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.
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 junior chefs must integrate the mystery basket ingredients into taco-inspired dishes, starting with pork and tropical flavors in the appetizer basket. A prickly plant must find its way onto the plates for the entree, then a cake in the third basket contains a sweet surprise! Chef Scott Conant, Food Network Star finalist Martita Jara and actress Kym Whitley serve as judges.
Ambitious young chefs put their skills to the test, starting with an appetizer round featuring Texas toast. In round two, guest judge Anthony Anderson keeps the kids laughing as they contend with wacky ingredients like corn on the cob lemonade. The two competitors left standing in the final round go all out to make show-stopping desserts with movie theater popcorn.
A fun twist on a classic comfort food is paired with pricey truffles in the appetizer round. In round two, the junior chefs must roll up their sleeves to deal with a large blue squash. Then, the two finalists find creative ways to make desserts with of out-of-this-world lollipops and green fruit. Food journalist Michelle Park, chef Chris Santos and singer Ruben Studdard take over the judging panel.
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.
Food blogger Ayesha Curry, former White House chef Sam Kass and chef Marcus Samuelsson are on hand to judge this round of young competitors, who must deal with some seriously stinky ingredients in the first basket. The second round has the junior chefs wondering what to do with a snack mix and a mix of mini veggies, and a reptilian cake meets a vegan cheese in the dessert basket.
Talented 11- and 12-year olds are ready to prove their culinary expertise to the judges, actress Bridget Moynahan and chefs Marc Murphy and Angelo Sosa. First, they set out to make pleasant pheasant dishes in the appetizer round, then the entree basket features something gummy and some yummy ducks. For dessert, one of the competitors must quickly come up with a back-up plan when a key element doesn't turn out right.
School's out, but it's time to make the grade by cooking for the judges: chef Roble Ali, actress Jennie Garth and chef Marc Murphy. Some funny cookies and a lean meat are part of the appetizer basket puzzle, and burnt bacon becomes a problem in the entree round. Then, some cleverly-decorated cake pops are hardly the toughest ingredient in a dessert basket that also contains a shocking, crunchy snack.