It's Christmas Eve, and if you are hosting tonight, tomorrow, or maybe next week for New Year's, there's no reason to work yourself to the bone.
Chef Kevin Belton says you'll do yourself a favor by keeping simple: just some vegetables like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, or sweet onions, and a sheet pan:
"The oven is great to roast vegetables in. Toss'em, put 'em in a bowl, a little olive oil, salt and pepper, run'em in the oven," said Chef Kev. "It's as simple as that."
He says if you toss in some marinated boneless skinless chicken thighs, now you've added a main dish with hardly any effort.
Chef Kev says another secret he uses is frozen puff pastry:
"Take it out, let it defrost, cut the puff pastry in squares, and just simple things like a little bit of preserve on it with a little Brie, run it in the oven for about ten minutes," and for very little effort, Chef Kev says you can make hors d'oeuvres that will impress your guests, and have them thinking you spent a lot more time in the kitchen than you actually did.