Abstract: A chafing dish skirt that surrounds a chafing dish to keep the heat retained under the food pan and reduce the likelihood of wind from extinguishing the burners is provided. In some embodiments, the chafing dish skirt includes a length of elastic on a top portion and a length of elastic on a bottom portion to facilitate a relatively snug fit around the chafing dish. The skirt may be constructed to accommodate a range of various sizes and shapes of the chafing dish. The chafing dish skirt can have an access slit or passage that allows convenient access to the heat source, e.g., one or more burners, such that the heat source can be easily ignited and extinguished.