Tonight, the cooking starts in earnest now that the competition has been whittled down from 40 to the Top 20 best home cooks who earned a coveted white apron and a second chance to cook their way to the MasterChef trophy. Tonight, in the first elimination round of the season, all 20 chefs must cook something inspired by the dish that originally sent them home. The chef that recreates their elimination dish in the most elevated, refined, and skillful way will win immunity in the all-new “Dish That Sent You Home” episode. In the end, one of these 20 will claim the MasterChef title, the $250,000 prize, and a complete VIKING kitchen.
Get to know MasterChef Season 12’s “Back to Win” Top 20 contestants:
ALEJANDRO
Age: 40City: Atlanta, GAOccupation: Private Chef and Animal TrainerSeason: 11
AMANDA
Age: 32City: Dearborn, MIOccupation: Small Business DirectorSeason: 6
BOWEN
Age: 29City: West Lafayette, INOccupation: RestaurateurSeason: 9
BRANDI
Age: 33City: Hardinsburg, KYOccupation: Private Chef and CatererSeason: 7
BRI
Age: 27City: Dallas, TXOccupation: Culinary EntrepreneurSeason: 10
CATE
Age: 30City: Chicago, ILOccupation: Private ChefSeason: 8
CHRISTIAN
Age: 36City: New Orleans, LAOccupation: Private Chef & Culinary EntrepreneurSeason: 5
DARA
Age: 20City: Culver City, CAOccupation: Culinary Student & Part Time ChefMasterChef Junior Season: 1
DERRICK
Age: 35City: Los Angeles, CAOccupation: Private ChefSeason: 6
EMILY
Age: 31City: Chicago, ILOccupation: Consumer Insights ManagerSeason: 9
FRED
Age: 26City: Redondo Beach, CAOccupation: Recipe DeveloperSeason: 10
GABRIEL
Age: 24City: Midwest City, OKOccupation: Private ChefSeason: 8
MICHAEL
Age: 34City: Austin, TXOccupation: Cookbook Author and Private ChefSeason: 10
SAMANTHA
Age: 23City: West Des Moines, IAOccupation: Pastry ChefSeason: 9
SHANIKA
Age: 38City: San Antonio, TXOccupation: Culinary Student and CatererSeason: 9
SHAYNE
Age: 18City: Spring, TXOccupation: Line Cook and ServerMasterChef Junior Season: 5
SHELLY
Age: 38City: Brooklyn, NYOccupation: Pop-up Kitchen OwnerSeason: 6
STEPHEN
Age: 54City: Palm Springs, CAOccupation: Private Chef and Food Truck OwnerSeason: 6
TOMMY
Age: 59City: Chicago, ILOccupation: Fashion DesignerSeason: 6
WILLIE
Age: 33City: Houston, TXOccupation: CatererSeason: 5 MasterChef airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Next, Where Are the Winners of MasterChef Now?
