4 New Recipes to Try in the New Year

A new year means new opportunities to try new things and experience life to the fullest. Incorporating some fresh excitement into your routine is as easy as trying a few new recipes. Food is an excellent social tool and a great comfort, especially during the winter months. There’s nothing better than enjoying a tasty meal or drink from the comfort of your warm kitchen. These 4 new recipes are definitely a must-try for the new year ahead.

One-Pan Creamy Chicken and Bacon

This incredibly easy chicken recipe is a hit with the whole family. It only takes 15 minutes to prep and 25 minutes to cook, which makes this recipe great for a mid-week dinner option. The leftovers can easily be stored in your freezer storage containers for the next day too.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound chicken thigh filets
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 4 oz bacon, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 10 oz heavy cream
• 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 oz baby spinach
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• Crusty bread

How to prepare this recipe:

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat half of the oil. Add the chicken and cook for five minutes, rotating once, or until golden and browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour the remaining oil into the pan. Combine the onion and bacon and cook, stirring constantly, for five minutes, or until the onion softens and the bacon is browned. Add the garlic to the mixture. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, or until aromatic. About one-fourth of the bacon mixture should be placed in a bowl. Keep this warm by covering it.
Return the chicken to the pan along with the cream, stock, parmesan and 1 ⅓  cup water. Bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Mix in the peas and spinach. Cook for one to two minutes, or until well cooked. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the lemon rind. Season your meal with salt and pepper to taste. Finish with the rest of the cooked bacon and serve with your favorite crusty bread.

Tequila Sunrise Cocktail

Learning to make some simple, delicious cocktails is definitely a win in the new year, especially with friends. This recipe is a perfect reminder of better weather if it’s cold outside where you live. If you’re not so inclined to seek out a large volume of ingredients just to make a drink for yourself, you can always try a perfectly portioned cocktail kit instead. Either way, you’re sure to impress with this Tequila Sunrise recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp grenadine
• Ice
• 1 ½ ounce tequila
• 1 tbsp triple sec
• 1 large orange, or 2 small ones, juiced
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 cocktail cherry

You will also need a cocktail shaker and a tall glass.

How to mix this drink:

Pour the grenadine into the bottom of a tall glass, then fill your cocktail shaker with ice and add tequila, triple sec and your fruit juices. Shake it until the outside feels cold to the touch. Add a couple of ice cubes to your serving glass. Double-strain the mixture into the glass, being careful not to stir up the grenadine. Garnish your beautiful sunrise with a cherry or a cocktail umbrella and enjoy.

5-Ingredient Beef Skewers

With only five ingredients, these beef skewers make for a super easy and delicious meal. They take about 20 minutes to prepare and only 10 minutes to cook, making them a great choice for a low-energy day.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lb beef sirloin steak, cut into 1″ cubes
• 8 oz jar of satay sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 16 oz microwavable jasmine rice
• 1 bag of Asian-style salad with soy sesame dressing and crunchy noodles

You will also need eight skewers.

How to prepare this tasty meal:

Put the steak in a bowl, and add ⅓ cup of satay sauce. Stir the meat so it’s nice and coated with the sauce. Thread the meat onto the skewers. Set those aside, and heat your oil in a large pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the skewers and cook for six or seven minutes or until cooked to your preference.
While the steak is cooking, heat up the rice following the instructions on the package. Add the remaining sauce to a saucepan, and heat on medium until it’s warmed through. Finally, add the salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss with the sauce. Place the skewers on top and serve.

Salted Dark Chocolate and Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate

There’s nothing better than sipping a toasty, homemade hot cocoa from your favorite reusable drinking mug on a chilly day. Regular old packets of hot chocolate mix get boring fast, though. How can you bring your hot cocoa to the next level? The name of this hot chocolate recipe might lead you to believe it’s supremely complicated and too fancy to make at home. Fortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth!
To get a premium-tasting hot chocolate right at home, you don’t need much. The combination of dark chocolate and flaky salt is to die for. Luckily it’s a flavor that’s easy to achieve. Drop your favorite dark chocolate truffle into your mug and sprinkle it with flakes of salt. Pour your warmed dark hot chocolate over the top to let it melt. Finally, add a few marshmallows. If you’re feeling super fancy, toast your marshmallow topping with a kitchen torch and drizzle with chocolate syrup. If not, that’s okay. The marshmallow is delicious on its own.

Conclusion

There’s no better way to ring in the New Year than to celebrate with some fresh recipes. Shake off the stale energy of the previous year by mixing up your routine with one of these delicious recipes your friends and family are sure to love. Whether you’re cooking for two or inviting over a whole crew, these recipes are sure to fill the bellies and hearts of all your loved ones.