Four talented chefs are ready to compete in the Chopped Kitchen, but there's something peculiar about the huge, elaborate cake in the appetizer basket: It's made of beef! In the second round, a strange twist on a classic Italian dish tests the competitors' creativity, and the two remaining chefs are challenged to make desserts using a mayo that may be tricky to incorporate.
Chef Anne Burrell shares recipes and tips for a classic Italian-American supper. Tender veal scallops get browned to perfection, then finished in an easy yet perfectly balanced white wine sauce with capers and fresh lemon. For dessert, her homemade Cannoli feature crisp homemade cookie shells and a rich ricotta filling kissed with a pinch of cinnamon and studded with mini chocolate chips.
Things are getting very cheesy in Ree Drummond's ranch kitchen, with four recipes and eight different cheeses! She takes Italian food to the next level with 5-Cheese Pasta, and fresh mozzarella stars in her Fried Green Tomato Caprese Salad mashup. Her goat cheese-topped Fiery Goat Dip is beyond delicious, and for dessert, there's a marvelous Mascarpone Berry Bowl.
It's a feast for toast lovers in Ree Drummond's ranch kitchen. First, she makes Chicken Pot Pie Toast, which has a comforting, creamy filling served on crispy brioche. Then, she makes an incredible French Onion Grilled Cheese followed by Mixed Mushroom Toast with Whipped Ricotta on rustic Italian bread. Finally, Ree's Cinnamon S'mores Toast is the perfect dessert for toast fans.
Jesse Palmer teaches the six bakers a lesson in repurposing holiday gifts in the first round, when they must turn panettone, the classic holiday Italian sweet bread, into an entirely new dessert. Then they're challenged to create a beautifully decorated cupcake mosaic inspired by a pair of holiday pajamas. Judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale send one baker packing.
It's one of those nights where Valerie Bertinelli and her husband Tom's cravings are all over the map, so they decide to have it all! Valerie cooks up some of their favorite guilty pleasure dishes: Chicken with Prunes and Olives, Italian Wedge Salad with Gorgonzola topped with Crispy Pancetta, Vegetable Pot Stickers and, for dessert, Mini Zeppoles with a Caramel Marsala Dipping Sauce.
Michael Symon gets ready for a barbecue encore, Cleveland style. He brings back the Italian Sub Burger, a classic Ohio favorite that hits the spot any time of day, and pairs it with Waffle Fries dipped in Cleveland Beer Cheese Sauce, a delightful combo of crunch and creaminess. For dessert he whips up easy to make and even easier to carry Apple Hand Pies.