The Weirdest Secret Weapon Ingredients from 'Chef Grudge Match'

Boxing champion and published cookbook author Laila Ali is stepping back into the ring to host the first season of Food Network's Chef Grudge Match. During this single-round, winner-take-all culinary competition, elite chefs battle it out to settle disputes with longtime rivals. In an attempt to get a leg up, each chef brings an ingredient they're familiar with that they hope will stump their opponent. Both chefs are required to use their secret weapon ingredient as well as their rival's. The results are some surprisingly tasty, technically impressive dishes. Check out seven of the weirdest ingredients from Season 1 and how the competing chefs transformed them.

As a chef of the people, Joe Sasto planned to throw off his fine-dining opponent, Richie Farina, with the ultimate blue-collar ingredient — hot dogs. Salty, fatty and gelatinous, hot dogs are typically not the first ingredient upscale chefs reach for in the kitchen, but Joe came in with a plan to transform the pedestrian ingredient into one worthy of a high-end, romantic dinner.

For his winning dish, Joe created a hot dog- and lobster-filled dumpling with a hot dog and giardiniera (Richie's secret ingredient of choice) infused curry sauce. To elevate the dumpling, Joe chopped the wonton wrapper into strips, then rolled it around the filling to get a crispy nest effect. Butter-glazed lobster tails and spring veggies completed the plate.

Hoping to throw a curveball to fellow burger master Tommy Jobst, chef Chris Lombardi pulled out marshmallows as his secret weapon ingredient. With a plan to turn the sugary contents of the marshmallows into a sweet reduction, Chris hit the ground running, while Tommy was uncertain of what to do with the campfire treat.

As a burger restaurateur with an Italian heritage, Chris decided to make an Italian-influenced burger with roasted Roma tomatoes, arugula, cornflake-crusted fried halloumi and pancetta jam. He reduced the marshmallows, then combined the sugary reduction with balsamic and pancetta for a sweet and savory topping. The careful balance of flavors impressed veteran Food Network judges Jet Tila and Claudette Zepeda.

To try and match chef Chris' marshmallow stunt, Tommy brought in cornflakes as his secret weapon ingredient. His plan was to make a burger that proves cornflakes are more than just a breakfast cereal.

As a veteran burger chef, Tommy made a classic bacon-topped cheddar cheeseburger with a twist. He coated thick-cut onion rings with cornflakes before deep-frying them. The texture of the cornflakes gave the onion ring a nice crunch that elevated his traditional dish.

Tough, sweet and dry, mango can be hard to work with in its dehydrated state. Which is exactly why chef Coby Ming chose it as her secret weapon ingredient in the battle against her catering business partner and Food Network star Damaris Phillips to decide who has the best fried chicken recipe.

To kill two birds with one stone, Coby rehydrated the dried mangoes with Kentucky bourbon (Damaris' secret weapon ingredient), then blended them to create a dressing for a side of slaw. The sweet yet tangy flavors paired well with her perfected buttermilk fried chicken recipe that has been passed down through generations of her Southern family.

Tart and sour, rhubarb is often balanced by sugary ingredients in pies, jams and dessert bars. However, chef Tyler Romine brought it as his secret weapon ingredient to use in a savory dish to trip up his rival Gabe Bertaccini.

Not to be outdone, Gabe surprised Tyler by making a perfectly balanced rhubarb relish to complement his crispy fried chicken skewer. He quickly pickled the chopped rhubarb in a vinegar-honey mixture to cut the sourness, then mixed it with apples and chives for a flavor bomb bite.

Eggs are common in everyday cooking, but hard-boiled eggs? Not so much. Nevertheless, chef Taylor Frankel brought them as her secret weapon ingredient to try to defeat her former employee, who opened a competing catering business in the same small town of Vail, Colorado.

Challenged to make a warm and hearty aprés-ski dish with boiled eggs and saffron (her rival's secret weapon), Taylor landed on fritto misto, a fried Italian dish. To enhance her crispy shrimp and thinly sliced lemons, she whipped up an aerated vadouvan with a hard-boiled egg and saffron aioli that impressed the judges.

More tart and pungent than regular limes, Key limes can make or break a dish. It takes practiced hands to know how to use them correctly, which is why Cuban food influencer Brad Delgado brought them as his secret ingredient weapon to the Chef Grudge Match arena in the hopes of outplaying fellow Cuban chef Mika Leon.