Arlington Teen to Compete on Food Network's 'Chopped Junior'

ARLINGTON, MA — An Arlington teen will take her cooking talents to the Chopped kitchen to compete on the popular Food Network cooking show Chopped Junior later this month.

Charlotte Kilroy, 13, is set to compete in the Chopped Junior kitchen in an episode that will air on Jan. 17. The young chef will be cooking for a panel of celebrity judges including chef Amanda Freitag, actor David Alan Grier and TV host Brandi Malloy.

Charlotte told Patch that she gained an interest in cooking when she was little, while watching her mother cook for her large family. While most kids her age may be interested in the latest toys and gadgets, Charlotte recently received a creme brûlée torch for Christmas.

"Charlotte's mom, Julia Kelahan, is an amazing cook and we have a big family (5 kids) so she spends a lot of time in the kitchen," Charlotte's father Tim Kilroy told Patch."Charlotte helps with dinner on most nights, and regularly takes on the challenge of feeding this brood."

Tim added that Charlotte doesn't necessarily have a favorite dish, but that she is a big fan of pasta and makes "awesome" blondies. Her cooking skills are so refined that she is even getting her friends to do something that parents have been trying to do for years, eat vegetables.

"Maybe her favorite food accomplishment is getting her long-time friend, who is an avowed vegetable hater, to joyfully eat (and ask for seconds!) kale," said Tim.

Hosted by Ted Allen, Chopped pits four young chefs against one another in an elimination-style culinary competition. The chefs compete in up to three rounds; appetizer, entree and desert. They must use selected items in mystery baskets to craft their dishes under an ever-ticking clock, and the dishes are judged at the end of each round. One chef is eliminated after each round, until a Chopped champion is crowned.

Chopped Junior is a spinoff of the original show which first aired in 2009. Each episode features chefs between the ages of nine and 15.

Charlotte traveled to New York City in May to film the show after a rigorous interview process. She sent in a video audition of her cooking a dish while explaining what she was doing, then she went through several Skype interviews before finding out that she would be on the show.

A career in the culinary could be in the cards for this Arlingtonian culinary whiz kid, who is home-schooled but would be in the 8th grade if she attended public school.

"I do plan on making a few cookbooks about healthy eating and nutrition and working at some restaurants," said Charlotte.

Her father, however, added that cooking is not her only passion. She is an avid horseback rider and also loves playing on her town soccer team.

"Charlotte is a passionate person," said Tim."She loves horseback riding, and whatever she decides to do in the future, she will do it amazingly well."

The show is set to air on the Food Network at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Images courtesy of the Food Network