In this special competition, four superhero chefs with huge hearts and broad-reaching influence in their communities compete to see who can prevail in the Chopped kitchen. The judges are impressed with the speed and confidence shown in the appetizer round, as the chefs race to put together magnificent mussels dishes. The chefs' personalities and culinary points of view have a chance to shine in their skirt steak entrée plates. Then, in the dessert round, when one chef makes the mighty microwave a key part of the plan, will the shortcut prove pivotal to success?
Cake Wars kicks off the first of six Christmas-themed battles, as seven teams composed of a cake artist, sugar sculptor and master food carver take to the kitchen. In the first round, they'll have to tackle the worst gift under the Christmas tree. Then, in round two, they'll give Santa Claus the first makeover he's seen in centuries. At the end of the battle, one team will be eliminated, and the rest will move on to compete for $50,000. Singer-songwriter Megan Nicole joins the panel as guest judge.
The $40,000 title fight finale is here! Ferocious repeat champs return to the Chopped Kitchen to bring all they've got to the first two rounds to see who gets to face Bobby Flay! The group of three undefeated champs must make appetizers with camel meat and a strange sauce, and the level of difficulty in the entree round is off the charts. The one contender who survives to compete in the highly-anticipated Bobby Flay bonus round has the advantage of making their own signature dish, but using ingredients from a Chopped basket!
Turkey time means family time, even in the Chopped Kitchen as the whole Chopped family -- all of the judges -- are gathered together. In the first round, the four judges-turned-competitors must use hominy and gummy turkey feet in the appetizers they make for their four colleagues judging from the Chopping Block. Then in the entree round, beautiful ingredients like boniato sweet potatoes and savoy cabbage allow these world-class chefs to showcase their skills. And a Thanksgiving-themed spirit is one of the mystery ingredients in the final, suspenseful round.
In the grand finale of the Chopped Champions tournament, four two-time winners stride into the kitchen with their eyes on the big prize: $50,000! Some fresh surprises and a baked good challenge the champs in the first round. Then after saying goodbye to the first chef, the competition takes a slimy turn with sea snails in the basket. And with expectations and pressure sky-high, what will the two chefs who have managed to make it through nine rounds of cooking manage to do with carrot juice and honeycomb for dessert?
With only one spot left in the $50,000 charity tournament finale, actors Lucas Grabeel, Michael Imperioli, Peter Scolari and Tasha Smith bravely take on the role of chef. In the first round, one competitor tries desperately to figure out the right cooking technique for a tricky ingredient. And a pretty citrus fruit and a spiny lobster are two of the mystery ingredients that the competitors must demystify in the entree round. Then in the final round, the two remaining stars make a mess in the kitchen and some very creative desserts with mascarpone and strawberries.
Host Alton Brown and the Chairman welcome the remaining five chefs to Las Vegas on the CityCenter promenade and present them with a test of inspiration. World-champion pastry chef Jean-Phlippe Maury meets the contestants in a pastry kitchen with his dessert showpiece collection and reveals chocolate as their secret ingredient. The contenders must then create a wedding-worthy chocolate dessert. For the Chairman's Challenge, the chefs prepare a buffet inspired by the modern Las Vegas surroundings in just three hours, with the threat of a double elimination adding to the pressure.
Red Hots Coney Island diner in Highland Park, Mich., has been in Richard's family for 94 years, and while the chili recipe is still the same, changes to the neighborhood and economy have the business facing disaster. The floors are crumbling, the kitchen is a disaster and a void in desserts on the menu has customers taking their business elsewhere. With only 36 hours to revive Red Hots, renovation expert Ty Pennington and Chef Amanda Freitag attempt to bring this diner back to its retro roots.
Taking a break from their studies to crush it in the Chopped Kitchen, four college students compete for culinary superiority. In the first round, the young amateur cooks must work with a dorm-life starchy staple and a bag of frozen veggies. The college kids then look for creative ways to make use of a savory microwaveable snack in the entree round. And with both sweet and salty surprises in the dessert basket, the final two cooks seek to make balanced desserts to complete their meals.
Tyler Florence brings together five of the best chefs in Charleston, S.C., to compete in a contemporary Southern cuisine restaurant. The kitchen gets stocked daily with items fresh from the coast, so the chefs must search the pantry and fridge for whatever works best with secret ingredients like smoked pork sausage and bitter blood oranges. Then the two remaining chefs duke it out to see who can use lobster, saffron and anything else they can find to make a dish that wins the Bite Club Champ title.