With everything on your to-do list at this time of year, don’t let the need to produce a festive snack add to your stress. What you need are some incredibly easy appetizer recipes.

None of these involves complicated techniques — we’re talking a little slicing, spreading, stirring and pouring. Seriously, you could probably just throw all the ingredients off the side of a mountain and they would come together at the bottom as finished hors d’oeuvres.

Some of these recipes may take a little more time to prepare than others. For example, the spicy maple bacon takes about 20 minutes, but during much of that time you can attend to something else.

In addition, these recipes have five or fewer ingredients, and one has only two. Fewer ingredients means less time and money spent at the grocery store, so you’ll have more cash and hours for those other end-of-year obligations.

There’s just a teensy bit of cheating in that some ingredients are prepared foods, like pesto. But I’m not going to pile on more stress by being a stickler about homemade everything, and neither should you.

I’m sure no one will judge you if you show up at a get-together with a supermarket veggie platter or a bucket of chicken wings. But with these simple, short recipes you can offer homemade taste while maintaining your holiday sanity.

Spicy Maple Bacon

Bacon-y goodness is never out of season, but this version provides a zesty touch for your holiday table.

The maple/mustard/Sriracha sauce was created by my husband and is very versatile.

Make extra to brush on grilled chicken, pork or salmon; glaze a baked ham; or serve as a dipping sauce for chicken tenders or pigs in a blanket.

Just keep the proportions the same — 2 parts syrup, 2 parts mustard and 1 part Sriracha.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Food Network star Ina Garten.

• 8 slices thick-cut applewood- smoked bacon, halved
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment and place a baking rack over the sheet.

Arrange bacon in a single layer on the rack. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges start to get crispy.

Stir syrup, mustard and Sriracha together in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.

Remove baking sheet from oven very carefully. Using tongs, turn bacon slices over. Brush each slice with sauce until coated. Return bacon to oven and bake 3 to 5 more minutes, or until desired crispiness. Serves 16.

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My Mom’s Baked Brie With Pecans

My mom has been making a version of this indulgent treat for years. We usually serve it as an appetizer, but it would be great as a dessert, too.

• 1 (5-inch) round brie cheese
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• Sliced French bread, apples or pears

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place brie in oven-safe serving dish. Bake 8 to 10 minutes to soften.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and stir, cooking until mixture is well incorporated and bubbly. Stir in pecans. Remove brie from oven and pour pecan mixture over the cheese. Serve immediately with sliced French bread and/or sliced apples or pears. Serves 20-24.

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Holiday finger foods

>> Crostini: Start with a fresh baguette cut into quarter- to half-inch thick slices as the first ingredient; if you have a few extra minutes, toast the slices. Or buy ready-made crostini slices. Top with your favorite two- to four-ingredient combinations: cranberry chutney or fig jam with blue cheese; Manchego and Serrano ham; roast beef and brie; butter topped with thinly sliced radishes and sea salt; and deli chicken or egg salad topped with chopped chives.

>> Dips: Surely, you’ve heard of the (in)famous-yet-delicious two-ingredient queso dip of processed cheese and spicy canned tomatoes nuked in a microwave until creamy. A guaranteed crowd pleaser, but it’s not the only quick dip made with few fixings. Mix vanilla Greek yogurt with honey and a splash of lemon and serve with sliced apples. Or stir taco seasoning into plain Greek yogurt and serve with corn chips or carrots.

>> Tortillas: You can do a million snacky things with tortillas. There’s the classic smoked salmon roll: Spread a spinach tortilla with a thin schmear of herbed cream cheese — make sure to spread to the edges. Layer smoked salmon along one edge of the tortilla, sprinkle with chopped fresh dill and top with red onion slices. Starting with the salmon side, roll the tortilla up tightly, then slice into 1/2-inch portions. Refrigerate until serving. Variations: Switch out the onion for capers, chopped tomatoes or avocado.

Other tortilla pinwheel combos include cream cheese, apricot jam and pre-shredded carrots; or ham, salami, provolone and store-bought olive tapenade.

You can also use tortillas as bases for flatbreads by topping them with brie and pear or your favorite pizza ingredients.

>> Quesadillas: Try these pesto sausage quesadillas, which were a bare-fridge innovation. Spread about a tablespoon of pesto on a tortilla. Sprinkle crumbled cooked hot Italian sausage over the pesto, then add a layer of mozzarella and thinly sliced red onion. Place on a medium-hot skillet or griddle; cook until the cheese is melted. Fold one side of the tortilla over, then transfer to a cutting board. After the quesadilla has cooled a bit, slice and serve hot with warmed marinara sauce.

Other ideas for quesadillas: add bacon and/or avocado; lean sweet with fruit and chocolate hazelnut spread; or go all in on Elvis by grilling up a peanut butter, banana and bacon version.

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Parmesan-Pepper Jack Cheese Crisps

You may have heard of Parmesan crisps, the one-ingredient wonders. I think these cheese crisps are less salty than the Parmesan crisps I’ve had before, and the pepper jack adds some nice heat.

• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Combine cheeses, then form into roughly 2-inch circles on baking sheets. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let cool to room temperature before serving. Makes 20-24 crisps.

Nutritional information unavailable.