When preparing a holiday meal, one of the biggest challenges for any host is keeping guests entertained and out of the kitchen. Between juggling oven space, side dishes, and timing the turkey, there’s often someone poking around, offering to “help,” or asking when the meal will be ready. Ishtia chef David Skinner, known for his mastery of molecular gastronomy, a reverence for Indigenous ingredients,  and the skill of creating multicourse meals made up of flavor-packed bites, has a simple solution: snacks.

Provide a creative spread that offers something for everyone, ideally something elegant, interactive, or build-your-own. “If you do something like that, it keeps them out of your way, and it gives them something to talk about,” he says. Here are some suggestions from the King of Bites.

Corn bread with a twist 

If you’re looking for something rooted in tradition, Skinner suggests starting with Indigenous-style corn bread, which can be put out with softened butter and honey. Get creative and bake it in on-theme, corn-ear-shaped pans, or as muffins. “This is simple and easy,” he says. “None of this is going to take more than an hour.”

Skinner says it’s also wise to stay away from dishes that are similar to what you might be serving during the actual dinner, so avoid dishes with potatoes or turkey.

Foie gras and caviar

For those wanting to impress, Skinner recommends taking it up a notch with duck foie gras mousse and caviar. “It’s going to be more expensive, but it’s easy to do,” he says. Many of the ingredients can be purchased ahead of time at DR Delicacy, including the buckwheat blinis and foie gras.

To assemble, spoon or pipe foie gras mousse onto blinis, or set out with a side of Melba toast points, toasted brioche bread, or Pringles (“They’re uniform and stack nicely,” he says). Make it even more elegant by splurging on a side of caviar. “You can still do it for under $100 and have fun. It’s more of an elegant snack for guests that’ll definitely keep them out of the kitchen,” Skinner says. 

Don’t forget the classic accompaniments—diced shallots, chopped hard-boiled egg, and chives—and optional offerings, like French onion dip.

For a less expensive setup that encourages conversation, Skinner suggests a spread of schmears like smoked salmon and chive cream cheese. It’s not an elegant spread in the traditional sense, but it looks beautiful and takes little effort since nearly everything is premade, he says.

Pair the setup with a few bottles of champagne or prosecco—one dry and one sweet—and options to create DIY mimosas or bellinis.  

The coolest shrimp cocktail

Serving cold items keeps most of the pressure off of keeping dishes warm. One of Skinner’s favorites is an interactive spin on shrimp cocktail. He fills pipettes with a thinned-out cocktail sauce and skewers each pipette into cold, boiled shrimp, which are then laid over ice with lemon wedges. Take a bit of shrimp, then squeeze the sauce into your mouth for a  “no double-dipping" situation, he says. 

Purchase a pack of pipettes in advance, and be sure the shrimp are clean, deveined, and tails removed before preparing. 

Make-ahead mini quiches 

If little day-of prep is more your style, Skinner swears by bite-size quiches made with tart shells, puff pastry, or filo dough cups, which can be purchased premade at the grocery store. Home chefs can also opt to make full-size quiches using deep-dish pie crusts. Skinner’s go-to recipe calls for four to six eggs and a quart of half-and-half, which typically yields two full-size quiches. He likes a traditional quiche Lorraine (bacon and cheese), broccoli and cheddar, or mushroom and comté cheese for variety. “Don’t skimp on the ingredients,” he says.

Bake the quiches a day or so ahead and reheat in the oven before serving. Fancy it up with spicy microgreens and a side of aioli. “If you have leftovers, it’s a great breakfast for the next morning,” he says.

Build-your-own sandwiches

A DIY sandwich station keeps guests fed and occupied while preventing ingredients like bread from getting soggy. Skinner suggests shaved rib eye, sautéed mushrooms, and aioli with toasted sourdough for build-your-own handhelds. Vegetarians can have their own fun, too, with a bruschetta bar: bread served with a side of a simple mix of diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, and a balsamic drizzle that guests can scoop themselves.

A colorful crudité 

No spread is complete without a vibrant veggie platter, and these days, grocery stores make it easy with precut vegetables. Skinner likes to make it extra colorful with purple and golden broccoli, zucchini sticks, and rounds of yellow squash served with romesco. Pair with ranch or French onion dips, or serve sofrito in a hollowed-out red pepper for flair.

The host’s final touch

No matter what you serve, Skinner says, expect leftovers—and plan for them. Buy plastic to-go boxes and keep them in your pantry. “Then, you can send people home with a little gift,” he says. “I always have those on hand. The worst thing is, if you don’t have those, you end up giving your Tupperware away.”

At the end of the day, the chef’s advice isn’t just about food—it’s about hospitality. “You want [guests] to walk away and think, ‘Wow, that was really fun,’” he says. “Go out of your way to be hospitable—but on your end, make it easy.”