Traditional Southern New Year's Day Menu

New Year's Day is right around the corner and I couldn't be more excited. I rank this "food day" right up there with Thanksgiving and Christmas because of the firm hold of tradition it has on me.  When I was little, everyone in my family would head over to my Grandmother's house every New Year's day to eat black eyed peas, collard greens, warm cornbread with butter and enjoy a slow cooked pork roast.  Now mind you, that even if you didn't like one of those dishes, too bad, Mama Swain made you at least taste it because of the meaning it held going into the new year. I grew to love that special meal and now my family does too. 

For the past few years we've invited friends over on New Year's Day to share this meal and start our own tradition. I make all of the "required" dishes of the day and have added a few more. 

I'll be serving a pork roast, with a bright corn relish, sausage & cheese bread, sautéed squash, deviled eggs, cheese grits casserole, sweet & spicy collards, corn bread and fried black eyed peas. We'll all gather sometime in the afternoon and the fun will begin. Not only will we be sharing a meal, we'll be telling stories of the past year, playing jokes on one another and discussing plans for the future.

I hope you will find at least one dish on my New Year's Day menu to enjoy with your loved ones. Just click on the links below to take to you to the recipe post.

Southern Corn Bread 

Fried Black Eyed Peas 

Balsamic Brown Sugar Pork Roast 

Pickled Corn 

Sausage Bread 

Squash and Onions 

Deviled Eggs 

Cheese Grits Casserole

Collard Greens 
Here's to tradition, great meals with family & friends and 2015.
I'm sending everyone prayers and positive thoughts for a joyful, healthy, prosperous 2016!