One year after his win on “MasterChef Junior,” Bryson McGlynn is still fired up about cooking.

The young grillmaster from Alabama has been traveling quite a bit over the last 12 months — preparing delectable dishes for celebrities, tailgaters, hotel guests, competition judges and even the governor of his home state.

(See photos of his adventures in the gallery at the top of this post.)

“I’ve gone all over the world now, getting to do a lot of different things,” Bryson, 13, said in an interview with AL.com. “It’s been a very big life experience. It’s been a lot of fun.”

The teen, an Auburn resident, earned TV fame in spring 2024, cooking for Gordon Ramsay, a notoriously persnickety chef, on the FOX reality series. Bryson‘s victory on Season 9 of “MasterChef Junior”— the highlight of an episode that aired on May 20, 2024 — made folks in Alabama proud.

It also resulted in a trophy, a $100,000 prize and bragging rights for Bryson as the new champ. “Goodness, you did it, man! Well done!” Ramsay said.

But after the season ended and the cheers faded, what happened next? Bryson and his father, Mike McGlynn, were happy to look back on his big year, pointing to events, achievements and plenty of excitement.

“I’ve gotten to meet so many more people,” said Bryson, who just finished seventh grade at Opelika Middle School. “I’ve gotten to open up a whole different side of my life that I never knew I really could. I’ve learned to stay on top of different things and learn more responsibility. It’s been a lot of big life skills that I’ve learned.”

Here are some highlights experienced by the budding chef, known on social media as “Cheese Curd”:

Tacos with a Southern twist

Bryson brainstormed a menu tailored to young diners in a “MasterChef Junior” collaboration with DreamsResorts & Spas in Latin America and the Caribbean. At home in Alabama, Bryson came up with ideas for dishes suitable for a “For-Kids-By-Kids” menu. He traveled to Mexico in January 2025, to test and confirm the dishes with staffers for the Hyatt-owned properties. The trip was part work, part vacation, Mike McGlynn said, and included lots of activities at a fancy resort in Cancun.

Ivy Childs of Darien, Connecticut, a top 3 contestant on Season 8 of “MasterChef Junior,” was on scene, as well, collaborating on the menu with Bryson.

“I sent a whole bunch of different recipes, and they had to pick some stuff that I wanted to make,” Bryson said. “One big thing was Mexico. I think of tacos, and that’s why I did a taco mixed with the South. I did buffalo shrimp taco with Alabama white sauce. I was very hands-on with the menu. I got to create a whole bunch of different things. The menu is designed for kids to like it, but also adults to like it. It’s elevated enough to where people with a bigger palette will like it, but younger kids will definitely like it. I remember one interaction that was funny — I did cauliflower puree and the parents (of one boy) called it mashed potatoes. He ate a whole family-style bowl.”

Steak cooked to perfection

Bryson was honored by Gov. Kay Ivey, who proclaimed him “Chef for the Day” in Alabama on July 12, 2024. The teen traveled to Montgomery for the occasion, whipping up a three-course meal for Ivey and two of her friends. Bryson said he felt right at home in the kitchen of the executive mansion, cooking a main course of Wagyu steak topped by chimichurri (a fresh herb sauce), honey-glazed carrots, cauliflower puree and caramelized pearl onions.

Bryson’s starter for the meal was a charred salad wedge with blue cheese dressing and bacon bits. For dessert, he chose peanut butter pie with a cherry reduction.

“It was a big honor to meet her,” Bryson said. “She thanked me for representing Alabama and going on the show. But one thing that was funny — she said she wanted a Wagyu steak medium well. And I said ‘Ma’am, I cannot do that with Wagyu.’ So I cooked it to medium rare, and she loved it.”

Medium rare, of course, is the standard for succulent steak on cooking shows such as “MasterChef Junior.” A well-done steak is considered heresy by Ramsay and other discerning chefs around the country. Bryson agrees with them, and felt it was his duty to guide Ivey to a tastier choice.

“She ate every bite,” Mike McGlynn said. “She trusted Bryson.”

Wellington gone wild

Venison Wellington? Yep! Bryson’s offbeat idea for a wild game dish took the trophy in August 2024, when he joined the Loosen Your Black Belt Bunch, a team in the state finals of a Wild Game Cook-Off. The event, sponsored by the Alabama Wildlife Federation, was held at the organization’s headquarters in Millbrook.

Wellington isn’t a easy dish to prepare, and the protein used is typically beef, wrapped in a shortcrust pasty. It’s a favorite with Gordon Ramsay, and a signature item on the menu at his famed Hell’s Kitchen restaurants. The exacting chef has been known to berate cooks who prepare it incorrectly on his “Hell’s Kitchen” reality series, inspired by the chain of eateries.

