Center Moriches' Kayla Mitchell reaches top 12 teams on 'MasterChef: Dynamic Duos'

Kayla Mitchell wasn’t certain if cooking would stay in her life. But nearly a decade after stepping into the "MasterChef Junior" kitchen, the 22-year-old Long Islander has earned a white apron and a spot in the top 12 teams on "MasterChef: Dynamic Duos" (Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on Fox/5).

"It really felt like the validation I needed to know that I want to pursue cooking in some sort of way in my future," Mitchell, of Center Moriches, said in a recent phone interview. "It's very full circle."

Mitchell's two-person team is featured on the latest season of the long-running Fox cooking competition. The season began with audition battles, where each duo competed against another team with a similar background or story for the chance to advance. Now that the top 24 contestants are set, their teams will take on fast-paced challenges, ranging from the mystery box to outdoor cook-offs, with the return of the show's signature pressure test especially raising the stakes. At the end of it all, only one pair will walk away with the $250,000 prize. Each dish is judged by "MasterChef" veterans Gordon Ramsay and Joe Bastianich, and new judge Tiffany Derry.

Mitchell's teammate in the competition is Texas' Ryan Kate Brandenburg, a fellow alum of "MasterChef Junior," whom she met as a child while filming season 3. The two hadn’t seen each other in years, but when Brandenburg, 22, saw that the new season was casting duos, Mitchell was the first person who came to mind.

"As soon as I found out they were casting pairs, I knew it had to be Kayla," Brandenburg said. "We've known each other for so long and built the foundation of our friendship on cooking. Even though we hadn't worked together in a while, I knew we could make it work."

Mitchell hadn't seriously considered returning to reality TV until Brandenburg brought up the opportunity. But something about the timing and the chance to reunite with a longtime friend in the kitchen made it feel right.

"I always knew cooking was going to come back into my life, I just didn’t know how," Mitchell said.

The pair's audition dish featured fish, which was a fitting choice for Mitchell, who grew up cooking seafood on the Island. She took the lead on the plate, and Brandenburg, who is from the Dallas area, trusted her instincts. The dish earned them a spot in the top 12, though Mitchell and Brandenburg hadn’t seen each other or cooked together in years.

Mitchell said the two focused on communication and flexibility, noting, "We kind of just communicated what we were strong and comfortable in and went from there." Neither wanted to dominate the other. Instead, they approached each challenge based on their individual strengths. If one of them had more experience with a dish, they  she took the lead.

That approach came naturally to Mitchell. She played lacrosse at Center Moriches High School and at Millersville University in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, noting that those years on the field taught her how to trust teammates and adjust plans as needed.

"You can’t have the same game plan for every team. Every team operates differently," she explained, and the same goes for every dish.

Returning to the "MasterChef" kitchen as an adult, however, brought unexpected nerves.

"That was so long ago. I really don’t feel like I remember anything. It was like a fever dream, so I would say I was on a pretty even playing field," she said, adding that any advantage she thought she had disappeared as soon as she started cooking. "Nothing could prepare you for cooking in front of [Scottish chef] Gordon Ramsay." 

The show was shot on the "MasterChef Australia" set in Melbourne. The season was fully produced in advance, and Mitchell said she spent October to December of last year abroad.

While Mitchell can’t reveal how far she got in the competition, she said the experience was reaffirming.

Now, back on Long Island after graduating from college last month, Mitchell said she hopes cooking continues to play a role in whatever comes next.

Returning to "MasterChef," she added, reminded her that food has always been at the heart of what she enjoys most.

"I've always been, like, I have to be practical about everything," Mitchell said. "But I really feel like I can’t escape cooking. It's my passion."