MasterChef home cook and Brookhaven Academy alumni Katie Dixon returned to her hometown recently to dish on the reality show and demonstrate her culinary chops in the kitchen.

While the 100 or so diners enjoyed a meal of grilled pork chops over sweet potato mash with a side of bacon-infused Brussels sprouts, Dixon prepared the same items on the stage adding a dash of this and a sprinkle of this to the main ingredient and sides.

A cameraman captured closeups of the action, which were shown on a large screen behind the MasterChef contestant.

While Dixon cooked, she talked about making it into the Top 9 of the culinary competition now in its seventh season on Fox.

While producers encourage drama and larger-than-life characters during filming, which was completed earlier this year, Dixon, a Brookhaven native and personal trainer in Hattiesburg, vowed to stick to her roots. “I was very much myself,” she said.

Episodes of the series are airing on Fox each Wednesday, and Dixon is sworn to secrecy on the outcome.

“It has been a fun secret,” she said. “I want everyone to watch the show. It was an opportunity of a lifetime for me. I’m a rule follower and I don’t like to get in trouble. The secret is safe with me.”

The show is taking a two-week break while the Olympics are airing on another network.

She said filming consisted of 16-hour days, six days a week. Contestants were off on Sundays to catch up on their laundry and buy groceries to prepare their own meals.

She was asked about working with celebrity judges like Chef Gordon Ramsay. “He always appreciated my smile and the joy I brought into the kitchen,” she said.

Dixon, 34, said she would “never in a million years” think she’d be able to pursue her dream of being on MasterChef. “If you dream something, go with it with all your heart.”

Dixon was one of thousands who auditioned for the show, and now she’s in the top nine who are competing for $250,000, a cookbook deal and the MasterChef trophy.

She said the teachers and staff at Brookhaven Academy created an atmosphere that allowed her to grow.

At BA, Dixon, the daughter of Vickie and Henry Newman, of Brookhaven, played basketball, softball and tennis and was a Cougar cheerleader.

“The coaches and teachers at BA always expected the best out of students,” she said after the demonstration. “I lived that. They pushed us and at the same time encouraged us. They challenged me to dig deep and push my limits. With that, and with determination and a winning attitude, you could reach greatness.”

Brian Emory, director of development and marketing for the academy, invited Dixon to participate in the fundraiser. “Everyone in Brookhaven is proud of Katie, especially all of us at BA,” he said. “She is a future star and it will be fun to watch her career grow once MasterChef is over. Hearing her describe her days at BA really reaffirms that our mission to provide a quality education in a Christian environment produces a well-rounded student.”

After the dinner, which also included an appetizer of Waldorf salad and a cheesecake dessert, Dixon judged a cupcake decorating contest for young chefs ranging in age from 3-years-old to late teens. While most used store-bought icing and sprinkles to decorate their pre-baked cupcakes, others brought homemade icing to give the baked good their own flair.

BA students Bentley Wilson and Sara Rodgers Smith won the cupcake contest for their unique decorations, Dixon said.

However, one girl’s icing really impressed Dixon, who offered her some encouragement after she’d left the stage.

“I wanted her to know I appreciated her hard work and to not stop learning in the kitchen,” Dixon said. “I feel as though it’s always important to showcase individuals’ strong points and hard work. She was so close and I just wanted her to know how proud I was of her efforts.”

“I know what an encouragement it was for me in the MasterChef kitchen when Chef Ramsey would highlight a job well done to me even though I might not have been the top dish. You never know what words of encouragement may spark a flame in the life of a child.”

Dixon worked with Ken Dixon from Mitchell’s Special Events and Catering in Brookhaven to duplicate her recipes and plating to serve the diners at the fundraiser. “Ken and his staff did a fantastic job making the dish I selected. It was an honor to work with such talented people,” she said.