Brandi Mudd

  

Hometown	Irvington, Kentucky (Season 7) Hardinsburg, Kentucky (Season 12)
Age	27 (Season 7) 33 (Season 12)
Occupation	Elementary School Teacher (Season 7) Private Chef and Caterer (Season 12)
Statistics
Mystery Box(es) Won	1 (Season 7) 0 (Season 12)
Skills Test(s) Won	1 (Season 7)
Elimination Test(s) Won	2 (Season 7) 0 (Season 12)
Team Challenge(s) Won	6 (Season 7) 1 (Season 12)
Pressure Test(s) Survived	1 (Season 7)
Top Entries	3 (Season 7) 1 (Season 12)
Bottom Entries	1 (Season 7) 2 (Season 12)
Placement	Runner-Up (Season 7) 10th (Season 12)
Episode Eliminated	Gas Station Gourmet (Season 12)

Brandi Mudd was a contestant on Seasons 7 and 12 of MasterChef. On Season 7, she was a co-runner up alongside David, and on Season 12, she ranked in 10th place.

Personality

In Season 7, Brandi came in the competition coming from a southern upbringing cooking for her family and working as an Elementary School Teacher. She started finishing in the middle of the challenges and almost was eliminated in the 2nd Elimination Test after serving a pie that had raw apples. However, she soon found her stride and became one of the strongest cooks when she finished in the Top 3 of the third Mystery Box Challenge, winning 3 Individual Challenges and winning every Team Challenge she competed in. She ultimately reached the Finale and while she had a strong menu for the most part, her dessert cost her the win as it was said to not be light and fluffy as she described it. Which caused her to lose to Shaun and finish as the co-runner up alongside David.

In Season 12, Brandi returned as one of three former runners-up along with Dara and Derrick. She started off strong with a solid audition dish and finished in the Top 3 of her fellow Season 7 finalist and winner Shaun's "spirit" Mystery Box Challenge. However, she started to become inconsistent and finished in the middle on most of the challenges during her run and in the bottom on Christine's Vietnamese Mystery Box due to making basic mistakes, not being able to repeat her strong run since Season 7. Her inconsistency caught up to her in the "Gas Station Gourmet" Challenge as her dish looked bizarre with the color of the Arepa, was dry, had no seasoning and the crema was strange as she strained fruity cereal into it which were flavors that did not work. This ultimately lead to her elimination.

Season 7

Episode 1

Brandi was in the first battle of the season, and went up against Samson, a mixologist from Los Angeles. She revealed herself to be a fifth grade teacher from the small town of Irvington, Kentucky, which got their first stoplight when she was in high school. The two were facing off in the battle of steak.

Brandi told the judges she was making a cast iron skillet-seared steak with a Kentucky bourbon cream sauce and a parmesan herb-crusted tomato. She said the cast iron skillet was the secret to a great steak, and said the one she had at home was her great grandmother's, it was over 100 years old, and it had never seen soap or water. While Samson described his dish and his job, Brandi quipped that he could make a drink, but asked if he could make a steak. Christina noted how she put her steak in the oven with 10 minutes left, and loved the down-home baked tomato.

She presented her dish, and although Ramsay called it ugly, he loved both the steak and tomato and called it delicious. Christina called the steak tender and said she knew her way around a cast iron skillet. However, she called the mushrooms underwhelming and said they could have used more time in the oven. Both her and Samson's dishes were well-received, and the judges wished they weren't in the same battle, believing they both deserved an apron. In the end, Christina said the apron was handing to the South, and Brandi received the first apron of the season. Brandi said she was excited to be in the Top 20, and if you work hard, your dreams can come true.

Competition History

Week 3	In/Immune
Week 4	Win
Week 5	In/Low
Week 6	In/Immune
Week 7	Win
Week 8	High/Immune
Week 9	Win
Week 10	Win
Week 11	In/In
Week 12	High/Win
Week 13	In/Immune
Week 14	Win/Immune
Week 15	Win
Week 16	In/Win
Week 17	Win
Week 18	Co-Runner Up

Season 10

Episode 4

Brandi made an appearance as a guest at the Season 10 Pool Party

Competition History

Week 4	In
Week 5	High
Week 6	Win
Week 7	In
Week 8	In
Week 9	In
Week 10	Lose
Week 11	Low
Week 12	In
Week 13	In
Week 14	Eliminated

Post MasterChef

• After her appearance, Brandi quit teaching to be a part of the MasterChef cruise, where she was champion and she also appeared at MasterChef Camp.
• She started catering business Southern Flair with Chef Brandi.

Trivia

Season 7

• With 9 challenge wins, Brandi had the most wins out of anyone in her season.
• She is the second runner-up to receive the first apron in their season, following Natasha (Season 4).

