In the next challenge, with help from some familiar home cooks, the remaining 3 will have one hour to prepare an amazing appetizer dish. The contestants will then have one hour to create entrees and one hour to create a dessert. After evaluating the final dishes, the judges will reveal America's next MasterChef, and the deserving home cook will walk away with the trophy, a book deal, and the $250,000 grand prize.
The 5 remaining contestants are introduced to special culinary guest judge Richard Blais – chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author – who reveals the seventh Mystery Box challenge. The winner will avoid competing in the elimination challenge and the remaining contestants are given five minutes to shop for a basket full of twenty ingredients. With an unexpected twist in the competition, one is eliminated.