Kaitlyn Prendiville

Mental health. Cooking has always been an escape. I’ve had a lot on my plate from a young age but making my creations and putting them on someone else’s plate gives me joy. Being a single mom at 19, I left culinary school and pursued something that I could do and also have time to raise my son. With everything I’ve encountered in my life, cooking is something I can showcase to my loved ones no matter what I’m going through.

What isn’t my favorite dish to make is the question! I grew up watching Chopped and always had an ‘ingredient house’ so since I was 9, I was always throwing things together and making up my own dishes. For the sake of an answer, a classic roast chicken dinner with a pan gravy. I’m always cooking on a budget, so whatever’s in the fridge!

If I won the $25k I would put that towards a down payment on a house for my family. I’ve moved about 15 times in my 33 years and I’ve never had a forever home. Ever since I had my son, my goal has been to give him a home that he can walk into and see his mom cooking and dancing in the kitchen, happy. A place he can always come back to.