The holiday season brings joy, celebration and, let’s be honest, a fair amount of kitchen stress. Whether you’re orchestrating a multi-course dinner or assembling a casual potluck, the pressure to pull off a memorable meal can leave even experienced home cooks feeling overwhelmed.

But Canada’s leading chefs know how to handle tight deadlines and high expectations while making it look effortless. We asked culinary experts, including Eden Grinshpan, author of Tahini Baby and host of Top Chef Canada, Nuit Regular of Pai, Connie DeSouza of CHARCUT, Eva Chin of Yan Dining Room, and Rebekah Bruce of Bar Eugenie to share their secrets for stress-free holiday hosting.

The key to their approach is working smarter, not harder. These chefs freeze sauces weeks ahead, batch cocktails the night before, and build menus around one showstopper dish instead of trying to wow guests with every course. They delegate tasks, embrace potlucks, and prioritize being present with guests over playing kitchen hero.

The best part is that most of their tips require nothing more than a bit of forethought and a willingness to let go of doing everything yourself. Here’s how Canada’s celebrated chefs handle holiday hosting with ease, and how you can too.

Rebekah Bruce, Chef at Bar Eugenie

Photos by Daniel Neuhaus.

Tip 1: Plan ahead

“Write a list of your dishes and their components. Lots of jobs can actually be done the day before to minimize stress—peeling and cutting vegetables, picking herbs, making sauces. You can also pre-mix a cocktail or two for an easy welcome drink. In the restaurant industry, we call this “batching,” and it means you can just pour and serve instead of playing bartender while trying to finish dinner.”

Tip 2: Have some snacks already out

“Leave a charcuterie, crudité, or cheese board out with some bread and crackers to ensure guests have something to snack on as they arrive. It keeps everyone happy and buys you time if you’re running behind schedule in the kitchen.”

Tip 3: Ask for help

“Ask your friends to bring their favourite appetizer, dessert, side dish, cocktail, or bottle of wine. It’s a great way to try new things and distribute the workload so hosting doesn’t fall entirely on you.”

Connie Desousa, Co-Owner and Chef at CHARCUT

Photos by Dave & Quin Cheung, John Jackson.

Tip 1: Build the menu around one showstopper

“Choose one dish you’re genuinely excited about, something that tells a story. Recently, we [co-chef John Jackson] cooked bison brisket over live fire, but it could just as easily be handmade pasta finished with bacon you smoked yourself. Keep everything else simple and seasonal, so the meal feels intentional and connected.”

Tip 2: Make guests feel at home

“Whether it’s in our home or our restaurants, I have no interest in anything stuffy. I design gatherings around flow, often centred on the kitchen, moving from a big harvest table to fire pits. Shared platters, casual seating, and food that’s easy to pass keep the energy relaxed and the conversation natural.”

Tip 3: Prep early so you can let go and enjoy

“Do as much as possible the day before, including table settings and playlists. Once guests arrive, your role shifts from execution to finishing touches and, most importantly, connection.”

Eva Chin, Chef at Yan Dining Room

Photos by Boris Melev.

Tip 1: Clear out your freezer

“It’s time to clear out frostbitten items and make space for your holiday prep. You can make your sauces and marinades ahead of time and freeze them, so they’re ready to thaw and use when you need them.”

Tip 2: Pre-order from your local butcher

“Plan ahead not just with your own prep, but with your orders too. Pre-order your meats from your local butcher well in advance and ask them to have it thawed and ready for pickup on the day you need it.”

Tip 3: Shop what’s in season

“Get your produce from your local farmers’ market to find what’s at its peak. When vegetables are fresh and in season, they shine on their own. You don’t need to do much to make them taste great.”

Eden Grinshpan, Author of Tahini Baby and Host of Top Chef Canada

Photos by Kayla Rocca, Chris Bernabeo.

Tip 1: Write it all down

“Write out everything you’re planning to make, so you can check off the prep and dishes as you go. It keeps your brain organized and helps you manage time better. It also helps with writing out the ingredient list for shopping. Organization is key to being efficient and getting a lot done in a short amount of time.”

Tip 2: Mise en place in advance

“Wash and prep as much as you can at least a day ahead. Finish vinaigrettes, dips, and, if possible, dessert in advance. I love freezer desserts for this reason, like my sage-honey semifreddo from Tahini Baby. Or, if you’re baking, you can prep the dough in advance. Some examples where that works: pie dough or cookie dough.”

Tip 3: Set the table ahead of time

“Get this part out of the way early. You can set the table a couple days in advance and let it sit while you cook and bake. You can even buy the flowers in advance, but two days max—you want them perky and fresh-looking on the table. Use all your creative energy to set the table, then switch your attention to the food once you’re done. It will keep you calmer not having to do both at the same time.”

Nuit Regular, Owner and Chef of Pai

Photo courtesy of Nuit Regular, by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott.

Tip 1: Choose dishes that taste better the next day

“I always try to prepare as much as possible in advance, whether that’s chopping ingredients or cooking certain dishes early. That’s why I love making braised dishes for the holidays. You can cook them in advance, they reheat beautifully, and they taste even better the next day. When the day of hosting actually arrives, you’ll be able to spend more time with your guests instead of rushing around the kitchen.”

Tip 2: Get your family involved

“Assign each person a task, whether it’s something small or something they’re especially good at. Hosting shouldn’t fall on one person. When everyone pitches in, it becomes a shared experience and a great way to create special holiday memories together. For example, in my family, my husband Jeff takes care of the beverages, my son likes to cook the main meats, my daughter loves to do the desserts, while I make the salads and braised dishes.”

Tip 3: Make it a potluck

“This helps take the pressure off you as the host. You’re not stuck in the kitchen all day, and everyone gets to contribute a dish that’s meaningful to them or something they’re excited to eat. It turns the meal into a true communal effort, and those are often the most memorable ones.”

Feature image by Daniel Neuhaus.