Before they’ve even unpacked, the 10 finalists face their first on-camera challenge from Alton Brown. Then they must team up and cook for a really tough crowd—a table full of Food Network Stars.
Robert Irvine gives Finalists a rude awakening at 2 a.m., as they team up and race across Manhattan in a test of their food knowledge. Then each team must prepare and serve an original brunch menu on a moving train. Winners are featured in USA Weekend.
Finalists try to stand out from the pack using the same humble ingredient, a russet potato, and must present their dish to camera. Then they must invent an original food product, to be sampled and critiqued by 50 food buyers . . . and to surprise guest Martha Stewart.
Tyler Florence tests Finalists’ culinary skills doing videos for foodnetwork.com. Then Iron Chef Michael Symon challenges Finalists to create unique seafood dishes—and serve them to a ship full of Coast Guardsmen. The winning dish gets on the menu at Red Lobster!
Iron Chef Cat Cora challenges Finalists to describe food enticingly for the camera—only they’ve never seen the dishes before. Then Finalists must team up to make easy versions of extremely complicated dishes. The winning dish gets featured in Bon Appetit.
Each Finalist is paired with an 8-year-old Girl Scout, for whom they must invent a healthy and tasty meal. Then they learn they must demo this meal on the Rachael Ray show, with their Girl Scout, in front of a live studio audience.
In Las Vegas, the Final Four compete in two Throwdown-style competitions: they must each make an ultimate version of their own signature dish, while simultaneously creating an ultimate version of their competitor’s signature dish. All the while being peppered with questions from the committee, Paula and Extra’s Dayna Devon.
Finalists must shoot scripted promos at iconic Vegas locations. Then they must each create a lavish buffet for the ultimate Vegas crowd —entertainers from famous Vegas shows and top Vegas chefs.
The final contenders face off at Food Network, performing pilot presentations of their dream shows. All the Finalists return and join a live audience to find out who will be The Next Food Network Star.