Four chef/entrepreneurs have something to prove in the Chopped kitchen. In the first round, will their hearts sink when they see hearts of palm and rabbit escabeche in the basket? And a curious ingredient substitution leaves the judges perplexed. Then three chefs fight to make goat chops a great main dish ... or risk being chopped. And it's crunch time for two finalists, when they must make dessert using blue corn tortilla chips.
Ina Garten welcomes award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Faith Hill to spend an amazing day at the barn. Ina's toasting her fabulous guest with Frozen Paloma cocktails and some Guacamole. Then, Faith's lovely daughter Gracie joins them in the kitchen to bake their family's favorite Coca-Cola Cake. Finally, Ina and Faith hit the road for the charming Topping Rose House and Prosecco and St-Germain cocktails to celebrate a brilliant new friendship.
Kentucky chef Anthony Lamas and Washington chef Jennifer Nguyen leave the comfort of their own kitchens and bring the battle to the Big Apple for a chance to Beat Bobby Flay. Lucky for them, Bobby's own mentor, Chef Jonathan Waxman and Food Network's Sunny Anderson are gunning for the best chef to take him down. Will Bobby remain victorious or will one of these chefs get to say, "I just Beat Bobby Flay!"?
Tuscan Kitchen, in Salem, N.H., is a massive restaurant looking for an executive chef who can handle volume while maintaining a dedication to scratch cooking. Chef Anne Burrell brings in four candidates, who are tested on their Italian cuisine skills and knowledge. The final two chefs are each handed the keys to the restaurant for a dinner service: One chef must dig their way out of a bad start, while the other struggles with consistency.
Host Ted Allen and his sister -- plus three judges and their siblings -- crowd the kitchen for a wild Thanksgiving competition! These turkeys are sure to have a blast cooking together, starting round one by tackling a curious green bean creation and a bitter green. There's no bird in the Thanksgiving entree basket but there's plenty of delicious fall goodness. Finally, a latte and lots more await the final competitors in the dessert basket.
Chef Robert Irvine heads to Hillbillies Restaurant in Murphys, Calif., to investigate why Jami's breakfast and lunch spot is failing. While the name promises backwoods charm, Robert finds nothing charming about a decor consisting of rusty kitchen utensils on the wall and a dirty underwear clothesline on the ceiling. Getting rid of the clutter is only half of Robert's battle, as he also needs to turn Jami from world's biggest pushover to empowered business owner.
Chef Robert Irvine has his work cut out for him at Spicy Bar and Grill, a Vietnamese restaurant in Falls Church, Va. Between one owner with no culinary experience in the kitchen and the other letting the staff run wild, it's no wonder why they're $300,000 in debt. Robert has just two days to get these owners on a business track, find a new chef and turn the unprofessional servers into a real workforce.
Chef Robert Irvine travels to Mamma Lucrezia's restaurant in Bellefonte, Pa., which is losing thousands of dollars a month and causing multiple family rifts. The decade-old restaurant is owned by feuding sisters Maria and Stefania, who are also faced with a competing Italian restaurant across the street, which happens to be owned by their brother. With excellent food coming from the kitchen, Robert focuses on the issues holding these sisters back.
Host Jesse Palmer welcomes 12 bakers to the kitchen, and he gets the celebration started with desserts inspired by a tropical spring break. After grabbing an ingredient and flower that's familiar to spring breakers, the competitors have two hours to incorporate them into a baked dessert. Then, the bakers take judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown and Nancy Fuller on a spring break adventure with cakes that showcase one of their favorite spring experiences.
The slow cooker is by far the best money saving tool in the kitchen and Sandra shows you how to get maximum flavor and maximum savings out of it. Braised Beef Tacos and Spicy Fajita Soup are on the menu along with a fantastic slow cooker cocktail recipe for Hot Buttered Cider and for dessert, a decadent Banana Chocolate Crumble. Plus Sandra's got a sure fire Round Two Recipe for Crispy Steak Sandwiches!