Seven Cheesy Sourdough Appetizer Recipes for a Memorable New Year’s Eve

Planning a cozy New Year’s Eve celebration at home with family? Skip the formal dinner and create a memorable evening with a curated selection of irresistible cheesy sourdough appetizers. This year, elevate your at-home celebration with these easy finger food recipes that are guaranteed to impress.

Sourdough Bread: The Star Ingredient:

For optimal flavor and texture, use homemade or high-quality sourdough bread. If you are a home baker, like me, consider a long, cold ferment to deepen the bread’s flavor. Shaping the dough into various forms, such as bâtards and boules, allows for diverse appetizer presentations.

Cheesy Sourdough Appetizer Recipe Ideas:

1- Sourdough Bread Bowl, Cheese, and Crab Fondue

This is a dive-in, bubbling, cheesy, crab-packed fondue served in a warm sourdough bowl that invites everyone to get involved. Picture laughter, the clinking of fondue forks, and the inevitable “crab slip” spectacle that turns into a hilarious free-for-all. This kind of dish makes memories and guarantees an empty pot by the end!

Ingredients:

• For the Sourdough Bowl:
  • 1 round boule of sourdough bread (about 8-10 inches in diameter)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
• For the Fondue:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (use chicken broth or milk if you don’t have white wine).
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning.
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 pound cooked crabmeat, drained and flaked
  • fresh parsley for garnish.

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Sourdough Bowl:
   • Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
   • Cut off the top of the sourdough loaf and set it aside.
   • Scoop out the inside of the loaf, leaving a 1-inch-thick shell. Cut the removed bread into cubes and set aside.
   • Brush the inside and outside of the bread bowl, and the bread cubes with the olive oil.
   • Place the bread bowl and cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
2. Prepare the Fondue:
   • In a medium saucepan, combine the shredded Gruyère and cheddar cheeses.
   • In a small bowl, whisk together the white wine and cornstarch.
   • Add the wine mixture, cream cheese, minced garlic, old bay seasoning and nutmeg to the saucepan.
   • Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.
   • Gently fold in the cooked crabmeat.
3. Assemble and Serve:
   • Pour the cheese and crab fondue into the toasted sourdough bowl.
   • Garnish with fresh parsley.
   • Serve immediately with the toasted sourdough cubes and any other desired dippers (such as vegetables or crackers).

Tips and Variations:

• For a richer flavor, use a combination of Gruyère and Emmental cheese.
• You can add a splash of lemon juice to the fondue for a brighter flavor.
• For a little spice, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Other great dipping items include: steamed broccoli florets, carrot sticks, and bell pepper strips.

Enjoy this warm and comforting cheese and crab fondue with your loved ones!

• 8 ounces Hillshire Farm^® Smoked Sausage (cut into ¼” cubes)
• Cooking Spray
• 6 cups sourdough bread (cubed)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 cups Honeycrisp apple (chopped)
• 1 cup yellow onion (chopped)
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 large eggs (slightly beaten)

• Warm Sourdough & Cheese Dip: This classic combination of melted cheese, herbs, and spices is served with toasted sourdough cubes.
• Sourdough Crostini with Brie & Fig: These sweet and savory crostini are topped with creamy brie, fig jam, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
• Cheesy Sourdough Pull-Apart Bread: A gooey, shareable appetizer with layers of cheese, garlic, and herbs baked into a sourdough loaf.
• Sourdough Pizza Bites: Individual pizza bites made with sourdough crust, topped with your favorite cheeses and toppings.

Tips for New Year’s Eve Appetizer Success:

• Prepare ingredients ahead of time to minimize stress.
• Arrange appetizers attractively on platters for a festive presentation.
• Offer a variety of textures and flavors to satisfy all palates.
• Pair your appetizers with sparkling beverages for a celebratory touch.

Why Cheesy Sourdough Appetizers are Perfect for New Year’s Eve:

• Versatility: With its distinct tang and texture, Sourdough bread provides the perfect base for various cheesy toppings and dips.
• Comfort Food Indulgence: Warm, cheesy bites are the perfect way to celebrate the new year comfortably.
• Effortless Elegance: These appetizers are simple to prepare, yet offer a sophisticated touch to your celebration.
• Family-Friendly Fun: Everyone loves cheesy appetizers, making them a crowd-pleasing choice for all ages.

This New Year’s Eve, these delicious cheesy sourdough appetizers create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Skip the formal dinner and focus on building lasting memories with your loved ones.”

Cheesy Sourdough Appetizers for New Year’s Celebrations

I love stuffing more than any other side dish, but those stove-top varieties just can’t compare to our sourdough bread stuffing, which is the key to this recipe. Cross slice, and cut one whole country loaf into cubes. Place the bread on a baking sheet overnight to dry out ( or alternately pop it into your preheated (425°F) oven for 10 minutes until dry). And remember to make this cheesy with Parmesan.

Ingredients

Instructions

1 whole, cross-sliced and cubed, sourdough bread boule (about 6 cups) Cooking spray 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 8 ounces Hillshire Farm® Rope Smoked Sausage, cut in 1/4″ cubes 1 ½ cups chopped Honeycrisp apple 1 cup chopped yellow onion 4 teaspoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 1 ¼ cups unsalted chicken stock 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 2-3 cups Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425° F. Coat a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. Arrange bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until toasted and dry, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place in a large bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high until foamy, about 2 minutes. Add sausage; cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add apple, onion, garlic, and sage; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apple and onion are slightly softened. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with bread. Stir in Parmesan cheese and add chicken stock, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and eggs to bowl with bread mixture; toss gently until moistened. Divide mixture among muffin cups. Bake until set, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Use a small offset spatula to carefully remove from pans; serve warm.

“One of my favorite party breads to make for special occasions, ” says Kelly Williams “So much fun to pull the pieces off! Guests can’t stop eating the warm bread, gooey cheese, and onions! Pure heaven! An old recipe that I tweaked to my own taste.”

3- Sourdough Party Cheesy Bread 

Another simple recipe for tonight’s festivities using a whole sourdough boule. As the cheese melts into the deep cuts, this becomes a gooey pull-apart your family or guests will enjoy.

However I was a bit confused by Kelly Williams recipe @WildfloursCottageKitchen, so I went back to her source at Taste of Home to find this video:

4- Championship Killer Cheesy Sourdough Bread 

 “A Dale Earnhardt Jr. family favorite,” says bestfoods.com, this is the quickest and most simple of our 7 recipes and may become your family’s favorite too. “Championship Killer Bread recipe is a masterpiece that will be a family favorite on game day or any day,” they say.

Your guests will enjoy these served warm from the oven and since they are a 7-minute broil, it can be a just-in-time appetizer for the new year.

Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough

Now imagine these last two recipes with our Jalapeño Cheddar. Alone this loaf is knock your socks off with sharp cheddar cheese and explosive jalapeño flavor! But with these add-ins and reheating, oh my, yum!

Here are three more recipes you might try tonight:

5- Sourdough herb crackers and tips for the perfect cheeseboard

and to get that cheeseboard perfect check this out: Charcuterie Board 101

6- Easy Smoked Salmon Sourdough Bread Bites 

7- Grilled Brie Cheese with Blackberry Basil Salsa on Crusty Sourdough Bread

• New Year’s Vasilopita (Opens in a new browser tab)
• Sourdough Chocolate Babka (Opens in a new browser tab)