Baltimore County-One of Bettina Applewhite's happiest places is to make recipes in her kitchen.

"I like food. Who doesn't like food, am I serious?" she said with a smile.

So when she had the opportunity to compete in Bravo's top chef's kitchen, Applewhite seized the opportunity.

"I said that if they had an amateur version of [Top Chef], that was something I would try. God works in a mysterious way, because next I knew that I saw the flyers of top chef amateurs, and I was like here My chance."

In a pre-recorded 30-minute episode, Applewhite teamed up with a professional chef to compete with another amateur chef. The winner will receive $5,000 and bragging rights.

"I'm in the kitchen of a top chef, and I can't believe I would say this," Applewhite said. "It's great to cook with a professional chef in a professional kitchen."

During the day, Applewhite served as the director of operations at the Food and Nutrition Services Office of Baltimore County Public Schools. She described herself as a "lunch lady" and went to school cafeterias across the county to ensure that students eat healthy meals.

"The lunch lady needs to do something. You are the one who helps feed the students at noon or when they start the day with breakfast," she said. "I really want to promote diversity and make sure we have access to some different options and different options."

Colleagues at Applewhite said they were very happy to see her participating in the top chef amateur competition.

"She is very enthusiastic. She is passionate about food. She likes going out with people. She has a great, lively personality," said Terry Smith, BCPS Food Service Operations Manager. "I think she will be great."

Applewhite's personality is evident in her blog and Instagram page called "Bites with Applewhite", where she shared her recipes and meal preparation ideas. To celebrate the emergence of her top chef amateurs, she shared a free after-school snack recipe ebook on her blog.

She can't say whether she will eventually become the top chef of the lunch lady, but she can say that she would love to do something like this again.

"You can't imagine what you will be like when you walk into that top chef's kitchen, but it's so exciting, and I'm very happy that I can participate in the competition," she said.

You can watch the Applewhite match on Top Chef Amateurs on Bravo on Thursday, August 12th at 9pm.