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Real food for a real New Year&rsquo;s Eve party can include Sausage and Caramelized Onion Subs paired with assertive red wines. 
 
 AP pHOTO 
 



Cocktail dresses, Champagne flutes and caviar on crackers make for fine New Year&rsquo;s Eve fantasy parties.
But let&rsquo;s get real. Most of us, if we do anything at all, will gather with a few friends on the couch to watch movies, play board games or eat Asian takeout. A wild few may do all three.
So why not set your menu to match your mood? Ditch the gourmet dream and stick with real grub. And while you&rsquo;re at it, might as well make it do-ahead grub. No need to fuss in the kitchen when you could be winning at Monopoly.
This is one of my all-purpose party menus. It assembles quickly and easily using common ingredients, but the uncommon presentation retains enough wow-factor to pass as party food.
Start with the subs. Just three ingredients plus a roll, yet the combination of seasoned sausage, provolone cheese and caramelized onions creates a deeply satisfying sandwich.
The subs &mdash; which are held together with parchment paper and kitchen twine &mdash; can be made up to a day ahead. The twine and paper aren&rsquo;t just practical, they look great, too.
Before being served, the subs do a short stint in the oven, which warms the sausages, melts the cheese and crisps the rolls. And because it is so simple to make in whatever multiples you need, I&rsquo;ve modified the recipe to make just one sub. Multiply as needed depending on your crowd.
For drinking, lose the bubbly. Stick with a lager. Or my favorite, a spunky red wine. I&rsquo;m particularly fond of South African reds, which generally pack a whole lot of sit-up-and-get-noticed into very budget-friendly bottles.
For dessert, take a do-it-yourself approach with ice cream sundaes. Purchase a selection of candies, nuts, fruit (such as bananas and raspberries), sauces (such as marshmallow, chocolate and caramel), cookies (break them into crumbles) and whipped topping.
POTATO CHIPS WITH SMOKED SALMON 
SAUSAGE AND CARAMELIZED ONION SUBS

1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
48 thick-cut potato chips
1 pound smoked salmon, thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor, combine the sour cream, cream cheese and dill. Pulse until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer to a zip-close plastic bag.
Arrange the potato chips on a platter (or multiple platters). Top each chip with a piece of smoked salmon.
Use scissors to snip off one corner from the plastic bag. Gently squeeze the bag to pipe a dollop of the sour cream-cream cheese mixture on each piece of smoked salmon. Season the chips with freshly ground black pepper.
Makes 48 chips.
Source:  http://www.marthastewart.com/




Cooking spray


1 sweet Italian chicken or turkey sausage, sliced into 3 pieces lengthwise


6-inch sub roll or baguette section, halved lengthwise


1/4 cup jarred caramelized onions


1 chicken or turkey sausage


1 slice provolone cheese, cut in half


Parchment paper


Kitchen twine


Use cooking spray to lightly coat a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage slices and cook until lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the pan from the heat.
Spread the onions over one half of the roll or baguette. Arrange the sausage slices over the onions, then top that with the cheese. Complete the sandwich with the other half of the bread.
Cut a piece of parchment paper to about 3x12 inches. Wrap this around the middle of the sub. Use a 2-foot length of kitchen twine to tie the sandwich closed, wrapping it several times over the middle of the parchment paper.
Wrap the sandwich in plastic and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
To serve, preheat oven to 300 F. Remove the plastic wrap and place the sandwich (still wrapped in the parchment paper and twine) on a baking sheet. Heat for 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Makes 1 serving.

Get Real This New Year’s Eve — Ditch The Fantasy: POTATO CHIPS WITH SMOKED SALMON and SAUSAGE AND CARAMELIZED ONION SUBS