Creepy-crawly kabobs in the first basket kick things off on an adventurous note -- will the junior chefs find a good way to incorporate the bites of crunchy protein? In the entree round, the kids are happy to get fish fillets and a colorful cereal. Then, the young cooks must find creative ways to use some little sprinkles and a giant egg in their desserts. The judging panel features actors David Arquette and Jake Smollett and chef Scott Conant.
The kid cooks give new life to Thanksgiving leftovers, beginning in round one with a puree that the preteens haven't eaten in years. Two classics must be repurposed in the entree round, and cranberry sauce desserts are in store for guest judge Alanna Masterson as the last two junior chefs finish out the competition.
Holiday wishes come true as the junior chefs get a chance to impress guest judge Rashad Jennings, starting in round one with creative fish dishes. A meaty second course follows before the final two kids find festive surprises like edible snow in the dessert basket.
With gory surprises in every basket, the costumed competitors have much to fear and $10,000 to gain in this Halloween showdown, presided over by judges Scott Conant, event planner Jackie Sorkin and actress Michelle Trachtenberg. A vial filled with something deceptively familiar and some spicy mummies are weird surprises in the first basket, then the entree round has the junior chefs digging into a spooky casserole. Finally, the last two competitors confidently craft desserts from an odd collection of goodies!
Brave kid cooks set out to prove they have what it takes to thrive in the kitchen and impress guest judge Vanessa Marano. They get creative with wild doughnuts in round one and stinky cheese in the entree round. Creamy and colorful desserts are in order after the junior chefs open the last basket.
At an age when many kids have never even tasted lamb, the junior chefs competing must create dishes with it in round one. A creamy soup and a pretty pasta are two of the entree basket ingredients that the young cooks must conquer. Then, the judges -- chef Amanda Freitag, actor David Alan Grier and TV host Brandi Milloy -- fret over the gray color of the chia pudding in the dessert basket.
Savory meets sweet, and all is awesome! The junior chefs find something called an "everything donut" in the appetizer basket, which they must make work with a pickled pork product. Cooking venison is a new experience for some of the junior chefs in the entree round, then a competitor makes a bold move in the final seconds of the dessert round. It's up to the judges -- chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and David Guas and NFL player DeMarcus Ware -- to decide if it was a smart choice.
Turkey-themed baskets keep the kid chefs in the right state of mind as they try to make a meal that guest judge David Dobrik will gobble up, starting with a bucket of turkey meatballs in round one. A rare form of mashed potatoes makes for a hearty hurdle in the entree round, but will the two remaining kids be thankful for or fearful of the dessert goodie in the third basket?
In this third preliminary battle, the youngest group of champions yet gets a delicate seafood and a tasty pork product in the appetizer round. Chocolates in disguise cause the junior chefs to do a double take when they open the entree basket. Then, coffee with dessert makes sense, but where will the competitors use chili flakes in their final, sweet dishes?
The heat is on in this spicy competition, judged by YouTube personality Tyler Oakley and chefs Ching-He Huang and Geoffrey Zakarian. In the appetizer round, the kids must put on their goggles when they tackle hot peppers. The entree round reveals a milder chili, but the junior chefs are left wishing they had practiced cooking goat! Then, in the dessert round, the two finalists must cook with a spicy jam that leaves a tingling sensation.