I grew up in a place where people would just drop by for a visit. No set plans. No warning text. No fanfare. It just happened. If a friend or relative (sometimes that was one in the same in my very large extended family) was passing by the house and saw cars in the driveway, they’d just pop in to say “Hello!” Depending on the time of day and the amount of time they had, they’d either have a cup of coffee or a sip of something stronger. There’d always be snacks, likely my Dad’s favorite Oreo cookies or Lay’s potato chips and Helluva Good French Onion Dip. 

During the holiday season, the snacks were much better and more plentiful. There’d be a Tupperware container of buttery homemade Chex Mix in the cabinet; a wooden bowl of whole walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds on the kitchen table next to a pile of nutcrackers; a block of cheddar and a bit of pepper jam in the fridge; and a plate of my grandmothers’ (yes, the apostrophe’s in the right place, three grandmothers, including my great-grandmother — Nonna, Nan and Grammy Farina — made these) Italian anisette Christmas cookies with those tiny, multicolored nonpareils on the counter. 

I have long since moved away from that tight-knit, cousin-filled enclave in Western Massachusetts, but I still hope the friends and neighbors I have cultivated for more than a dozen years here feel free to just pop in to say “Hello” this holiday season. Trust me, I’ve got a full slate of snacks ready! 

If you too are hoping for unexpected visitors this holiday season, I offer you my Top Five ideas for ready-made snacks to have on hand. Be careful what you wish for though, because when you feed folks these snacks, they’ll keep coming back. (And if they don’t, their loss, these items all freeze well. )

BESPOKE CHEX MIX

Yes, you can now buy it in a bag, but if you make your own, it’s fashionably bespoke and can be tailored to your own tastes and dietary restrictions. Use the same butter (6 tablespoons) to cereal (3 cups) ratio from the original recipe on the back of the General Mills Corn, Rice or Wheat Chex box, but the 3 cups of other stuff (pretzels, mixed nuts, crackers, bagel or pita chips) and the 3-4 tablespoons of seasoning are chef’s choices, really. This year, I am tossing my Rice Chex with oyster crackers, corn nuts, pepitas, cumin and Tajin, a Mexican chili lime salt. 

DIY Chex mix stored in an airtight container will keep for two weeks before it goes stale. Should that happen, relax! Just reheat it in a 250-degree oven and cool completely before eating it. 

BACON JAM

This savory, sweet-and-sour, and easy-to-make jam is as at home as a condiment on a fancy cheeseboard as it is slathered on the last few Triscuits in that box in the back of the cupboard. 

To make it, fry up 1 pound of chopped bacon in a large skillet. When all the bits are crispy, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon. Drain off all but a couple tablespoons of the bacon fat. Put the bacon bits back into the pan and toss in 1 cup of chopped onions and 3-4 minced garlic cloves. Cook over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent, 5-6 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup each of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, stir well and cook, stirring regularly, until the liquid has simmered off and the jam is, well, jammy, about 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. 

If you’ve any left over in the new year, spread it on flatbread with blue cheese or use it as a topper for smashing smashburgers. 

PUFF PASTRY VEGETARIAN NIBBLES

In the past, I’ve advocated using a box of puff pastry to artfully deal with holiday leftovers by turning extra cranberry sauce into cranberry goat cheese bites and sipping the last of the Champagne while munching on puff pastry cheese straws. But puff pastry is also the secret for an elegant vegetarian appetizer that can go from freezer to serving tray in 12 minutes flat. Make festive spinach and red pepper tarts (see recipe) and freeze them for up to three months, either fully cooked or merely assembled. The fully cooked tarts will reheat in a 300-degree oven in 12 minutes. The assembled but unbaked tarts will need an egg wash applied to the exposed dough and then are baked from frozen in a 400-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. 

SLICE-AND-BAKE SAVORY SHORTBREAD

A stick of cold butter, 1½ cups flour, 2 cups of your favorite shredded cheddar, an egg and a little something that makes your palate say “Oh, yeah!” That little something can be a pinch of cayenne, a teaspoon of minced rosemary or thyme, a teaspoon of cracked black pepper. That’s all you need to make a roll of savory slice-and-bake shortbread. Pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor, place the dough on a long piece of parchment and form it into a log about 2-inches in diameter. Wrap the log up and store it in the fridge for at least 1 hour or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When your guests drop by, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, slice off as many ¼-inch rounds as you need, place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and bake for 10-12 minutes. 

MY ITALIAN GRANDMOTHERS’ ANISETTE COOKIES

I’ve saved the best for last because these cookies encapsulate the holiday season for me. They are best made with many hands. The anise flavor complements a cup of coffee and a drop-in visit like nothing else I know. 

Makes 72 cookies

For the cookies:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons anise extract

For the icing:
4 tablespoons milk
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon anise extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nonpareils or sprinkles for decorating

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until very creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla and anise extracts and beat until combined, 15-20 seconds. Add the flour mixture and pulse to combine completely without having all the flour fly all over the counter.

Pinch off ping pong ball-sized pieces of dough and roll between your hands to form a rope. Connect the ends in a circle and twist into a figure eight shape. Place on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake in batches until edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, combine the milk, confectioners’ sugar and extracts.

Dip the cooled cookies into the icing face-down, place face up, on a wire rack, and decorate with nonpareils or sprinkles. 

These cookies will keep in an airtight container on the counter for a week or for two months in the freezer. 

BONUS RECIPE: SPINACH, FETA AND ROASTED RED PEPPER TARTLETS

Makes 24 tartlets 

Butter for greasing pans
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
1 cup chopped, cooked spinach 
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
1/2 cup chopped, roasted red peppers
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cream cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees. Coat the cups of 24-cup mini muffin pan or two 12-cup mini muffin pans with butter. 

On a lightly floured surface, unfold the piece of puff pastry. Use a rolling pin to make a 15- by 10-inch rectangle. Cut it into 24 (2 ½-inch) squares using a pizza cutter. Lightly press puff pastry squares into each cup of the mini muffin pan(s) and prick each with the tines of a fork.

Combine the spinach, feta and Parmesan cheeses, chopped red peppers, mayonnaise, cream cheese, garlic, and pepper together in a large bowl. Spoon the mixture evenly into the cups, being careful not to overfill them. Brush the edges of the tarts with the beaten egg. 

Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is puffed and the corners are golden brown, 15 to 16 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes before transferring the bites to a serving dish.