Season 12

• She is the fifth contestant who received more bottom entries during their second run on the show. Following Stephen, Cate, Dara and Tommy (All from Season 12)
• She won the very first apron in both her seasons.

Quotes

Season 7

• (During her audition battle) "Oh you can make a drink, but can you cook a steak?"
• (About the Food Critics) "These critics are stone cold killers. I can just feel their death stares glaring at me, watching every single move I make and waiting for me to make a mistake."
• (After being named Co-Runner Up) "I'm proud that I've shown my students and my kids that they can reach for their dreams and they can get out there and they can do whatever they want, so I'm glad that I put myself out there, I'm glad that I took the risk."

Season 12

• "I am super pumped to be back in the MasterChef kitchen, you know, most people don't get a second chance. I was the Season 7 Runner-Up and I didn't win. I was so close. But MasterChef changed my life in every single aspect. Prior to Season 7, I was an elementary school teacher, but now I own my own private chef and catering company."
• (About Shaun) "You know, the last time I cooked in this kitchen with Shaun, he won and I didn't. I came in second place. But at the same time, I am so proud of him. He's traveled the world, he's written his own cookbook. He's living proof of what winning MasterChef can do for a person."
• (During the Spirits Mystery Box) "I got limoncello. It tastes like cleaner like you would clean your countertops with."
• "Every time these judges come around, you never know what they're thinking and you instantly start to doubt yourself. I definitely think the standards are higher than they've ever been. People are putting finale plates up to these judges. They're not letting little things slide that all of us should know. If you mess up something simple, it's just not gonna be pretty."
• "There is something about baking in the MasterChef Kitchen, you know, that just brings everyone to their knees."
• (During the Cowboy Barbeque Team Challenge) "As long as nobody screams at me, I'm good."
• (After being eliminated) "It’s definitely not how I wanted to leave Season 12 of MasterChef, but it was an honor to be asked back. So, I’m proud of myself for pushing myself. I’ve gotten stronger by being here, I’ve made it in the Top 3, I’ve been on a winning team, I cooked a beef wellington for Gordon Ramsay. MasterChef has molded and shaped my life in many ways over the years, and this time has lit a fire under me. It’s got my motivation back in the kitchen. I’m gonna hit the floor with my feet running when I get home. I came back here to prove that I belong in the culinary world. Competition this season is fierce, but I’m proud of myself for making it to the Top 10. You know, it doesn't matter if you’re from a big city or a small town, you know you can still reach for your dreams."

Gallery

Season 7

Brandi's Confessional

Brandi's Audition Dish

Brandi receiving her Apron

Brandi in the Red Team

Brandi in the Blue Team

Brandi in a Black Apron

Brandi's Pie

Brittany, Eric, and Brandi in the Pie Bottom 3

Brandi's Skills Test Lobster

Brandi's $20 Mystery Box Dish

Shaun, Brandi, and Eric in the $20 Mystery Box Top 3

Brandi's Bibimbap Dish

Brandi's High-End Mystery Box Dish

David, Shaun, and Brandi in the High-End Mystery Box Top 3

Brandi's Fresh Salmon Dish

Brandi's Pressure Skills Test French Fries

Brandi's Cast Iron Pan Mystery Box Dish

Tanorria, Brandi, and David in the Cast Iron Pan Mystery Box Top 3

Brandi with her Son

Brandi's Basket Swap Dish (David's Basket)

Brandi and Shaun's Final 4 Entrée

Brandi in a Chef Smock

Brandi's Smock Confessional

Shaun, Brandi and David in the Finale

Brandi's Pork Belly Appetizer

Brandi's Duck Entrée

Brandi's Cornmeal Dessert

Brandi after being named Co-Runner Up

Season 10

Brandi as a Guest at the Season 10 Pool Party

Dan, Brandi, and Katie

Season 12

Brandi's Confessional

Brandi's Audition Dish

Brandi Reinstated

Brandi's Spirit Mystery Box Dish

Christian, Fred, and Brandi in the Spirit Mystery Box Dish Top 3

Brandi in the Blue Team

Brandi in the Maroon Team

Willie, Shelly, Christian, Shanika, Emily, Amanda, & Brandi as the Losing Cowboy Team

Brandi's Failed Vietnamese Mystery Box Dish

Bri, Brandi, & Emily in the Vietnamese Mystery Box Bottom 3

Brandi and Christian's Tag-Team Trio Plater

Brandi’s Failed Gas Station Dish

Willie, Brandi, and Michael in the Gas Station Bottom 3

Brandi Eliminated (2nd Time)

External links

• Brandi Mudd on Instagram
• Brandi Mudd on Twitter