Wildly tasty for something that only uses 5 ingredients, it feels like party-food magic.

If you don’t have mini phyllo shells, you can use sheets of phyllo dough: brush 3 sheets lightly with melted butter, stack them, cut into small squares, and press into a mini muffin tin to form cups before filling and baking. For a nut-free version, simply leave off the pecans or swap them for a sprinkle of toasted oats or crushed pretzels for a bit of crunch.

You can trade the cranberry sauce for a spoonful of raspberry or cherry preserves if that’s what’s in your pantry, or use leftover homemade cranberry-orange relish for a brighter, citrusy bite. A tiny pinch of chopped fresh rosemary or thyme on top adds a woodsy note that feels very wintry and pairs nicely with the brie.

If you’re feeding a crowd, this recipe doubles or triples easily—just keep the shells in a single layer so they brown evenly. To work ahead, you can assemble the bites up to 2 hours in advance and refrigerate them unbaked; pop them straight into a preheated oven and add a minute or two to the baking time. Leftovers re-crisp best in a hot oven or toaster oven for a few minutes; the microwave will soften the shells, which isn’t quite the same as that lovely shatter when you bite in.