It's total anarchy in the Chopped Kitchen when the judges cook after hours and must make use of a dreaded orange powder packet! Aaron Sanchez is prepared for smooth sailing, but will the orange powder leave the others feeling like fish out of water? In round two, the judges share their secrets for making London broil tender in just half an hour. And finally, the judges are the three-ring leaders of a circus-themed round three, with desserts so good they leave Ted Allen skipping numbers in the final countdown!
It's game time in the Chopped Kitchen for four fanatical tailgaters, who are out to prove that their passion for cooking is equal to their passion for their teams. Some of the competitors are not pleased to find a vegetarian patty in the first basket, and in the second round, cheese and sausage are two of the mandatory ingredients. A salty and sweet treat in the dessert basket makes for a fine tailgating dessert on its own, but how will it be transformed into a final, plated dish?
Class is once again in session in the Chopped Kitchen, with ladies from America's school cafeterias competing and sharing their stories. In the first round, ground turkey and frozen yogurt test the chefs' skills. Then the ladies must sweat out a 30-minute entree round with sweet potatoes and hoisin sauce as ingredients. The final two competitors advance to dessert round to find a basket of healthy items. And when one chef's plans literally fall apart, she must decide whether to rethink her idea or try, try again.
Four teen chefs return to the Chopped Kitchen with victory -- and redemption -- on their minds. With lump meat crab and mayo in the first basket, crab cake seems like the safe route, but will they surprise the judges with something more creative? In the entree round, one of the teens seems particularly unhappy to see a nostalgic candy, and a lovely vegetable is a novel ingredient for the young cooks. And the two teenagers who make it to the dessert round hustle to make sweet creations from Italian cookies and peanut butter toast.
After hours, the Chopped judges leave their comfy seats to take over the stoves and demonstrate how brilliantly a basket can be transformed. Leftover Thanksgiving turkey becomes moist finger food and Latin American cuisine in a stunning round one, despite the presence of some angry birds. Round two brings out the mother in Marc Murphy, who makes quick work of carrot baby food and offers wine bottles to the competition as they speedily plate. The final sitcom-themed showdown boasts nostalgia-inducing flavors and unheard-of combos that may well become future staples.
After hours, the Chopped judges leave their comfy seats to take over the stoves and demonstrate how brilliantly a basket can be transformed. Leftover Thanksgiving turkey becomes moist finger food and Latin American cuisine in a stunning round one, despite the presence of some angry birds. Round two brings out the mother in Marc Murphy, who makes quick work of carrot baby food and offers wine bottles to the competition as they speedily plate. The final sitcom-themed showdown boasts nostalgia-inducing flavors and unheard-of combos that may well become future staples.
After a long day of critiquing food, the Chopped judges love nothing more than to whip up their own motley masterpieces after hours. In round one, Geoffrey Zakarian's secret love of potato crisps emerges in the form of dance, and Maneet Chauhan and Alex Guarnaschelli's boozy dishes only loosen him up further. In a truly bizarre round two, pork bung inspires Aaron Sanchez's new line of breathing apparatuses and plenty of generous seasoning. Marc Murphy does his best to sabotage others in the last round, but Maneet is determined to make the best dessert.
It's total anarchy in the Chopped Kitchen when the judges cook after hours and must make use of a dreaded orange powder packet! Aaron Sanchez is prepared for smooth sailing, but will the orange powder leave the others feeling like fish out of water? In round two, the judges share their secrets for making London broil tender in just half an hour. And finally, the judges are the three-ring leaders of a circus-themed round three, with desserts so good they leave Ted Allen skipping numbers in the final countdown!
Ree Drummond is sharing a trio of dinners for two -- for her daughter, Paige, for the freezer and for her other half, Ladd. Ree's mother-daughter dinner is an all-in-one Spatchcock Chicken Sheet Pan Supper. Next, her layered Loaf Pan Lasagna is perfectly portioned for two and just the thing for stocking up the freezer. Then, Ree and Ladd cook up frontier-style Steak Frites and Oven Fries with Ladd's own Lemon and Pepper Seasoning and Easy Hollandaise.
The final two recruits get private cooking lessons from Alton Brown and Anne Burrell and learn to make a dish of their choosing. Then Alton and Anne teach their recruits how to make a three-course, restaurant-quality meal. For the main dish challenge, the two finalists put all their new culinary skills to the test in order to impress judges Kelly Choi, Brian Mazza and Jet Tila, who do a blind taste test and determine the winner of the $25,000 prize.