So your friend is hosting a party and wants everyone to bring a dish to share – the pressure is on! You’ve scoured Pinterest, Epicurious and the Food Network website to find the perfect recipe, but everything has a dozen ingredients and requires three hours of prep time. Luckily, there are plenty of hors d’oeuvres that will impress your hosts and fellow guests without spending a day slaving in the kitchen – and most of them don’t even require turning on the oven.
Deviled eggs: This crowd-pleaser requires only the stove top and a few basic ingredients. All you need are a dozen hard-boiled eggs (the trick: put the eggs in the water right away, and when the water starts boiling, turn off the burner and put on the lid for 15 minutes to finish cooking), mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper and paprika. After your eggs are boiled, cooled and peeled, cut them in half and place the yellows in a bowl. Add the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper to taste and stir. Then, spoon the mixture back into the egg whites and top with a dash of paprika.
Seven Layer Dip: Served at room temperature, this indulgent snack is perfect for parties. For meat lovers, you can use ground beef or grilled chicken; otherwise, just buy a can of refried beans, shredded cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, black olives, a tomato and a green onion. Then, layer them into a cake pan or serving dish in any order you choose, leaving the small stuff like the chopped vegetables for the top. Serve with tortilla chips.
Bruschetta: Though you can buy pre-made bruschetta at stores like Trader Joe’s, making it yourself is still a simple task. Ingredients like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper are likely already in your pantry; on top of that, you’ll need tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil and a crusty baguette. Chop the tomatoes finely and mince the garlic, put them in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of balsamic, then add the chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. Slice the baguette, brush on some olive oil and lightly toast them in the oven. Bring the bread and the bruschetta to the party separately to avoid sogginess.
Oreo balls: If you’re tasked with dessert, this one will have everyone asking how you made such a delicious treat. They won’t believe you when you tell them that it’s three ingredients: Oreo cookies, cream cheese and chocolate chips. Crumble up a package of Oreos and mix them with a package of cream cheese. Then, roll the mixture into balls and dip them into melted chocolate chips (use a toothpick to avoid fingerprints). You can get creative and mix in some Andes mints or white chocolate, or top the balls with more Oreo crumbs or crushed-up peppermints.

