Imagine how delighted seven seasons’ worth of contestants would be if Simon Cowell stepped onto the Idol stage to sing - and, subsequently, be judged. On Season 2 of Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef, a hard-to-please judge will most certainly be on the set…but not to offer her critique.

Starting Sunday, Chopped‘s Amanda Freitag will be stepping out from behind the big table to stand under the harsh glare of criticism herself. Freitag is bucking to be The Next Iron Chef, the second the series has picked through reality TV competition. Michael Symon was the first to win the honor; he has gone on to enjoy a 7-2-1 winning record in Kitchen Stadium.

Iron Chef America is the US spin-off of the popular Japanese series, which is in syndication on FLN. Current Iron Chefs include Masaharu Morimoto (who was on the original show), Bobby Flay and Cat Cora. The Next Iron Chef takes several serious competitors, whittling them down until only two remain. In the Season One closer, the last two chefs standing faced their last challenge in Kitchen Stadium.

This “stadium” is the battle arena for the chefs who come to compete. Challengers face off against Iron Chefs, each cooking at least five dishes apiece with a mystery ingredient that’s unveiled at the top of the episode.

The Next Iron Chef recorded in LA a few months ago, sequestering the cast at a hotel near the studio during taping. Eric Greenspan, who owns nearby restaurant Foundry on Melrose, is also among the competitors who hope to gain the honor. Should Freitag make it all the way to the final challenge, she’ll have a unique advantage: she’s competed in Kitchen Stadium before. Amanda Freitag squared off against Iron Chef Bobby Flay in Battle King Crab, narrowly losing by one point in a 49-50 outcome.

Season two premieres Sunday night on the Food Network.