This Southern New Year’s Menu is perfect for celebrating the first day of the new year! Said to bring money, luck and prosperity in the new year! 

Southern New Year's Menu - Southern New Year's Menu perfect for celebrating the first day of the new year! Said to bring money, luck and prosperity in the new year! // addapinch.com

A Southern New Year’s Menu always includes certain dishes, at least around my house. For as long as I remember, pork, greens, and peas have been part of the New Year’s Day menu in my family. Said to bring good luck for the coming year, it is definitely a tradition I enjoy sharing with my family. Here are some of my favorites to ring in the new year.

Southern New Year’s Menu

Warm Brie with Honeyed Fruit Compote

Warm Brie with Honeyed Fruit Compote makes a beautiful, quick and easy appetizer. Made with a honeyed cranberry walnut fruit compote, this warm brie recipe is festive for the holidays! // addapinch.com

This warm brie with a honeyed cranberry walnut compote makes a quick, easy and delicious start to any meal!

Warm Brie with Honeyed Fruit Compote makes a beautiful, quick and easy appetizer. Made with a honeyed cranberry walnut fruit compote, this warm brie recipe is festive for the holidays! // addapinch.com

Warm Brie with Honeyed Cranberry Walnut Fruit Compote Recipe

5 from 2 votes
Warm Brie with Honeyed Fruit Compote makes a beautiful, quick and easy appetizer. Made with a honeyed cranberry walnut fruit compote, this warm brie recipe is festive for the holidays!
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Pork Roast

Pork Roast Recipe | ©addapinch.com

Pulled pork is perfect for serving on New Year’s Day and pulled pork from this pork roast couldn’t be easier. Or more delicious. This recipe uses the slow cooker and is about as easy as recipes can be. Hey, I guess that’s luck right there!

Perfect Pulled Pork Recipe - This simple slow cooker pork roast recipe makes the most amazing pulled pork! So easy! // addapinch.com

Pork Roast Recipe

4.93 from 139 votes
This Pork Roast recipe is tender, delicious and versatile to serve many ways. Made in the slow cooker from 3 ingredients for the best pork roast!
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If you are looking for something a little bit more traditional for the main item on your menu, you’ll love this Best Ham Recipe. It’s a favorite.

Turnip Greens

Slow Cooker Turnip Greens | ©addapinch.com

We love turnip greens and collards around my house. They are a definite family favorite and my grandfather always said they represented money on New Year’s Day. You better believe I forced myself to eat them as a little girl that one day of the year. Now though, they are one of my favorite dishes any time of the year.

You can easily cook them low and slow on the stove all day, or just pop them into the slow cooker and let it do all the work for you. If you are looking for something even quicker, these Spicy Skillet Turnip Greens are always a hit. If turnip greens and collard greens aren’t your favorites, you can always switch it up and have brussels sprouts or cabbage.

Slow Cooker Turnip Greens - addapinch.com

Slow Cooker Turnip Greens Recipe

5 from 6 votes
Slow Cooker Turnip Greens makes easy work of a delicious Southern dish. This turnip greens recipe is a favorite and perfect for busy weeknights, Sunday suppers and New Year’s Day!
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Black Eyed Peas

Pot of Black Eyed Peas.

Black Eyed Peas are said to represent coin or change for the new year if eaten on New Year’s Day. Of course you can cook them the traditional way on the stove with bits of pork for flavoring or toss it all into a slow cooker for slow cooker black eyed peas and let it work it’s magic.

Pot of Black Eyed Peas.

Black Eyed Peas Recipe

5 from 11 votes
This Southern Black Eyed Peas recipe is full of flavor and has stovetop, slow cooker and Instant Pot methods! They are a Southern classic dish and family favorite! Delicious year-round, they are traditionally served on New Year's Day to bring luck.
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Mashed Potatoes

Creamy golden mashed potatoes topped with butter, salt and pepper in a white Dutch oven.

You just can’t have a traditional New Year’s Day meal without including a big bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes. Talk about deliciousness!!!

Creamy golden mashed potatoes topped with butter, salt and pepper in a white Dutch oven.

Easy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

5 from 4 votes
These homemade mashed potatoes are rich and creamy, easy to make, and make the perfect side dish! Learn how to make the best mashed potatoes recipe with our tips!
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Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

Southern Cornbread Recipe - Cornbread makes a classic Southern side dish. Southern cornbread is made with cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, eggs and ready in 30 minutes! // addapinch.com

There’s nothing like Southern Buttermilk Cornbread to go with the main players of a New Year’s Day meal. Light, fluffy and just the perfect partner to make sure you don’t miss a bit of the goodness from the black eyed peas or turnip greens. Oh my goodness!

