MasterChef USA

MasterChef USA was a short lived precursor to MasterChef.

Broadcast
PBS 2000-2001

Host
Gary Rhodes

Gameplay
During the first 9 weeks, twenty-seven cooks from different regions faced-off in a challenge involving their best original two-course menu which must cost less than $60.00 and cook them in only two and a half hours. Nine contestants will be picked to move on to the next round where they will battle against another set of cooks from another region. From there, three will be picked to compete in the finale, where one of them will grab the coveted title for the next MasterChef.

Inventor
Based on the British version