Meet the SC and NC contestants competing on a new season of this PBS cooking show

Once again, another television series will feature some familiar faces from the Carolinas.

Another season of “The Great American Recipe” is coming back this summer with two cooks from the Charlotte area. Eight contestants from across the country will be putting their cooking skills to the test in the weekly competition, including Ingrid Portillo of Charlotte and Tim Harris of Fort Mill.

“Influenced by his Dutch mother, as well as his paternal Southern Grandmama’s cooking, Tim developed an appreciation and a taste for many different types of cuisines at an early age,” Hill’s contestant bio says.

“Creative and willing to try anything in the kitchen, he loves to grill, smoke meat, and feature fresh seafood from the Carolinas’ coastal waters along with bold flavors. Tim’s signature dish is his Lowcountry-Style Shrimp and Cheesy Grits.”

According to his bio, the Fort Mill cook lived all over the world as a “military brat” while his father was in the US Air Force, but he has called the Carolinas home since he was 12.

Portillo was born in El Salvador and moved to the U.S. with her family as a child to escape the Salvadoran Civil War. Just like her fellow Carolina contestant, her family has also had an influence on her love for cooking.

“Ingrid credits her grandmother as her cooking inspiration, and she keeps her memory and legacy alive through her own cooking. Ingrid considers herself a lifelong PBS fan, having learned English and many cooking skills by watching PBS programs,” her contestant bio says.

“It is incredibly important for Ingrid that her children embrace their Salvadoran roots and honor the memory of their ancestors, especially those who didn’t survive the war. Ingrid’s signature dish is Pupusas with Curtido and Salsa Maíz — corn tortillas stuffed with braised meat and served with pickled cabbage and salsa.”

This isn’t the first time someone from the Carolinas has gotten to show off their Southern culinary skills on “The Great American Recipe.” Bambi Daniels from Winston-Salem competed in the first season back in 2022.

The new season of the show, which “celebrates the multiculturalism that makes American food so vibrant and delicious,” will showcase the two competing alongside the other six contestants during the eight-week competition.

“Each week, after two challenges, the judges will determine which home cook has the winning dish and, in the final week, the top three will compete for a chance to win this year’s competition,” the show’s synopsis says.

You can tune in to see how Harris and Portillo do every week beginning with the premiere on Monday, June 17 at 9 p.m. on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App.