The fifth season of the American reality television series The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 7, 2009. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined by Bobby Flay as the Selection Committee for this season, which was filmed early 2009 in New York, New York and Miami, Florida.

The sixth season of the American reality television series The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 6, 2010. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined again by Bobby Flay as the judges for this season. In addition, Giada De Laurentiis will serve as an on-set mentor. The series was filmed in Los Angeles, California and New York, New York. Winner Aarti Sequeira went on to host her show Aarti Party, which premiered on August 22, 2010. Runner-up Tom Pizzica was also hired to host a travel food show Outrageous Food, which began airing in November 2010.

The seventh season of the renamed American reality television series Food Network Star premiered Sunday, June 5, 2011. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, are joined again by Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis as the judges for this season. The series was filmed in Los Angeles, California and New York, New York. After the first episode of this season aired as "The Next Food Network Star", the series was retitled "Food Network Star" and this name was used from the second episode onward.

The eighth season of the American reality television series Food Network Star premiered Sunday, May 13, 2012 and consisted of 11 episodes. The format for the eighth season changed to three 5-member teams, each coached by a Food Network host — Alton Brown, Bobby Flay, or Giada De Laurentiis. The members of each team were also announced on the Food Network website. Also this season, viewers have the opportunity to follow the show or their favorite team on Twitter.