Mai and head judge, ATK's Dan Souza, return to mentor and guide 11 aspiring cooks as they compete for the job of a lifetime. This season, the prize awards are bigger, the dishes even more mouthwatering, and the contestants are hungrier than ever to make their culinary career dreams come true. From all walks of life, home cooks and pros alike are all in for the win! One cook will become the newest America's Test Kitchen cast member, receive a cookbook option, and win $100,000 to support the pursuit of their culinary dreams.

Season two presents an even greater focus on media challenges that will have cooks sweating it out in the spotlight, as well as new skill drills from Souza to help home cooks level up in the kitchen. This season we will also get a glimpse into the mindset and emotions of contestants in the stew room while they wait together for the judges to deliberate their fates. And in an America's Test Kitchen Next Gen first, the final five will take their first offsite adventure to the shores of Massachusetts to learn a new culinary skill set!

This season will feature a rotating cast of new and returning ATK personalities, including Lan Lam, Julia Collin Davison, Jack Bishop, and even Antoinette Johnson, winner of America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation Season 1. Celebrity chef guest judges like Bryan Ford, Pati Jinich, and Joe Sasto also appear weekly – it's a smorgasbord of culinary stars!