The Freezer Find I Keep on Hand for Easy, Near-Instant Apps All Year Round

I love any holiday. Actually, let me amend that: I love any chance to entertain family and friends. First, because it’s a treat to be able to enjoy each other’s company, and second, because appetizers are some of the best foods known to mankind. Made-from-scratch apps are great, but if there’s one thing my mom taught me, it’s that shortcuts — namely the kind you can stash in your freezer year-round — are the way to go when entertaining guests. That’s where one of my favorite frozen finds comes in. It’s perfect for any occasion (any time of year) and super fun to customize!

Athens Phyllo Shells come in a pack of 15 pre-baked shells, which means most of the work is already done for you. (You just have to fill them — however you want! — and maybe pop them in the oven. More on this below.) The light and crispy shells are made of the same paper-thin flaky pastry as one of my favorite desserts: baklava. While baklava is traditionally an ultra-sweet dessert, these empty shells leave room for creativity when it comes to the fillings.

Buy: Athenos Phyllo Shells, $3.29 for 1.9 ounces at Instacart

My favorite route is slightly less sweet: I whip up some goat cheese and spoon about a teaspoon into the shells, and top it with a layer of jam, a bit of honey, and dried herbs, such as thyme or rosemary. You can also go savory and mix some cream cheese and sour cream, and sprinkle with shredded cheddar, a dash of chili powder, and thinly sliced scallions on top. In the spring you can fill them with a chicken or crab salad. In the summer, go for berries or zucchini with roasted tomatoes. In the winter, you can make mini French onion tarts. In the fall, pipe in some mashed sweet potatoes. You get the idea.

When I say these shells are super simple to prepare, I’m not exaggerating! If you’re adding a cold filling, just bake the shells for five minutes for some additional crispness prior to filling. Or, add your filling first then bake until the filling is hot. That’s it! More time to spend catching up with loved ones, and less frazzled kitchen time.

Not sure which appetizers are best to buy pre-made or which to take the time to make from scratch? Here’s a list of 24 holiday appetizers, complete with Kitchn’s thoughts on when you should make them and when you should buy them.

Do you have a frozen grocery store shortcut you always buy? Tell us in the comments below.