Mary Makes It Easy is a Canadian original series produced by Proper Television for CTV Life Channel, where it premiered in 2021. It expanded to Food Network in the United States in February 2022 and also streams on Max and discovery+. The show demystifies home cooking by showcasing easy-to-follow recipes and practical kitchen tips for home cooks at all skill levels.
The show is hosted by Canadian chef, cookbook author, and television personality Mary Berg, who first rose to prominence after winning MasterChef Canada. The show consists of half-hour episodes, which tackle common cooking problems — what to do with a fridge full of leftovers, how to pull off a weeknight dinner without stress, or how to make an impressive dish with minimal effort. Berg walks viewers step by step through two to three recipes per episode, with a heavy emphasis on technique, shortcuts, and practical tips.
Each episode typically centers on a theme, such as back-to-school meals, weeknight dinners, brunch favorites, or crowd-pleasing desserts. While the focus is on simplicity, the dishes showcased are flavorful and versatile. Berg also emphasizes the “why” behind kitchen techniques so that viewers not only follow a recipe but also learn how to adapt it to their preferences.
Mary Makes it Easy is filmed entirely in her real home kitchen in Toronto, giving it a relaxed, lived-in atmosphere. Berg’s mother and husband appear regularly throughout the series, often serving as unofficial taste testers and adding a lighthearted family dynamic.
Mary Berg is a self-taught home cook from Pickering, Ontario, who left a career in insurance to compete in MasterChef Canada in 2016, ultimately winning Season 3 and becoming the show’s first female champion. She has published three cookbooks — Kitchen Party (2019), Well Seasoned (2021), and In Mary’s Kitchen (2023) — all of which have won Taste Canada Awards. In 2025, she was announced as a judge on the upcoming Season 8 of MasterChef Canada.