But Bryson wasn’t daunted by the difficulty of making a venison Wellington in an outdoor cooking competition. He led the Black Belt team with confidence, alongside Ricky Albright, a chef known on social media as Iron Fire Cooking.

“It was just a lot,” Bryson said. “We brought a portable stove, a grill, to cook the meat.”

“He took some time and did a lot of studying of it, and practicing of it,” Mike McGlynn said. “And he was able to really hone in the recipe to do it outside.”

Albright posted the recipe for their championship dish — a venison Wellington tenderloin with a red wine reduction — on Instagram, saying “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

In the kitchen with Tamron

Bryson’s experiences on television gave him extra confidence when he was asked to make a guest appearance on the “Tamron Hall Show” in April 2025. The teen made a major impression on the syndicated program, laughing and joking with the host during a cooking demo in the “Tam Fam” kitchen.

“I got to do a live demo in front of the audience,” Bryson said. “This was very special. I did my signature steak with chimichurri, a New York strip. We made fresh chimichurri, and I showed her how to chop up some garlic. I have been practicing my knife skills a lot more, and I just started going to town because I knew we only had a certain amount of time. She started looking back at me like, ‘Are you OK?’”

“He was going so quick,” said Mike McGlynn, who was in the studio audience. “She was not prepared for him to be able to have the knife skills that he’s got.”

Terrific tailgate (and War Eagle!)

Joined by other social media influencers, Bryson cooked for a massive tailgate at an Auburn University football game on Nov. 23, 2024, at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers faced Texas A&M that day, and football fans on the scene were hungry for a victory.

Bryson and his pals — including Ricky Albright of Iron Fire Cooking and Dominique Holloway of Smoke Point Q — served up breakfast tacos, smoked Conecuh, queso dip, hot honey wings, steaks with a horseradish reduction and more, feeding about 500 people. For their efforts, they were recognized as Tailgate of the Game. The grillmasters celebrated Bryson’s 13th birthday, to boot.

Auburn won that day, by the way, beating the Aggies 43-41 in four overtimes.

And that’s not all

Bryson has served as the grand marshal for at least two parades — in December 2024 at the Bi-City Christmas Parade in Phenix City, Alabama, and Columbus, Georgia; and in March 2025 at Auburn’s Mardi Gras celebration. At the latter event, people on the parade route were yelling for “Cheese Curd!”

“It’s really cool seeing a whole bunch of people, and new faces saying, ‘Hey, I want some candy,’” Bryson said of the Mardi Gras parade. “That was a big honor. I threw MoonPies, candy, stuffed animals and necklaces.”

Over the past 12 months, he’s also reunited with some friends from Season 9 of “MasterChef Junior.” Bryson spent time with Miles Platt in October 2024, for example, at the 2024 Texas Open Fire Meat Up in San Antonio. He also teamed with Asher Niles in June 2024, preparing a three-course meal at Tieton Cider Works in Yakima, Washington.

Bryson emphasized that he’s still learning new skills and cooking techniques — one of his goals is mastering the art of macarons — and chef Ramsay remains an inspiration for him.

“He’s shown me a whole bunch about cooking,” Bryson said. “He’d give us little tips and pointers when we were doing some of the challenges (on ‘MasterChef Junior’). He’s been a big influence, and especially his passion for cooking — that’s always been a big thing.”

More culinary events and experiences are in store for the teen in 2025 — Bryson and his father said they can’t discuss those yet — and he remains the reigning champ of “MasterChef Junior.” (FOX has yet to confirm Season 10.)

In the meantime, Bryson continues to grow his following on social media, posting recipes and food-centric photos on Facebook and Instagram.

When he’s not cooking or grilling, Bryson likes to play golf, go fishing and play the drums. He’s a member of the Opelika Middle School Percussion Ensemble, which recently took top honors at a music and arts festival in Orlando, Florida.

“We couldn’t be more proud,” said Mike McGlynn, a band and percussion director for Opelika City Schools. “He stays so humble, and he doesn’t even bring up this stuff unless somebody recognizes him or brings it up. He made all A’s this year in school, like always, and continues to focus on being a kid. … The neat thing is that people still think of him as Bryson.”

TV fans regard the teen as a budding chef with a gourmet palate, but that doesn’t mean Bryson avoids ordinary treats such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cafeteria-style pizza or Crispitos.

“I still appreciate kid food,” Bryson said. “I ate cereal in a cup for breakfast this morning. I always love having chicken nuggets. That’s one of my go-to dinners all the time.”