In this grilling competition judged by singer Jessie James Decker, food writer Jed Portman and chef Geoffrey Zakarian, a new batch of precocious junior chefs must use a classic cornmeal dish in the appetizer round. The grill pans continue to get a workout in round two, where the kids must combine a marshmallow treat with white barbecue sauce. Then, the dessert round delights the finalists when they find a magnificent cake in the basket!
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!
When the junior chefs encounter alarmingly outlandish surprises in every basket, will working with weird ingredients stop them from cooking at their best? A swamp special must be combined with a spicy frozen dessert in the appetizer round. Peppers and puffer fish tails are in the entree basket. Finally, the kid chefs get a Scandinavian pancake for a dessert-round shocker. Food Network Star finalist Martita Jara guest judges with chefs Marcus Samuelsson and George Mendes.
Four outstanding young cooks compete to see who will earn the last spot in the grand finale. Some slender peppers and some scrumptious rolls are part of the puzzle in the appetizer round. The junior chefs must figure out a way to make a guilty pleasure snack work in their venison entrees, then some serious mistakes in the dessert round leave the judges with much to consider.
Caribbean flavors rule in this tropical competition, presided over by judges Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag and musician Ziggy Marley. The competitors come out strong in the appetizer round when they must cook with a classic Caribbean spice blend. Then, the junior chefs must pair fish with fruit in the entree round. The two finalists open the dessert basket to find a green fruit and citrus cookies.
When the junior chefs unpack pickle-flavored cotton candy in their appetizer baskets, it's anyone's guess how the round will unfold. In the second round, they must dip into cookie jars to discover sweet ingredients for their entrees and impress the judges, including guest Nikki Bella. Finally, a stinky soda and a crunchy treat await the feisty final competitors in the dessert round.
A new group of four champs compete to see who will advance to the $25,000 grand finale! An infamous Chopped ingredient appears in the appetizer basket, then steak could be a gift or a challenge for the kid cooks who make it to the entree round. Then, the two young cooks who get to make dessert must use a tangy fruit and a deep-fried treat.
The junior chefs get to cook three meals -- breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- for the judges, actor J.B. Smoove and chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and Geoffrey Zakarian. In round one, the basket contains Middle Eastern pancakes and special cotton candy. For lunch, they have to try their hand with frozen fast food and raw burgers. Then, the finalists must make dinner with a tender cut of lamb and an Arabic dessert.
The young competitors celebrate fried food in each round and whip up some deep-fried delights for the judges, chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and Rebecca Lang and actor Zachary Quinto. The first round kicks off with a popular Southern beverage and seafood. The heat builds in the second round, when the kids get to pair the "caviar of the South" with a savory batter. Then, the dessert round reveals that almost everything can be fried, including ice cream!
Chefs Maneet Chauhan and George Mendes and actor Kevin McHale step in to judge the next round of talented junior chefs. First, the kids open the appetizer basket to find something staring right back at them! A cute candy creation and a twist on garlic bread spice things up in the entree round. Then, vegetables make their way into brownies in the dessert round, but the finalists have no problem repurposing them.