Four big-hearted amateur chefs arrive in the Chopped kitchen ready to give the judges an unforgettable Turkey Day meal. The competitors, who are celebrated for serving their communities, get creative in the first round when they must make something usually paired with coffee work with ham. Everyone gives thanks for turkey in the entree basket, and the final two unsung heroes are challenged to find a place for a festive beverage in their desserts.
Actress Mindy Kaling partners up with one of her favorite chefs, Marcus Samuelsson at Red Rooster in Harlem, New York, to make one of her favorite dishes, the signature whole fried chicken. She is put to the test as Marcus' line cook for the night and must perfect the dish for her mentor chef and a restaurant full of hungry customers, all while trying to avoid the eye candy in the kitchen.
In a nod to the day after Thanksgiving, host Jesse Palmer asks the bakers to use Black Friday kitchen gadgets like a spiralizer or an espresso machine to make desserts. For the main heat, the competitors work in teams to create cornucopia bread baskets filled with flavored holiday breads and add tasty dips and spreads on the side to impress judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall. In the end, one baker is eliminated.
Three cheese experts battle it out from their home kitchens to prove which chef does cheese best. First, Guy Fieri only lets them use seven pounds of ingredients to construct the perfect cheesy comfort meal. Then he borrows the High-Low Wheel from Flavortown to pair up cheese ingredients with chefs. In the end, the chef with the best total score will spin the Money Wheel for a chance to win $20,000.
Spike Mendelsohn kicks off the show with his Super Easy Sloppy Sliders that will feed a crowd. Then, Sunny Anderson mashes up three crowd favorites into a Mozzarella Stick Pizza Onion Rings appetizer and puts a spin on the classic loaded baked potato. The hosts check in with our Food Network Kitchen correspondent, Vivian Chan, who shares the latest boozy trends. Then, inspired by the trends, the hosts create a dessert taco bar.
What will happen when the tables are turned and four friends and colleagues compete in the Chopped Kitchen? In the first round, the judges-turned-competitors must crack the code of the basket after cracking open diver scallops. Then in the entree round, can the chefs make a beautiful bird fly with canned pizza sauce? And with bragging rights and a shot at making it to the $50,000 finale on the line, the last two chefs bravely tackle the dessert basket.
Four devoted football fans are super proud of their can't-fail tailgating games, but in the Chopped Kitchen, only one can become a champ. Handy sandwiches and sweet popcorn are two of the ingredients the competitors face in the first round. Will a strange take on mimosa be hard for the chefs to swallow in the second round? Then, the two finalists hustle to figure out the correct technique to execute their creative ideas for dessert.
'Tis the season for good times in the Chopped Junior Kitchen! The junior chefs are challenged to make a holiday meal for the judges, chefs Sandra Lee, Marc Murphy and Christian Petroni. The feast begins with duck and veggie appetizers, then stockings and wreaths made from common foods create a festive feel in the entree round. Finally, a lot of whimsy and sugar in the dessert basket keep the last two culinary elves happy and busy.
Eight of America's top bakers gather to put their baking brilliance to the test. In the first Skills Challenge, the bakers must create flawless mini upside-down cakes. Then, in the Master Challenge, the bakers are tasked with making a double barrel or three-tiered wedding cake for 50 people using lemon as the featured flavor. After deliberation with the judges, Food Network Star winner Jason Smith and The Kitchen's Marcela Valladolid, one baker is eliminated.
A priest, a nun-in-training, a rabbi, and a pastor compete in the Chopped Kitchen! In the first round, the judges are surprised to find out that one of the cooks has never worked with fish before, but salmon is in the basket. Fruit and wine are two of the mystery basket items that must make it to the faithful cooks' entree dishes, then the two finalists draw on their heritage to make yummy fig desserts.