Celebrity Chef Brooke Baevsky Shares 1 Unexpected Tip for Last-Minute Grocery Shopping for Thanksgiving (Exclusive)

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Celebrity chef Brooke Baevsky knows that hosting for the holidays can be a daunting task.

Countless questions bubble up when one is considering planning any kind of big event, and the holidays are ripe with opportunities to attend and host gatherings.

When getting ready for these holiday parties, Baevsky says that there is one mistake she sees people make far more than most — and it's related to shopping.

Everyone knows the struggle of having to run to the grocery store last minute on Thanksgiving or Christmas, only to find out that every ingredient you need is out of stock.

Baevsky is big on planning ahead, and recently told PEOPLE about how she sometimes finds herself shopping for her own Thanksgiving 30 days out and prepping slowly, as the weeks go by.

However, when it comes to the actual ingredients to buy when hosting a large event, the chef and content creator has one main piece of advice for those looking to host this year.

"If you don't want leftovers... I always say, take your grocery list —  the amount you think you need — and cut it in half," Baevsky advises.

The advice might seem controversial, as it runs counter to what many home cooks might initially expect when preparing to host upwards of 15 people at their home, but Baevsky has an explanation.

"People don't realize people bring food," she explains. And, what's more, people take things home with them after a big party.

"Everyone's taking a little bit of everything. So if you don't want leftovers, take what you think you need truly and cut it in half," she says.

For last-minute shopping additions, Baevsky is a huge fan of the online ordering apps.

"I order so much that I'm usually barred from the app because they think I've been hacked," she says.

When it comes to prepping meals for her A-list clients, she notes there is "lots of online ordering, last-minute ordering" involved. "I'll make food, a client could have a change, or they'll be like, 'oh my God, I'm craving this smoothie from Erewhon. Can you make it?' So I order like five times throughout the day for delivery."

But usually, she's shopping organically and from a local farmer's market.

"Usually my clients want really high-quality organic ingredients," she says, revealing that her grocery bill can get up there. "An ingredient bill for a holiday party of 15 to 20 people can be at least a couple of thousand dollars."

"I never make the same thing twice, really," she says. "There's always new requests and it just keeps it so fun and exciting."

She's incredibly close with her clients, who range from Sarah Michelle Gellar to Mindy Kaling, noting the stars always take her "foodie suggestions and recommendations."