20 New Years Day Lunch Ideas From Cheesy Sliders to Soup Bowls
Looking for new years day lunch ideas that go beyond another sandwich? Think black-eyed peas, cheesy pasta bakes or a big bowl of noodles.
These pictures give you plenty to choose from, whether you’re setting out lunch for a group or keeping things small.
You can keep it simple or go all out. I especially love the little sliders and the festive grazing board.
Pick a main dish you like, then add a side if you want a little more on the table.
Lunch ideas to start the year
black-eyed peas and browned meat
We’re starting off strong with this pot of black-eyed peas and big pieces of browned meat. I love how the peas fill every little space around the meat, with plenty of dark sauce showing through.
For your new years lunch, you could serve a bowlful with cornbread on the side.
a clock-centered grazing board
How cute is this clock centerpiece? The crackers circle right around it, with shrimp, folded sliced meats, grapes and little cheese stars filling the rest of the board.
If you want your new years lunch ideas to feel a little more festive, try star-shaped bowls like these. Keep the mirror-ball decorations separate from the food when making your own version.
roast with cabbage and apples
If you are looking for a main dish to build lunch around, this one is for you. A browned roast sits in the middle of shredded cabbage, with red-skinned apple wedges tucked around the edges.
I’d bring the apple slices onto each plate rather than leaving them behind in the pot.
rice and black-eyed peas
This is another pretty way to bring black-eyed peas to the table. Here they’re mixed through rice with pink pieces of meat, red vegetable pieces and a scattering of green herbs.
Try serving yours in individual bowls if you want to keep lunch simple.
rice bowls with leafy greens
I love these rice bowls with all those dark leafy greens. The sliced green onions on top are such a nice finishing touch.
That bowl of bright pink onions on the side is worth borrowing too. Set out pickled onions separately so everyone can add their own.
a help-yourself soup table
Don’t want to plate everyone’s lunch individually? No problem!
Take inspiration from this soup table, with several pots lined up beside stacks of bowls and thick slices of bread.
Read also: 20 Quick Lunch Ideas for Busy Days That Make You Full
You don’t need to copy the whole spread. Two soup choices and a basket of bread would be a lovely place to start.
soup and grilled cheese strips
This soup-and-sandwich pairing may just be my favorite one so far. I love the browned bread and the cheese stretching between the cut pieces.
Cut your grilled cheese into strips like these to serve beside tomato soup. Such a simple little lunch idea!
Read also: 20 Budget Lunch Ideas for Work That Won't Wreck Your Wallet
lentil soup with vegetables
If you’re looking for a soup with lots going on in the bowl, go with this lentil idea. There are visible pieces of carrot, celery, tomato and leafy greens in the red broth.
Read also: 20 High Fiber Meals and Colorful Ideas for Your Weekly Menu
I’d pair it with plain bread and let the soup be the main event.
loaded toasted bagels
How good do these bagel sandwiches look? The seeded tops are golden, with pale sliced meat, folded pink meat and melted cheese peeking out underneath.
Try turkey, ham and your favorite melting cheese if you want to make a similar combination.
chunky steak chili
The chili fans are going to love this! Big pieces of steak sit alongside beans and red and green pepper pieces in a thick-looking red sauce.
For a help-yourself lunch, you could put shredded cheese and chopped green onions in little bowls beside the chili.
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a golden egg slice and salad
Don’t want to put together a big spread? Look no further because this golden baked egg wedge and salad pairing is for you.
I love the leafy greens running through the slice.
Read also: 20 Easy Work Lunch Ideas That Get You Through the Afternoon
Keep the side simple with mixed leaves and halved cherry tomatoes, just like this plate.
ham and cheese sliders
I am obsessed with these little sliders. The folded ham and long strands of melted cheese look so good beneath those golden, seed-speckled tops.
Bring a tray to the table with a serving spatula. You could add a dish of pickles on the side rather than packing anything else into the rolls.
noodles with pink-edged toppings
This noodle bowl is so pretty. I especially love the pink-edged fish cake slices beside the chopped green onions and dark greens.
Keep the toppings grouped together if you want to follow this presentation. There’s still plenty of room to see the noodles and broth underneath.
a loaded egg tortilla
Still in the mood for breakfast at lunchtime? This tortilla has scrambled eggs, browned potato pieces and bacon strips piled right on top.
The shredded cheese, diced tomato and green sauce make it even more colorful. I’d serve it open like this with a knife and fork.
cheesy spiral pasta bake
If you love a cheesy pasta bake, this one is worth saving. The spiral pasta is coated in red sauce, with patches of melted cheese and chopped herbs across the top.
Set the baking dish on a trivet at the table and serve a green salad alongside it.
grain bowl with avocado
I love this bowl with its orange vegetable cubes and big avocado wedge. The grains, leafy greens and scattered seeds give you plenty of different things to add to each forkful.
Try roasted squash or sweet potato in your own version. Finish with a drizzle of dressing like the one shown over the grains.
browned dumplings in sauce
How cute are these pleated dumplings? The browned sides face up out of the dark sauce, with sesame seeds and chopped green onions scattered over them.
Choose a filling you like for your own version. A cucumber salad would make a nice side.
shrimp corn and potatoes
If you are looking for a pot with a little bit of everything, then this one is for you. There’s shrimp, thick sausage rounds, small potatoes and short pieces of corn, with a reddish sauce being poured over the top.
Use this as serving inspiration rather than a cooking guide. Follow a tested recipe so the shrimp and sausage are fully cooked before serving.
chips with olives and salami
Don’t want another baked dish? Try a sharing plate inspired by these loaded ridged chips.
I love the green olives and thin salami strips scattered among the white cheese crumbles.
This would be a fun side for sandwiches. Add the toppings close to serving rather than setting the plate out far ahead.
pot roast with orange vegetables
Last but definitely not least, we have this gorgeous pot roast. The meat is pulled into large pieces, with orange vegetables tucked into the dark gravy and green herb sprigs around the edges.
I’d serve it with mashed potatoes so there’s somewhere for that extra gravy to go.
