Olivia Dangerfield and her brother are hired as servants in the household of the meticulous Mrs. Falkner. When another pair of servants is detained by the law, Olivia decides to pose as a master cook, though she knows little about the culinary arts. Meanwhile, Burton Crane, the boyfriend of Mrs. Falkner's daughter, becomes attracted to the "wonderful cook" at the Falkner home.

When the head of an aristocratic, but impoverished, Virginia family must be treated for his illness by a New York specialist, his daughter, Claudia Daingerfield, raises money by leasing their old Southern mansion to Burton Crane. The only condition Crane makes is that the black servants be replaced by white servants. Claudia and her brothers and sister take on the roles of servants, with calamitous results. When Claudia is introduced to Burton as his cook, he immediately falls in love with her. Claudia overcomes her lack of culinary skills by smuggling Mammy Jackson into the house to do the cooking. The other "servants" are all let go, and the father survives the dangerous operation. When Claudia's true identity is revealed, Burton recognizes her pluck, and she accepts his offer of marriage.