Savannah Miles has a sweet Southern drawl, a farm in Etowah County and a scrumptious recipe for fried chicken. She also has an ambitious plan: To open a pay-what-you-can, farm-to-table restaurant in Alabama.

Reality TV viewers learned all of these things, if they watched Miles audition for Season 13 of “MasterChef.” Miles, 27, cooked her way into the hearts of the judges — and very likely, the hearts of a national audience — when she appeared on the June 14 episode of the Fox series. This season, “MasterChef” has a “United Flavors of America” theme, and Miles was competing for one of five spots representing the South.

Miles (who uses her nickname, “Sav,” on the show) whipped up a fried chicken entrée that earned raves from the chefs evaluating her food: Series host Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez, Joe Bastianich and guest judge Tiffany Derry.

“Sav, the chicken’s perfect,” Ramsay said. “Cooked beautifully.”

“I could really see the South here,” Derry said. “Delicious.”

“I love this,” Sanchez said. “It’s just fantastic.”

Bastianich was skeptical at first, but praised the chicken seasoning and crust, calling it “slightly sweet,” “salty” and “interesting.”

With four “yes” votes in the pocket of her new “MasterChef” apron, Miles is on her way, taking the first step toward reality TV stardom. She’s one of 20 home cooks competing on the show during Season 13, vying for a trophy, kitchen gear and a $250,000 prize.

Look for Miles on Wednesday as the series continues with a new episode. All 20 contestants will be featured on the hourlong program, working in teams representing the South, Northeast, West and Midwest. Their goal: to create a dish inspired by state fair food. (Funnel cakes, anyone?)

The contestant who wins the state fair challenge also earns immunity for his or her team. If the usual “MasterChef” rules hold true, one contestant will hang up his or her apron and go home.

Miles, a Gadsden native, made an impressive debut on the show, displaying an outgoing personality along with her culinary skills. Although fried chicken was the star of her audition dish, we can expect this cook to place an emphasis on seasonal vegetables as she moves through the competition. That’s because Miles is the co-owner of In the Pines Produce in Ballplay, a company she founded in 2021 with Cory Shands.

In the Pines Produce, linked to their farm in Etowah County, offers farm box subscriptions, sells produce to restaurants, organizes pop-up dinners and more. Miles would like to add a farm-to-table restaurant to the business, as she told the judges on “MasterChef.” When Ramsay expressed doubt about her pay-what-you-can philosophy, Miles playfully batted it away.

“You have to make a profit to stay open,” Ramsay said immediately.

“Hey, Gordon, once they try my food, there’s gonna be a line out the door,” Miles said. “I ain’t gonna be worried about all that.”

Miles — a 2014 graduate of Gadsden City High School and 2018 graduate of Harvard College — might have an unusual outlook as an entrepreneur, but her dreams have always been community-minded. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies at Harvard, with a focus on race and class in the rural South,according to a report by The Gadsden Times.

Miles received a Priscilla Chan STRIDE Postgraduate Public Service Fellowship after earning her undergraduate degree, and in 2020 became the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Gadsden/Etowah, the Gadsden Times said.

Miles founded In the Pines Produce with Shand in spring 2021, according to the company’s website, with the goal of helping Alabama people to support local farmers and find sustainable local produce.

“I do everything by hand on my farm, and I grow some of the best produce in the state,” Miles said during her “MasterChef” audition episode. “Before I was a farmer, I went to Harvard on a full ride scholarship. Some people think I’m wasting my education. But everybody always says they want to quit their job and start a farm, and I actually did it. My true passion is in growing and cooking your own food. That’s why I’m here, to pursue becoming a chef and prove that I made the right call by going rogue and starting this farm.”

A personal cheering section of three accompanied Miles during her TV audition, and the women, who appeared to be family members, could be heard saying “Roll Tide!” in encouragement. There’s no word yet on a tailgating challenge, but “MasterChef” will ask the contestants to cook a meal at Dodger Stadium, according to a publicist.

Miles faces some tough competition on the series this season, including a contestant who also has Alabama ties. Kolby Chandler, a home cook repping the South, is the son of Thornton Chandler, a former NFL tight end who played for the Crimson Tide in the 1980s. Kolby, from Houston, Texas, is no stranger to reality TV, competing on “Top Chef Amateurs” in 2021. He has more than 370,000 followers on Instagram, as well as a cookbook and line of seasonings.

Other Southern cooks on Season 13 are Kendal Adair, a barbecue champ from Olive Branch, Mississippi; Reagan Sidney, a paralegal from New Orleans; and Jennifer Maune, a lifestyle blogger from Little Rock, Arkansas.

If you watch: “MasterChef” airs Wednesdays at 7 p.m. CT on the Fox network. Episodes have been filmed in advance.