It's all about simple pleasures and four dishes that bring Ina Garten pure joy. First, she makes Smashed Hamburgers with Caramelized Onions for a new take on classic feel-good food. Then there are Giant Crinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies -- what's not to love? Ina also makes the easiest appetizer ever, Kielbasa with Mustard Dip, and doubles her pleasure with Cheddar and Chutney Grilled Cheese for a date in the garden with Jeffrey.
A weird hot dog and a cheese that doesn't want to melt are two of the tricky ingredients that the young competitors face in the appetizer round, then retro candies result in some surprising pops in the entree plates. And the cookie dough in the dessert round is perfectly safe to serve raw, but will the finalists opt to cook it before serving it to judges Monti Carlo, Scott Conant and actress Sarah Michelle Gellar?
Chef Amanda Freitag, YouTube star Harley Morenstein and actress Anika Noni Rose preside over an all-pizza competition! Three courses of pizza begin with appetizers comprised of exotic looking mushrooms and a creamy Italian sauce. The fun continues as the junior chefs battle against some challenging dough and more sauce in the entree round. Then, the finalists tackle pizza dessert using cheese with a funny name and a wild assortment of fruit!
The judges are dismayed when some of the chefs fail to creatively transform the mystery ingredients in the appetizer course. But what can you do with string cheese? The contestants set out to aim higher in the next round. Unfortunately, they face a challenging basket: striped bass, jicama, mango, pimento peppers and brie. Then the final round brings about some caffeinated, cookie fun, when the two remaining chefs must work with instant coffee and gingersnaps.