Keke Palmer is celebrating the holidays in a brand new way. The multi-talented artist is the host of the new Disney + food competition series, Foodtastic. TheGrio caught up with Palmer and broke down why this was a perfect fit for her, the best parts of the new gig, and her own holiday traditions.

Described as an “immersive global competition series,” Foodtastic is set to release on the popular streaming app on Wednesday, Dec. 15. The show features talented artists creating scene work and larger-than-life sculptures with a catch: they’re all made out of food.

“From vegetables and butter to fruit and cheese, these everyday items are transformed into works of art,” the official description explains. The episodes are also rooted in popular Disney IP from Star Wars, The Muppets, and more. This original aspect of this series is what drew the Emmy Award-winning actress to the show in the first place, she told us.

Keke Palmer in “Foodtastic” on Disney Plus (Credit: Disney/Kelsey McNeal)

“[It’s] very original, from the fact that it’s not your usual food competition show…we are actually bringing something to the forefront that is food art,” she gushed. “There’s never been a show that showcased food being turned into materials, being used as construction pieces and building actual structures with it. That was a first for me!”

The series also allows Palmer to act as characters that are right “up her alley.” The actress revealed, “The part of it that really made me feel like this has my name written all over it, was the fact that I got to play all of these different characters…being able to be a character from Pirates of the Caribbean, or Beauty and the Beast or Up…it was very much up my alley because I love doing sketch!”

As for her favorite characters she got to step into for the series, Palmer teases a Star Wars-based character she plays, as well as a “Toy Shop Owner” in a Muppets-themed episode.

(Credit: Foodtastic on Disney Plus Photo Credit via Disney)

Still, Palmer gets just as invested in the competition as the audience does. “There’s so much heart in the stories of these creatives,” she explained. “There’s a lot of different things that you’re judging on from technical, to inspiration, to emotion and all of those different things…it was very just hard sometimes!”

The show, premiering next week, offers a perfect escape for families as they continue to celebrate the holiday season. Palmer shared with us that in her family, her dad is the one who holds down the food when celebrating the holidays. “My dad always makes something really good…I always look for sweet potatoes, dressing, the cornish hen, the chicken…the soul food vibe is me all day!”

Foodtastic is available to stream beginning Wednesday, December 15, only on Disney+.

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