How to Prep a New Year's Eve Party in Sixty Minutes

If you want to throw a New Year's Eve Party, but are short on time just before the party begins. Adopt this game plan and have an impressive spread of food and beverages available when your guests arrive. They'll think you spent hours preparing. You don't have to tell them it only took you one.

This guide assumes that your house is presentably clean, you are dressed and ready, and that your grocery shopping is complete.

Shopping List

Ready to heat appetizers that are good at room temperature such as mini quiches, taquitos, and spanikopitas

3 packages of gourmet sausages (such as Aideles)

2 bottles barbeque sauce

1 jar fruit jam (strawberry, orange marmalade, and blackberry work well)

Champagne, wine, beer, soda, pomegranate or cranberry juice, sparkling water (Use the champagne and juice to make champagne spritzers. The sparkling water is for a non-alcoholic version)

Ice

1 container hummus

1 bag pita chips

1 small can chopped olives

1 8 oz. block cream cheese

Prepared basil pesto

Prepared sun-dried tomato pesto

Crackers, several varieties

1 bag baby carrots, 1 container grape tomatoes, 1 bag snap peas

1 jar creamy dressing, such as ranch or blue cheese

Several small bite sized desserts from your grocer's bakery section, such as brownie bites, and cheesecake bars

One carton of fresh berries

Noise makers

Party hats

GamePlan

7:00 Tie on an apron. Turn your oven on and preheat it to the temperature your warm hors d'oeuvres need to be reheated at. Place a large pan on the oven and begin heating it at medium heat. Plug in your slow cooker and turn it up to high. Take out a paper grocery bag to toss all of your trash into. Add two bottles of barbeque sauce and one jar of any type of jam or preserves to the slow cooker, stir and cover. Slice up two or three packages of precooked sausages and add them to the hot pan.

7:15 Put beverages on ice in an oversized metal party bucket. Place a folded towel or tablecloth underneath to prevent slipping and to collect condensation. Set out glasses and cups for serving. Stir the sausages occasionally. Transfer the sausages to the slow cooker and stir. Set out toothpicks for serving.

7:30 Transfer hummus to a pretty glass dish. Add a tablespoon of olives to top. Set on a plate and surround with pita chips. Put cream cheese in the middle of a plate. Top one half with basil pesto and the other half with sun dried tomato pesto. Surround with crackers. Put hors d'oeuvres on a cookie sheet and place in oven. Set timer. Put dressing in a bowl and set in the middle of a plate, surround with veggies. Arrange desserts on a cake plate and garnish with berries.

7:45 Clean up kitchen and set food out buffet style. Set hot hors d'oeuvres on platters, Continue adding hot appetizers to oven as needed. Scatter party hats and noise makers on table.

8:00 Greet guests as they arrive.