What Happened To Mike On Great American Recipe?

Mike Thomas left Great American Recipe because he had to take care of his catering business. Alejandra Ramos announced his departure in episode 2.

The Great American Recipe was renewed for 2nd season featuring nine talented home cooks who showcase their culinary expertise.

This season home cooks from regions all across the country get the opportunity to share their most treasured recipes.

Their journey will be guided by the award-winning chefs Tiffany Derry, Graham Elliot, and Leah Cohen.

The talented chefs will be testing the contestant’s dishes. Each week, they will present a new theme, and over two rounds, the contestant will prepare the most delicious dishes for the judges.

The judges evaluate their dishes based on taste, execution, presentation, and how well the home cooks follow the round theme.

Each week, there will be one winning dish, and the least successful dish will be sent back to their home kitchen until only the top home cooks remain in the competition.

After eight weeks of challenges, they will celebrate the heart of American home cooking as one contestant will crown the winner.

The winner’s recipe will be featured on the cover of The Great American Recipe cookbook.

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Why Did Mike Leave Great American Recipe?

Mike Thomas left Great American Recipe because he needed to take care of his business. Mike is the owner of Artistic Catering.

The host Alejandra Ramos, announced in season 2, episode 2 that Mike quit the competition.

She mentioned sadly, the fellow home cook Mike had to leave the competition early, and he will be missed dearly.

Mike Thomas is a special education teacher, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Although he is from Cleveland, his grandparents hail from Mississippi.

His grandmother was the reason for his passion for cooking Southern food. Meanwhile, cooking means so much to him and his family.

The home cook was so excited about his arrival on the show. Even his dish had been chosen as one of the favorites after Brad in episode 1.

When he learned he could have his recipe on the cover of a cookbook, he felt amazing because there may be someone out to try a recipe that has been so steeped in history and love.

The thought made him happy and joyous. When the host asked to make the signature dish in round one to introduce him as a home cook, he prepared Shrimp and grits, flourishing his southern flavors.

Judges were impressed as he executed the dish perfectly and showed who he was and his story.

In the second round, he represented the Midwest, making Polish boys two ways. Brad became the winner of both rounds in episode 1.

Thankfully, no one got eliminated in the first episode.

In episode 2, Michael departed from the show, although he introduced the judges by cooking dishes that represented him and the region of the country.

As the owner of the certified small business Artistic Catering, wedding, and corporate, he may have needed to depart from the show because of his business.

Although it was a difficult decision for him to quit, he had to look after his catering future and could not fail in the process.

The Great American Recipe Season 2 Contestants And Judges

The Great American Recipe season 2 contestants are Leanna Pierre, Brad Mahlof, and seven more. Tiffany, Leah, and Graham return to judge the 2nd season.

The show follows nine expert home cooks flourishing their culinary expertise.

The contestant comes from varied backgrounds, from Guyanese to Greek, Caribbean to Native American, Libyan to Lithuanian, and Midwestern to Traditional Hawaiian.

Overall, the contestants express the delicious diversity of American home cooking and a wide diversity of cooking styles.

Here is the list of nine contestants of The Great American Recipe season 2:

Leanna Pierre
Brad Mahlof
Relle Lum
Maria Givens
Salmah Hack
Mike Thomas
Abbe Odenwalder
Khela Brewer
Ted Pappas

The Great American Recipe Judges

The Great American Recipe judges are Tiffany, Leah, and Graham. Alejandra Ramos joined as the host of the season 2.

Tiffany Derry
Leah Cohen
Graham Elliot

The judges will bring their professional understandings and deep culinary mastership to boost and support the contestants in their eight-week journey.

They will evaluate each home cook’s dishes based on taste, execution, and presentation each week and review how well the chefs follow the round theme.

The executive producer Jilly Pearce mentioned all judges have a bond with the series.

The Roots Chicken Shak owner Derry was raised in the South on her family farm. The culinary director of Pounders Elliot is part of a military family, and he has traveled around the globe.

Meanwhile, Chef Cohen was grown up in Filipino and Romanian Jewish ethnic backgrounds.

The Great American Recipe Filming Locations

The Great American Recipe was filmed in Caroline County, Virginia. The show was shot in The Barns at Mattaponi Springs.

The executive producer Jilly Pearce mentioned it was a vast effort to produce the series.

She added the episode has shot in a wide barn in a grassy field.

In the next barn, they kept the housed equipment, supplies, and crew members.

As a result, they used both large polar barns and smaller pine barns for the filming process. The two barns are lodged on 146 acres totaling over 9,500 sq. ft, which could accommodate up to 200 guests.

The Great American Recipe season 1 was also shot in a village in Virginia Ruther Glen at The Barns at Mattaponi Springs.

The concept of the cooking series came up before the pandemic, but they paused it until 2021.

While searching for the shooting location, they wanted a place close to Richmond, which had a sense of Americana and expressed Virginia.

At last, they selected the picturesque area in Ruther Glen, which was 40 minutes farther from the city.

It is located between Richmond and Fredericksburg, Virginia. More than the filming, the site is famous as a classic wedding venue.

The site added their venue includes stunning water views, beautiful woodwork, and plenty of overnight accommodations.

If someone is looking for a wedding platform, then The Barns at Mattaponi Springs is the best choice.

Some FAQs

Where is Great American Recipe filmed?

The Great American Recipe was filmed in Caroline County, Virginia, at The Barns at Mattaponi Springs.