Move over, Food TV. Brooke Baevsky (better known online as Chef Bae) is proving why almost one million TikTok followers keep showing up for her kitchen magic. She’s a celebrity private chef with a résumé that casually includes Emma Roberts, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Travis Barker, and yes, even Adam Sandler.
And now she’s dropping some seriously smart holiday advice we can all steal.
Life is Different During the Holidays
When it comes to how wild her schedule gets this time of year, Baevsky is straight-up honest. “I would say in years past, when I was really celebrity private cheffing way more, all of my holidays were taken up by clients,” she tells People in an exclusive.
Her client list grows in the most adorably modern way; social media. Kids of famous families find her on TikTok and basically become her hype team. “The kids find me on social media, which is really cute,” she explains, which is what happened with the Barker’s.
She says sometimes the parents walk into the kitchen laughing, telling her their kids have sent them emails pitching her for months. “They’ll pitch me to their parents. These A-list celebs come into the kitchen — the parents — and they’re like, you don’t even understand our daughter sent us an email pitching you to us and your TikToks for months and months that we just couldn’t say no.”
Honestly, iconic behavior from everyone involved.
Chef Bae’s Best Holiday Dinner Advice?
Let’s get real; Holiday cooking can sometimes feel like a chaotic sprint to the finish line. When asked how the rest of us can make things easier, Baevsky doesn’t hesitate. “Make as much in advance as you possibly can,” she says, “because the day of, things just add up.”
“Chop your vegetables, chop your crudité, make your dips, make your sauces, marinate your meats, have all of your sides done.” Basically? Work smarter, not harder. On the holiday itself, your only real job should be cooking the meats, reheating sides, and adding finishing touches.
“At a client’s house, usually I’ll start prepping a couple days ahead of time,” she notes.
And when she cooks for herself or hosts her family, she takes the strategy up a notch. “If I cook for myself or I know I’m hosting something for my family, I’ll strategically meal plan throughout that month to know what recipes I’m making. Holiday cooking can totally start a month out,” she says; especially if you lean on your freezer the way she does.
Her Version of the “Olympics”
Between allergies, preferences, and every possible dietary curveball, this time of year tests even the most seasoned cooks. But Baevsky thrives under that pressure. “The holidays are like my Olympics in terms of dietary restrictions,” Baevsky told People with a laugh, “I’m just like, bring it on.”
And here’s the part that makes her so uniquely fun: she never stays stuck in one place. “I never make the same thing twice really. There’s always new requests and it just keeps it so fun and exciting. That’s why I’ll never be sick of cooking for people.”
That’s the spirit we all need going into the holiday season: flexible, confident, and ready to make it work. Because if Adam Sandler’s private chef can find joy in the chaos, the rest of us absolutely can too.
