather, you’ll likely be serving pass-around apps or setting up a grazing table of sorts, which means finger foods and easy-to-eat appetizers are called for. And if you’ve been blessed afield this fall and winter, you might have a freezer bursting with wild game just begging to be used up. In that case, try a couple of these recipes to spice up your New Year’s Eve party this year.
Photo courtesy of Wild Game and Fish
Sweet & Sour Venison Meatballs
My go-to party appetizer is an embarrassingly simple classic: Frozen meatballs heated in a slow cooker with grape jelly and chili sauce. Everyone loves them, and this recipe from Wild Game & Fish is a kicked-up version that substitutes homemade venison meatballs and chokecherry jelly. It’s a great way to use up ground venison, which we always have more of than anything else, and you can make the meatballs the day before, then toss it all in a Dutch oven or slow cooker the day of the party to free up your time (and your oven) for other things. To be honest, I’m not sure I can find chokecherry jelly where I live, but I still have time to order it on Amazon!
Photo courtesy of Sausage Maker
Loaded Venison Queso Dip
Everyone knows it’s not a party without chips and dip, so try this recipe from Sausage Maker that uses ground venison, Velveeta, shredded Monterey jack and more to make a souped-up, wild-game version of the classic Velveeta-and-Rotel dip we all love. It’s another great way to use up ground venison, and this is one of those dishes that guests will return to all night. If your slow cooker isn’t already full holding those meatballs we just talked about, it’s an ideal serving vessel for queso—although I have to admit, the presentation value of the cast-iron skillet in the photo is off the charts.
Photo courtesy of Peak to Plate
Grouse Satay with Peanut Sauce
Meat on a stick is another classic party food, but it doesn’t have to be basic and boring. Enter this Grouse Satay recipe from Peak to Plate, which can be used with any upland bird. It starts with a coconut-milk-based marinade, which I’d recommend you do the night before to save time and build flavor. You can also build your peanut sauce the night before and heat it up the day of, or even choose to buy it at the store. At party time, it’s a simple matter of skewering the meat, throwing on a hot grill for a few minutes, and serving with the peanut sauce and some toppings. Added bonus: This recipe is really well-written, with lots of photos and plenty of helpful advice.
Photo courtesy of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook/honest-food.net
Duck Sliders
Sticking with the classic-party-food theme, you can’t go wrong with sliders, which are of course just mini burgers with a cooler name. I wouldn’t normally use wild duck in my burgers, but as far as I’m concerned, Hank Shaw is THE waterfowl guy, and if he says it works, I trust his recipe! You’ll need a grinder, as he has you grinding duck or goose breasts up with bacon to mold into patties, but after that, the recipe follows a pretty standard burger procedure. You can fry them in a skillet or throw them on the grill—especially handy if you’re already cooking up those grouse skewers. This recipe is for a pound of meat and 16 sliders, so scale it up according to how many guests you’re hosting.
Photo courtesy of Wild Game Cuisine/nevadafoodies.com
Antelope Taquitos
Taquitos are simple to prep ahead of time and easy to eat, and even kids love them. This recipe from Nevada Foodies calls for ground antelope. Any kind of ground wild game would work just as well, but there’s something appropriate about pairing antelope meat with green chilis. The recipe calls for roasting the chilis on an outdoor grill, but I have done it on a gas stove burner just as well, and it even works in the oven (split the peppers open and lay them skin-side-up on a cooking sheet, then broil until charred). Peeling the chilis is the worst part of this recipe, and after that, it’s just browning and seasoning the meat, building the taquitos and baking them. Remember: These are not burritos, so don’t overfill them or they’ll be a mess to eat!
Photo courtesy of MeatEater
Bear Confit in Pic-a-Nic Baskets
If you’re looking for something a little (or a lot) more upscale, this oh-so-fancy MeatEater recipe for Bear Confit in Pic-a-Nic Baskets should fill the bill—it’s bordering on hoity-toity in the best sense of the phrase. It starts with cubed bear meat and bear fat, and it’ll take several days to make the confit, so you’d better get moving if you want to serve this on Dec. 31. Making a dozen or more little potato baskets in a muffin tin isn’t exactly a quick process, either, but it’s no complicated, and there are surprisingly few ingredients for such a show-stopping recipe that’s sure to impress.
