Each season of Masterchef Junior brings a new batch of talented young home cooks, new
mystery boxes, new group challenges, and unexpected moments for both the contestants the audience.
From early front-runners to young contestants to problem dishes, you never know what to
expect when you tune in for a season of Masterchef Junior.
The Judges Get Pied
We saw all the kids deliciously savor the moment they flung their pies onto the faces
of their three mentors.
Heads weren’t spared and outfits weren't paid attention to – if you were an adult
in that room, you best believe you were going to be a victim of a crime most delicious.
While the cream and bits of pie went flying all over the place, we could see that none
of these children felt even the slightest bit guilty in what they were doing – and
why should they?
For a show with a lot of tense moments, capturing these tender ones only had us invested, more
than ever, in our favorite chefs and contenders.
The time they spent during this segment was probably as sweet as the pie they were so
liberally destructive with.
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Matilda Ramsay Guest Stars
Gordon Ramsay may seem scary to some.
But when his daughter, Matilda, guest starred on season 3, we got to see a different side
of Gordon Ramsay.
A forthcoming chef in her own right, she took center stage as she explained, step by step,
the process of creating a cheese filled burger patty.
As a Judge, we see that the contestants find it much easier to like her than they do her
dad, but she’s as much of a taskmaster as any professional out there.
Thankfully Masterchef isn’t a Gordon Ramsay popularity poll.
If it was, Matilda would charm everyone over and win their hearts faster than Gordon can
whip up another challenge.
The Youngest Chefs
It was in this season of Masterchef Junior that we were first acquainted with the show’s
youngest ever competitor, Riley.
Age seems to be just a number for this polyglot, who nervously impresses Gordon with a little
chit chat in French about the dish he was making.
Delivering his strongest dish of a Beef Ramen early on in the third episode, he manages
to impress all three judges and elicit the best response out of his favorite Chef ever.
We see the two have an even closer interaction while Riley creates an interesting dish, Banana
Scallops, and admitted to Gordon that he wants to become a chef when he grew up.
Gordon had his answer ready as well.
Team Challenges
Season 3 was filled with some very interesting team pairings as well as team challenges.
We saw the classic, intense Red versus Blue teams – tensions rose high as the kids were
put to the test, creating and cooking dishes that were unfamiliar to them.
Luckily for them, they were navigating this murky terrain together, so they had the support
of one another under the watchful eye of their judge and mentor, Graham Elliot.
Despite their struggles to get a strong foothold, the Blue team, with the help of their Team
Captain, were successful in the end, serving up a delicious meal.
The mood was seemingly much lighter for the special Tag Team Challenge – a fishy one
at that.
Teamwork and timing was key to this challenge, as seen by the contestants Ayla and Jimmy,
something the usually stoic Joe commended.
Grumpy Old Men
Without fail, this show takes these famous judges and dresses them up in something crazy.
And Joe?
Their look for the day perfectly matched the theme for the mystery box.
They weren’t really grumpy though; they were just old.
Old and gross.
It’s amazing to see that even when faced with an old person, or at least an older person
trying to be even older, Riley never felt that he should be less honest with them.
And that going-back-in-time trick was a pretty neat one.
If there’s one thing we have learned about from watching this episode, it is that good
humor most definitely does not come with age.
Best Dishes
Each season, we can’t wait to see just what these young home cooks can do.
Challenge after challenge, they proved, not just to themselves, but to the judges as well,
that their dishes were five-star worthy.
The challenges just never got easier.
Yet, with every challenge, our contestants just became more strategic and innovative.
You would never expect that these dishes were made by 8 to 12 year olds.
Even when asked to recreate a dish, our little home cooks were able to deliver with precision.
The judges assessed, tasted, and criticized dish after dish after dish.
With all the foodie creations that had stunned the judges, this might be our favorite one
yet - maybe even Gordon’s favorite one too!
Contestant Falters
There were moments when contestants fell short of the expectations both the judges and the
audiences had for them.
This isn’t just for dishes that didn’t meet the high standards they needed to meet,
but this entry encompasses those moments where the chefs stumbled.
In a team challenge, communication will always play a big role.
Maybe even the greatest.
Without it, you lose the potential of what might have been an awesome edible creation.
One day you create the best, the next, you may create something that is not quite edible.
Even with all those blunders and cooking mishaps, these young home cooks had done more than
most adults could.
To join an actual competition that puts them at risk of failing, makes them have some serious
guts.
Sushi Challenge
If making sushi, sashimi and tempura was already hard enough, try making it with a partner
- tag team style!
That partner needed to continue what the other had started… or maybe start over.
These are not easy meal preparations, even for adults.
For kids to be able to pull it off, now that’s impressive!
Like any other team challenge, communication is always key.
Others may have been yelling at each other, feeling all the pressure that the challenge
had to offer, but not Riley.
Even Gordon couldn't help but smile because of his confidence.
In the end, it’s lack of communication that brought Jack and Cory at the bottom.
You’re only as good as your team.
The Contestants Skype Home
It is easy to forget amidst their fantastic dishes and competitive spirit that these are
just children.
And children need adults to help guide them.
Remember the grumpy old men moment?
The home cooks were provided with aged ingredients to use for the challenge.
That was not easy.
Fortunately for them, they were given a chance to ask for guidance from people they trust
in the kitchen.
Some of the contestants called and asked what to make, others already had a dish in mind.
Being away from your loved ones is not easy.
Knowing that you can reach them using technology makes things a little better.
The call proved to be very motivating for the home cooks since they cooked those aged
ingredients like there was no tomorrow.
Some cooked better than others in the challenge.
But everyone won with the Skype call.
The Finale
Every year, the finale of Masterchef Junior keeps viewers and contestants on the edge
of their seats.
We see these young home cooks grow, thrive, struggle and survive throughout their time
on the show as they battle it out all the way to
the end.
Being part of the finale is, in itself, rewarding enough, but these kids did not come here to
just be a finalist.
Both cooks have very strong cooking skills, yet only one has to be declared the winner.
He had stood calm and collected amidst impossible cooking challenges and never doubted that
he’d win.
Just goes to show, dark horses are the best kind.
You never know what to expect.
We hope you liked the video!
Were there any great moments of Season 3 that we missed?
If you enjoyed this video, make sure to check out our videos covering Seasons 4, 5 and 6!
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