Season 2

100 amateur chefs are flown to Los Angeles to see if they have what it takes to be the next MasterChef. The contestants prepare their signature dishes for the panel of judges. Only those who impress the judges with their presentation, creativity, and originality will get an apron and move onto the next round.

Round 2 begins with the amateur chefs trying to impress the judges with their signature dishes. Contestants compete for a chance to win the MasterChef apron which guarantees them a spot in the next round.

The field has been narrowed down, and the top 38 are revealed.

The contestants must show the judges that they can pass two culinary stress tests before moving onto the next round. First, slicing apples consistently, and with as little waste as possible, and second, creating the best chicken dish they can in order to impress the judges, and move onto the next round.

The contestants have one hour to make a dish using mystery ingredients. The winner picks the main ingredient in the elimination round.

The contestants are split into two teams, each team creating a five course meal. One person is eliminated.

The contestants compete, and try to advance to the next round.

The remaining contestants compete in order to advance to the next round.

Vegetarian meals are made by the 13 remaining hopefuls. Then, Season 1 winner Whitney Miller shows up and challenges the wannabe chefs to prepare a dish from her cookbook.

The Top 12 prepare food for a celebrity cocktail party

The hopefuls cook lobsters. Later, they compete in an aphrodisiac challenge.

The Top 10 cook for the judges' mothers. Later, they must prepare eggs Benedict.

The Top 9 home cooks flex their culinary muscles in another grueling challenge to prove to the judges they have the passion and skill it takes to advance to the next round. Find out which contestants wow the judges and who winds up on the chopping block in the next elimination round.

The contestants will need to prepare a slider and a side for each kid. But there's a catch: They cannot use beef or potatoes. And the kids aren't just the guests; they are the judges, too.

After no elimination last night, the Top 8 home cooks again flex their culinary muscles in another grueling challenge to prove to the judges they have the passion and skill it takes to advance to the next round. Find out which contestants wow the judges and who winds up on the chopping block in the next elimination round.

The remaining six home cooks arrive at the acclaimed Los Angeles restaurant Patina at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Chef Gordon Ramsay tells them that they won't be eating in the restaurant; they'll be cooking there.

The final five home cooks in the competition gather in the "MasterChef" kitchen, where judges Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot, and Joe Bastianich reveal the latest Mystery Box Challenge. The contestants have to prepare, cook, and present an incredible dish using all or some of the ingredients inside a wooden crate: a variety of ground meats and an assortment of vegetables, rice, and potatoes.

The Top 3 chefs face off in a grueling final challenge, and the judges determine the winner in the Season 2 finale. At stake is $250,000 and the coveted title of MasterChef.

The Top 3 chefs face off in a grueling final challenge, and the judges determine the winner in the Season 2 finale. At stake is $250,000 and the coveted title of MasterChef.