In the second battle of this special Chopped tournament, the chefs get to gamble for a chance to replace a basket ingredient, and the fish offal in the first basket is begging to be gambled away. In round two, all the remaining chefs have a different least-favorite basket ingredient, and more gambling in round three leads to serious drama. The winner of this preliminary battle advances to the finale, where $25,000 -- or more! -- will be at stake.
Chopped is always a gamble, but the Casino Royale tournament takes it to another level. The competitors are given the chance to replace basket ingredients with new ones by the roll of the dice. In this first preliminary battle, something slithery is in the original basket, and a Vegas-themed item in round two isn't a big hit with the chefs. When a chef runs into some bad luck in round three, he doesn't seem phased, but will his bold moves with the ice cream machine result in good flavor? The winner moves on the tournament's finale!
Roll the dice and change your fate! In this third battle of the Casino Royale tournament, the chefs can gamble to get lucky or unlucky replacement basket ingredients, and the appetizer basket reveals a notoriously challenging ingredient. Will everyone opt to swap it out? In round two, the chefs are second guessing their choices when they have bad luck with an ingredient. Then, the remaining two chefs in the final round decide to take a chance by baking something. The winner of this battle scores a seat in the Casino Royale finale!
In the fourth battle of the Casino Royale tournament, chefs, once again, get to try their luck at replacement basket ingredients, if they dare. When nobody decides to ditch a strange pizza in the appetizer basket, only time will tell if that was a wise move. Before the entree round, a roll of the dice gives one chef two proteins that he must cook, but is there enough time? Then, an interesting gamble and some uncooperative puffed pastry keep things exciting in the final round, and the judges face a difficult decision in selecting the chef who deserves to move on to the finale.
Four winners return to Chopped's Casino Royale, gunning for the jackpot and the title of grand champion! As in the prelim battles, the chefs will have a choice to gamble away an ingredient before each round, and the $25,000 jackpot will get higher or lower depending on the champs' good or bad fortune. The appetizer round is a frenzy of excitement, as the competitors race to raise the bar and deliver the flavor. Nobody wants to swap out the beautiful rack of lamb in the entree basket, but the level of intensity is sky-high as the intoxicating possibility of a finale win sinks in. It all leads up to the final rolls and the final cooking round! Who will leave the casino with a huge jackpot and an even bigger sense of accomplishment?
A proud legacy of delicious cooking! Four chefs celebrate Black History Month through incredible food. Fish fillets and fish peppers must be combined for the appetizer course, and a hearty soup and a Southern vegetable inspire the chefs in the entree round. Then, when chefs with two unique perspectives make it into the dessert round, they both have a good feeling about the basket, but only time will tell if the ingredients can come together just as they would like.
For the love of chocolate! In this battle, the chefs are blessed with an abundance of the so-called food of the gods. In the first round, the competitors attempt to make duck and chocolate fly. Faux deviled eggs are a sweet trick in the entree basket, and by the time the dessert round is done, it might be natural to ask if there's such a thing as too much chocolate. Not for the winner of this chocolate challenge!
Chomp, chomp, chop! The chefs get alligator in the first basket and race to see who can make it most tender and flavorful. The three competitors who advance to the second round are determined to show their skill and creativity, but the clock threatens to upset their plans. Then, when missteps in the final minutes of the dessert round result in errors, will the judges be disappointed or unfazed by the plates they get?
Golden baskets are packed with the fanciest of ingredients, and the chefs are challenged to rise to the occasion and create upscale meals, worthy of their top-notch components. Caviar potato chips are a posh crunchy surprise in the first basket. High-class sushi and a swanky veggie are two of the grand ingredients the competitors must include in their entrees. Then, as the last two chefs race to make elegant desserts, the clock gives them a run for their money.
Four chefs tackle a takeout takedown in this thrilling battle. The baskets are packed with go-to, to-go choices like pizza in the first round. In the second round, the chefs must make a Chinese specialty work with an Italian cocktail. Then, a tower of something sweet and a cup of something bubbly are part of the puzzle for the dessert round.
Four chefs who are passionate about pasta are ready to show the judges what they've got! The appetizer basket seems like a gift, but ambitious plans leave some of the competitors racing the clock. In round two, the chefs hurry to make spectacular pasta plates that must include a succulent seafood and a strange sweet. Then, the last two chefs bring a ton of heart to the final round, and the judges are eager to try desserts made with cookies and coffee.
It's viewers' choice time again! The chefs are scared when they find out that the ingredients for their battle were chosen by the fans, via social media. The competitors are trepidatious when they see the alarming sandwich in the first basket. In round two, gummy candies are no big deal compared to a meaty shocker, and a gag-inducing soda and a veggie-licious cake are two of the frightening finds in the dessert basket. Through all this battle's ups and downs, one thing is certain: the winner of the $10,000 will have to work extremely hard for it.
Everybody knows how to stack bacon, lettuce and tomato, but it will take skill and creativity to make a BLT-inspired three-course meal! The chefs find BLT-themed ingredients in every basket and are encouraged to celebrate the classic flavor combination in their dishes. A cheesy-creamy comfort food adds to the challenge in round one. In the entree round, the chefs scramble to make sure their dishes are "bacon-y" enough, and a lettuce-flavored ingredient in the dessert basket has the final two competitors shaking their heads and crossing their fingers that all ends well.