30 Best New Year's Day Lunch Ideas for a Lucky Start to 2025
Time for collard greens and black-eyed peas.
Every item on this page was chosen by an editor from The Pioneer Woman. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
You've stayed up until midnight, watched the ball drop on TV, and maybe even slept late for change. But now that it's 2025 and lunchtime is approaching, you might be wondering what you should eat! Enter: New Year's Day lunch! Sitting down to a tasty lunch is a New Year's tradition that many people take part in—and there are a few reasons why. For starters, there are so many different good luck foods that symbolize health, happiness, and prosperity. Not to mention, you're likely pretty hungry after a night of revelry and parties.
Luckily, we've rounded up some of the best New Year's Day lunch ideas to start the year off right. Many of these traditional New Year's Day lunch foods have a special place in different cultures around the world, like grapes which represent good fortune in Mexico and Spain or noodles which are often eaten during the Lunar New Year to symbolize longevity. Other New Year's Day meals include Hoppin' John with black-eyed peas, cornbread and collard greens, or pork recipes that are thought to represent progress in the new year.
Browse some of these traditional New Year's Day lunch recipes and don't forget to serve them up with a few New Year's desserts and some champagne. We've got a few of those on this list, too, like doughnut recipes and cakes. It's a celebration, after all! It'll help you kick off a happier year ahead.
Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Black-eyed peas are a staple of both Southern food and traditional soul food, and they're thought to symbolize prosperity in the new year. This dip is the perfect appetizer to get the good luck started!
Get Ree's Black-Eyed Pea Dip recipe.
Southern Collard Greens
These Southern-style collard greens are braised until tender and loaded with shredded, smoked turkey. But the best part? They represent wealth in the new year ahead!
Get the Southern Collard Greens recipe.
Skillet Cornbread
Everyone has their own way of making cornbread, but no matter which way you make yours, it’s a great dish to serve for a New Year's Day meal. Cornbread has a tie to the holiday because it’s believed that its color, a vibrant gold, is a symbol of wealth and money, similar to collard greens. Ree's skillet cornbread is easy to make and even easier to eat!
Get Ree's Skillet Cornbread recipe.
Hoppin' John
Since black-eyed peas, pork, and rice are considered good luck, it's easy to see why this traditional dish is so popular in certain areas in the country! Plus, it's so comforting on a cold day.
Get Ree's Hoppin' John recipe.
Air Fryer Onion Rings
There's a Greek tradition of hanging a bag on onions on your door to symbolize growth and rebirth. Why not put those onions to good use and eat 'em instead? Onion rings made in the air fryer helps keep them a bit healthier for the start of the year, too.
Get Ree's Air Fryer Onion Rings recipe.
Doughnuts with Salted Caramel Sauce
Eating round sweets are popular all around the world as a symbol of good luck. In particular, doughnuts of different kinds are quite popular. But they don't have to be hard to make! These use a shortcut of store-bought puff pastry to save time.
Get Ree's Doughnuts with Salted Caramel Sauce recipe.
Reuben Sandwich
Looking for a hearty sammie to have midday after that long night? Go for a reuben! Sauerkraut is a symbol of good luck in Germany, so pile it high on rye with Swiss cheese and corned beef.
Get Ree's Reuben Sandwich recipe.
Cranberry Mulled Wine
Another tradition in Germany is feuerzangenbowle, a warm mulled wine with cinnamon, cloves and orange peel. Making your own at home is easy as can be and adding cranberries makes it extra seasonal.
Get Ree's Cranberry Mulled Wine recipe.
King Cake
While you might thing about Mardi Gras when you see a king cake, in many other countries, it's eaten much earlier. The French, for instance, eat it during the 12 days of Christmas which includes New Year's Day!
Get the King Cake recipe.
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Lentils are an incredibly versatile legume and they are great in soups and stews. In Italy, lentils are a common ingredient served to celebrate the start of the new year, as they’re thought to bring good luck. In ancient Rome, it is believed that people gave lentils as a gift to wish someone good fortune.
Get the Instant Pot Lentil Soup recipe.
No-Knead Bread
Through the 19th century in Ireland, New Year's Day was known as the "Day of the Buttered Bread" for various traditions that included bashing a loaf on a front door. We prefer to make and eat it personally, and this only takes ten minutes of prep.
Get the No-Knead Bread recipe.
Millionaire's Shortbread
If you visit a home in Scotland on New Year's Day, you might be treated to some of this decadent little dessert. Why not make it as part of your menu? No travel abroad required.
Get the Millionaire's Shortbread recipe.
Honey-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips
Honey is a symbol of good luck in many cultures across the globe. And while you can make a dessert, you can also make a healthier veggie-forward side.
Get Ree's Honey-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips recipe.
Tamale Pie
Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish often made on special occasions, like New Year's Day. This twist on the classic is made with corn muffin mix so it's even easier to make.
Get the Tamale Pie recipe.
Cranberry Mimosa
It should be no surprise that champagne is considered lucky for the new year. For midday, try going with a signature brunch cocktail like this very festive mimosa. Plus, you can use all the leftovers from the night before.
Get the Cranberry Mimosa recipe.
Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Pork is a popular protein on a lot of dinner tables, but especially on New Year's Day. Pork is thought to represent progress in the new year. Additionally, some believe pork to be symbolic of both prosperity and riches. This pork tenderloin is a great choice for ringing in the new year.
Get Ree's Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin recipe.
Apple Fritters
Small fried-dough fritters called Oliebollen are traditional New Year's food in the Netherlands and said to be lucky. They are often served with a generous dusting of powdered sugar, but these apple fritter doughnuts can also have a sweet glaze.
Get Ree's Apple Fritters recipe.
Vegetable Dumplings
Typically eaten as part of the Lunar New Year feast, dumplings are a great choice for your New Year's Day lunch. They symbolize wealth and longevity, but the best part is that they can easily be made with store-bought dumpling wrappers.
Soft Pretzels
In Germany, soft pretzels are commonly eaten on New Year's to symbolize luck, health, and prosperity. The tradition usually involves a sweet pretzel but salty varieties can work, too.
Get the Soft Pretzel recipe.
Petite-Orange Vanilla Scones
Add oranges to your list of ingredients for New Year's Day lunch! The seasonal citrus (specifically mandarin oranges) is considered good luck, especially for those who celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Get Ree's Petite-Orange Vanilla Scones recipe.
You Can Make These Easy Appetizers Ahead of Time
It's Impossible to Eat Just One of These BLT Bites
This Easter, Roast a Juicy Leg of Lamb
Scoop Up Ree's Best-Ever Spinach Artichoke Dip
