In Italy, the night before Christmas is celebrated with the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and Giada De Laurentiis is hosting a family Christmas Eve dinner that honors this tradition. She brings a California vibe to the celebration by serving dinner outside with a view of the ocean, and her menu reflects the setting, too. She prepares a beautiful Red Snapper Puttanesca, Crab and Cherry Tomato Fettuccine, Mini Lobster Rolls and Grilled Clams with Herbed Butter.
The remaining finalists are divided into teams and sent into the wilderness. When they arrive at a campsite, they must use whatever camping food is in the back of their cars to create a "glamping" meal. Each team will present their dishes to Giada De Laurentiis, along with guests Melissa d'Arabian and Andrew Zimmern, who will decide which finalist successfully elevated camping food to glamping dishes and gave the best tips for working with wilderness fare.
An Iron Chef must be adaptable, so the Chairman's Challenge offers up a combination of ingredients that will be bittersweet for one chef. All items are first-come, first-served and cannot be shared, so the competitors race to the altar to grab their most desired elements. Alton Brown sends the bottom chef to a sea creature-themed Secret Ingredient Challenge, along with the top competitor's choice. Iron Chef Marc Forgione and Giada De Laurentiis judge the dishes and send one chef packing.
Six of America's best chefs begin their journey to being crowned the Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge Champion. Host Giada De Laurentiis sets up their first challenge: transforming a low-cost item into an extraordinary Thanksgiving appetizer. The winner gets an advantage in the dinner round, when the chefs must feature an inexpensive turkey item in their turkey dinner. Expert judges Alex Guarnaschelli, Carla Hall and Christian Petroni decide which chef is sent home, and the remaining competitors continue toward the $25,000 grand prize.
The finalists must try their hand at something big, taking their inspiration from Josh Denny and his hit Food Network show, Ginormous Food. Then, it's time for the up-to-the-minute trend of live cooking while streaming on social media. Each finalist streams their take on a start-to-finish 15-minute weeknight meal while viewers cook along. Surprise guest Alex Guarnaschelli provides feedback on the finalists' performances as Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay send one more finalist on their way.
The final four contestants each shoot a promo for the show they want on Food Network while being coached by Alton Brown, Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis. Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson are back to pick the final three, who will make pilots for their shows, which are directed by the toughest star on the network: Robert Irvine! After the episode airs, viewers will be able to vote online and via phone to determine who wins the ultimate prize at next week's finale.