Party Foods That Don't Need Many Ingredients

Parties take a lot of work! 

Fortunately, none of that has to be wasted on prepping food if you do it correctly. The following four recipes are fun but straightforward dishes that can liven up any party and keep people feeling satisfied.

Photo credit: Devour Dinner

Cream Cheese Fruit Treats

Thinly slice a baguette or another kind of firm bread. Mix sixteen ounces of cream cheese and half of a teaspoon of vanilla, with half of a tablespoon of sugar. Spread mixture a quarter of an inch thick over bread: rinse and dry berries of your choice. You can slice these to make them more visually attractive, but if you don't have the time to pull out a cutting board, you can use smaller berries like blueberries and raspberries. Serve as is, with a bottle of honey nearby if anyone wants to drizzle some on top.

If you want to make the presentation for this more beautiful, you can cut fruits like strawberries into heart or star shapes and create good color schemes by mixing and matching fruit.

Photo credit: Food52

Blue Cheese Potato Chips

Another take on nachos is a fun and exciting way to make a large tray of food that can be easily tossed together. Preheat your oven to 350, and lay tinfoil down onto a cookie sheet. Spread out a bag or two of plain potato chips. On top of this, drop clusters of blue cheese, bacon, and whatever seasonings you'd like. You can give these a touch of sweet and savory by drizzling with bacon jam as well. Bake for ten minutes until the cheese is soft and fragrant. Top with thinly sliced green onion and whichever other flavors you'd like to include. Serve immediately with lots of napkins!

The quarantine famous Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread.

Pull-Apart Bread

This recipe is simple and to the point so that you can get out of the kitchen and into the party! Take a round loaf of bread, like sourdough, and make a cross-hatched pattern of cuts on the top. Cut down into the bread, leaving about half an inch from the bottom uncut. Slice frozen butter and cheddar and shove these icy slivers into the cuts on the bread. Follow by putting in seasonings like garlic, oregano, or rosemary. Bake for ten to fifteen minutes at 350 degrees, and serve!

Photo credit: Dinner at the Zoo.

Broiled Open Face S’Mores

A three-ingredient recipe by nature, broiled s'mores give you the chance to make a toasty gooey chocolate treat for the whole party without having to spend more than five dollars. Lay tin foil down on a cookie sheet, and then set squares of graham cookie crackers down. On top of that, put a segment or two of chocolate, and then top with a giant marshmallow.

Set your broiler to low, and place this on a medium-high rack in your oven. Broil for three to five minutes, checking on them frequently until they reach a toasty golden color. Serve on a large tray immediately! The most vital part of a party is that you have fun and make some memories. Why are waste hours cooking when you could be enjoying the people around you?