The junior chefs are instructed to make dishes that their dads would really like, to be judged by chefs Scott Conant and Tre Wilcox alongside pro skateboarder Tony Hawk. The mystery basket ingredients include chicken wings and blue cheese in the appetizer round, then enormous sandwiches in the second round and a big surprise for dessert!
A new round of talented young cooks storms the kitchen to win over the judges, chefs Roble Ali and Marcus Samuelsson and blogger Rachel Hollis. First, they find some unusual gifts from the sea in the appetizer basket, and in the entree round, something sweet and something bitter in the basket make for a flavor-balancing act. Then, chocolate ravioli desserts prove to be a challenge in a hectic final round.
The junior chefs are fired up for a grilling competition, with NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, chef Amanda Freitag, and Cooking Channel's Ali Khan serving as judges! Rings of meat and donut hybrids find their way to the grill pans in round one. Then, the judges are happy to see a select piece of beef in the second basket, but wonder if the young competitors will know how to treat it right. Finally, fruit on the grill is all but guaranteed in the dessert round.
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?
In round one, the junior chefs encounter pigs' ears and potatoes as they strive to impress chefs Katie Lee and Chris Santos and actor Alan Thicke. Then, a container of soup and a can of truffles make for strange basket fellows in the entree round. Finally, the pair of kids left in the dessert round get to monkey around with monkey bread and queso fresco.
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!
In round one, the junior chefs have to hustle to do their best with duck and some wild-flavored cupcakes. The young cooks all take different routes with the snapper in the entree basket, then the finalists find a playful pie and a tart surprise in the dessert round. The judging panel features chef Scott Conant, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and chef Jamika Pessoa.
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.
Some creatively-presented cheese and a spreadable protein are part of the round one challenge. A strange pink pickle and a crispy, house-made snack food keep the kids on their toes in the entree round, and in the dessert round, a marshmallow mishap has the judges -- chef Maneet Chauhan, TV host Daphne Oz and actor Tyrel Jackson Williams -- wishing they could jump in and help.
Chefs Maneet Chauhan and Andrew Gruel and actress Meghan Markle preside over a competition that begins with a three and a half-pound peanut butter cup and a too-hot griddle that creates problems for one of the young chefs. An enviable cut of pork and a strong-flavored candy are two of the gifts in the entree basket, then the finalists take on a gooey skillet of pink sweetness along with a healthy, crunchy snack in the dessert round.