The holiday season is still going strong, and I have three great party food recipes that will help you ring in the New year with flavor and elegance. These hearty appetizers can be prepared at least a day in advance of serving and require minimal prep work to assemble and serve so that you can relax and just enjoy the party. Happy cooking and best wishes to you and yours for a happy, prosperous and delicious New Year.

This Blackened Sirloin with Horseradish Cream Sauce has been a holiday favorite of ours for over a decade. A generous coating of coarsely ground black pepper is the key to giving the sirloin a blackened effect and a wonderful kick of mild heat. Cooking the beef to a perfect medium-rare will preserve the flavor of the meat, and slicing it as thin as possible ensures that every bite is tender.

But what makes this dish really sing is the Horseradish Cream Sauce. When combined, this humble blend of sour cream, prepared horseradish, lemon, salt and pepper is transformed into one of the most flavorful condiments in our arsenal, and we often joke that the sirloin is merely a conduit to get to the sauce. It is at its best when prepared a day or two in advance, and is excellent with sirloin, prime rib and tenderloin.

Blackened Sirloin with Horseradish Cream Sauce

Serves: 12 for hors d’oeuvres

2 10 oz. top sirloin steaks 1 cup fresh coarse ground black pepper (½ cup per steak) Kosher salt 2 tbsp. olive oil, (1 tbsp. per steak)

To garnish: 1 red onion and capers

Lightly sprinkle meat with salt and then coat completely with pepper. Spread the pepper onto a plate or baking dish and press the steak into the pepper on all sides until well coated.

Heat a sauté pan over high heat until hot, then add olive oil. Let the oil become hot then place the steak in the pan. If your pan allows, you may cook more than one steak at a time. Sear the steak for two minutes on all four sides, then remove meat from pan, transfer to a baking sheet, and bake in the oven at 350°F.

For medium rare (the ideal temperature for this recipe), keep in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Immediately refrigerate until cool enough to wrap each steak in plastic, and return to the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight if possible. This recipe can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.

Within two hours prior to serving, carve the meat as thinly as possible and place onto serving platter. Cover the platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with thinly sliced red onions (cut into rings) and capers and serve with horseradish cream sauce on the side.

1 pint sour cream 2 heaping tablespoons prepared horseradish (add more as desired) 3 to 4 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together, and add more horseradish, lemon, salt and pepper as desired. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy with beef tenderloin, prime rib, or a great steak. Prepare at least 2 hours before serving for best flavor. This sauce is a great accompaniment to beef and can be made several days in advance. Will keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

These diminutive Russian pancakes are made with just basic pantry staples, including flour, salt, baking powder, milk, egg and melted butter. You can mix everything together by hand with ease using just a whisk and a wooden spoon, and you can even enhance the batter by adding fresh herbs, spices or even cheese. They can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for two days or frozen for up to two months and reheated in a warm oven just before serving.

While caviar with crème fraiche or sour cream is the traditional topping for blinis, you can make your party even merrier with a build-your-own blini bar. Stack the warm blinis on a serving platter and serve with a variety of toppings, like caviar, smoked salmon, avocado mash, olive tapenade, and vegetables mixed with pesto.

Sarah’s Simply Savory Blinis

1 cup all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 cup milk (whole or 2%) 1 large egg 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more as needed for frying

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder; set aside. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and melted butter until combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and switch to a wooden spoon or spatula to combine the mixture until fully incorporated. (The batter will appear lumpy which is normal.)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Use a tablespoon or small scoop to drop the batter onto the hot pan. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes; flip and continue cooking until golden brown on the bottom, about 1 minute more.

Place the cooked blinis on the paper towel-lined baking sheet and use a new paper towel to wipe the hot pan clean. Repeat the process until all the batter is used.

Serve the blinis warm or at room temperature with the following topping suggestions:

· Caviar with sour cream or crème frâiche and chives

· Smoked salmon (or any smoked fish) with sour cream or crème frâiche and chives

· Corn salsa atop a small smear of sour cream or crème frâiche

· A slice of good blue cheese drizzled with honey

· Fig jam topped with soft cheese like brie or chevre

To store: Store in an airtight container stacked between layers of wax paper. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature and reheat in the oven (350 degrees) or serve at room temperature.

· For lighter colored blini, flip the pancakes over just as holes begin to form on the surface; for darker blini, let the holes expand for 30 to 60 seconds and then flip.

I shared this recipe with you five years ago and featured smoked salmon as the star ingredient. This was a twist on the original version that we served at Sarello’s (our former restaurant), which featured jumbo lump crabmeat. I am allergic to shellfish, so this adaptation was perfect for me, but for those of you who are looking for an appetizer with even more wow-factor, jumbo lump crabmeat is the way to go for New Year’s Eve.

Jumbo lump crabmeat is a canned seafood product that can be found in the seafood section of our local grocery stores, and you can also use claw crab meat in its place. Whether you use crab or lox-style smoked salmon, this savory cheesecake is creamy, rich and decadent, and the perfect choice for a hearty appetizer or brunch main course.

1 cup Ritz Crackers, crushed, about 40-50 crackers 3 tablespoons (1.5 oz.) melted butter 1 pound (2 8-oz. packages) cream cheese 3 eggs 1/4 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons grated onion 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning 2 drops Tabasco 12 ounces jumbo lump crab meat or 1 heaping cup lox-style smoked salmon, roughly chopped (about 6.5 ounces) Pinch of salt

Crème fraiche or aioli, with microgreens, capers or chives Lingonberry jam Caviar

Grease the bottom and sides of your baking pan and line the bottom with a layer of parchment paper; set aside.

Mix together the cracker crumbs and butter and use the mixture to line a 9x9x2-inch square pan or 9-inch spring form pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown on top. Set aside and let cool. Reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees.

Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until fluffy. Add the sour cream and eggs, one at a time, and mix at medium-low speed until just incorporated. Add the lemon juice, onion, Old Bay and Tabasco and mix on low speed until combined. Stir in the chopped salmon or crabmeat.

Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until set. Remove from oven and let cool, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving, or overnight for best results.

To remove, run a knife around the edge of the pan, then place a cutting board over the top and gently flip over so that the bottom side is facing up. Place another cutting board on the bottom, and gently flip over again, so that the top side is now facing up.

Use a sharp knife to cut into serving slices or bite-size bars, wiping the knife clean after each cut for smooth results.

To store: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze for up to one month.