Southern Cornbread Recipe - Cornbread makes a classic Southern side dish. Southern cornbread is made with cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, eggs and ready in 30 minutes! // addapinch.com

Southern Cornbread Recipe

4.97 from 29 votes
This Southern Cornbread recipe is a classic Southern dish and makes the BEST cornbread! Easy recipe is delicious and crispy yet tender! Made in cast iron skillet with 5 ingredients and ready in 30 minutes!
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Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs make the perfect appetizer or side dish for family meals, parties, holidays, potlucks, picnics and more. This simple and classic deviled eggs recipe is a family favorite! // addapinch.com

Deviled eggs just round out this New Year’s Day menu completely. You can serve them as an appetizer if you prefer, but I love them as a side dish to enjoy alongside all of the other traditional goodies.

Deviled eggs make the perfect appetizer or side dish for family meals, parties, holidays, potlucks, picnics and more. This simple and classic deviled eggs recipe is a family favorite! // addapinch.com

Classic Deviled Eggs

5 from 5 votes
Deviled eggs make the perfect appetizer or side dish for family meals, parties, showers, and other events. Get this family favorite deviled eggs recipe you are sure to love.
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New Year’s Day Desserts

Lemon Pound Cake Recipe | ©addapinch.com

I love citrus anytime of the year, but especially when it is fresh in the winter. This Lemon Pound Cake is bright and cheerful and perfect for a dessert to welcome in the new. This cake can easily be made ahead for an easy-breezy New Year’s Day. Of course, a traditional Banana Pudding is always a great dessert for the big day and one of true comfort!

Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

4.91 from 122 votes
Lemon Pound Cake makes a delicious dessert for lemon lovers! Made with lemon juice, lemon zest, and topped with a lemon buttermilk glaze, this lemon pound cake recipe is a treasure!
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Cinnamon Roll Biscuit Wreath

Cinnamon Roll Biscuit Wreath Recipe - Quick and easy this treat has everything you love about a cinnamon roll with the ease of a biscuit in the shape of a festive wreath! // addapinch.com

Quick and easy, this treat has everything you love about a cinnamon roll with the ease of a biscuit in the shape of a festive wreath!

Cinnamon Roll Biscuit Wreath Recipe - Quick and easy this treat has everything you love about a cinnamon roll with the ease of a biscuit in the shape of a festive wreath! // addapinch.com

Cinnamon Roll Biscuit Wreath Recipe

5 from 8 votes
Cinnamon Roll Biscuit Wreath Recipe – Quick and easy this treat has everything you love about a cinnamon roll with the ease of a biscuit in the shape of a festive wreath!
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What are your favorites to serve on New Year’s Day? I’d love to know!

Love ya,
Robyn xo

Southern New Year's Menu - Southern New Year's Menu perfect for celebrating the first day of the new year! Said to bring money, luck and prosperity in the new year! // addapinch.com

From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2014. Updated to include shopping list.

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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22 Comments

  1. When I lived on the East Coast of Canada, many folks ate roasted or stewed rabbit for New Year’s Day, representing as a symbol of renewal and hope.
    When I lived in another area the traditional fluffy mashed potatoes had charms hidden in it: (a coin for prosper, a ring predicting a marriage, a tiny little diaper pin to predict a coming baby, a button for assurance of remaining a batchelor, a spool for spinster, a heart for love, a cross for Faith). I don’t remember all of the charms but it you could easily make your own. It was all in fun and adults and children both enjoyed it.
    The fun didn’t end there. Dessert was a money cake for wealth. Tightly plastic wrapped coins were slid into the cake before icing it.
    We just use party crackers and fortune cookies now at our New Year’s Day dinner.

  2. I’m from southern Oklahoma and my menu includes black eyed peas and hog jowl, pork chops, sauerkraut and wieners, turnip greens, cornbread, and banana pudding. We just can’t wait.

  3. Shannon, I am from the state of Louisiana, deep south. Tradition states the black-eyed peas bring luck and only eat cabbage because it represents money and if you eat the cabbage you will always have a dollar bill in your purse or wallet.

    1. Got to love those Southern traditions and New Year superstitions, right, Chris?! Happy New Year! 🙂

  4. Hey Robyn. Happy New Years! I have to make a correction. We here in the south don’t have turnip greens for New Years, we have cabbage. It is suppose to promote good luck to have cabbage, black eyed peas and corn bread. I don’t eat turnip greens or cabbage so I guess I’m out of luck LOL. But gimme the black eyed peas with bacon tossed in all day long!!

    1. This is Shannon, and we here in the South always do have collard or turnip greens. Have never had cabbage.

  5. Hi,
    I enjoy your site so much, your food always looks so good. Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed how you shared about your handsome son and wonderful husband. Nice to hear about your love for him and how prayer guides you. I enjoy trying your wonderful recipes out. Thanks again

    Have a very Happy New Year
    Linda

    1. Your note means so much to me, Linda. Thank you for taking the time to share this with me. I truly appreciate you!
      Happy New Year to you too!
      Robyn xo

    2. Happy New Year to all from Georgia. I think all states and families have their own traditions and they are all Great! My family has collards, black eyed peas, corn bread and ham.