Chopped Junior Episodes
Rattled
When the young chefs must butcher and cook snakes in the appetizer round, will they be too squeamish to let their skills shine through? In the entree round, a dense oddball of a cake must be worked into lamb shoulder dishes. Then, the last precious seconds of the round are a show of desperation and cooperation as the finalists are challenged to make creative, caffeinated desserts for the judges, actor Chris Colfer and chefs Raiza Costa and Amanda Freitag.
Ears for Fears
In round one, the junior chefs encounter pigs' ears and potatoes as they strive to impress chefs Katie Lee and Chris Santos and actor Alan Thicke. Then, a container of soup and a can of truffles make for strange basket fellows in the entree round. Finally, the pair of kids left in the dessert round get to monkey around with monkey bread and queso fresco.
Sloppy Apps
Neatness is always important in plating, but with sloppy joes as a mandatory ingredient in the first round, the judges -- food blogger Siri Daly, actress Cheryl Hines, and chef Geoffrey Zakarian -- must excuse some sloppiness! A red pesto and some white turnips keep things interesting in the entree round, then a yummy bacon apple pie is found in the dessert basket.
Fish Tale
A serious seafood challenge plus a healthy frozen dessert are two of the ingredients that the junior chefs encounter out of the gate. In round two, a pork chop plate will get a young cook chopped, then major setbacks in the dessert round keep the finalists working furiously on their rainbow pancake dishes until time is up. The judging panel features TV host Debbie Matenopoulos and chefs Chris Santos and Dale Talde.
S'more Determination
Chefs Tiffany Derry and Alex Guarnaschelli and actress Jennette McCurdy are on hand to judge this round of junior chefs, who must first deal with a peculiar hot dog pasta in their appetizer baskets. The odd combos continue in the second round with s'mores French fries, plus a difficult-to-prepare protein that is definitely new to the young cooks. Then, some adorable dumplings and some fancy fruit are two of the ingredients in the mix for dessert.
Curry Hurry
A new group of ambitious junior chefs must win over a special panel of judges: chef Tiffany Derry, actress Busy Philipps and chef Aaron Sanchez. First up, an odd egg and a unique version of chicken and waffles are found in the basket. Orange noodles and a red paste are among the colorful ingredients that the young chefs must promptly address in the entree round, and the two finalists must find creative ways to turn Italian pudding and sweet sushi-shaped sandwiches into original desserts.
Think Fig
The young cooks get some expensive seafood in the first basket and struggle to make the most of valuable time in order to impress the judges, actress Ta'Rhonda Jones, restaurateur Sabin Lomac and chef Aaron Sanchez. Then, bacon is discovered in an odd place in the entree basket. Finally, some figs and fancy peaches must make it to the dessert plates.
Beginner's Duck
Talented 11- and 12-year olds are ready to prove their culinary expertise to the judges, actress Bridget Moynahan and chefs Marc Murphy and Angelo Sosa. First, they set out to make pleasant pheasant dishes in the appetizer round, then the entree basket features something gummy and some yummy ducks. For dessert, one of the competitors must quickly come up with a back-up plan when a key element doesn't turn out right.
A Hot Minute
The young competitors get a generous 30 minutes to cook minute steak in the appetizer round. Breaking down a bird is part of the challenge in round two, along with figuring out what to do with some cool ketchup. Then, the dessert basket contains some delicious stuffed fruit and a fun snack cake. The judging panel features chefs Amanda Freitag and Kristen Kish and former MLB player Jason Varitek.
Snack Attack
Some creatively-presented cheese and a spreadable protein are part of the round one challenge. A strange pink pickle and a crispy, house-made snack food keep the kids on their toes in the entree round, and in the dessert round, a marshmallow mishap has the judges -- chef Maneet Chauhan, TV host Daphne Oz and actor Tyrel Jackson Williams -- wishing they could jump in and help.
Basket Brawl
A new round of talented young cooks storms the kitchen to win over the judges, chefs Roble Ali and Marcus Samuelsson and blogger Rachel Hollis. First, they find some unusual gifts from the sea in the appetizer basket, and in the entree round, something sweet and something bitter in the basket make for a flavor-balancing act. Then, chocolate ravioli desserts prove to be a challenge in a hectic final round.
Snapper Snafus
In round one, the junior chefs have to hustle to do their best with duck and some wild-flavored cupcakes. The young cooks all take different routes with the snapper in the entree basket, then the finalists find a playful pie and a tart surprise in the dessert round. The judging panel features chef Scott Conant, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and chef Jamika Pessoa.
Halloween Party!
With gory surprises in every basket, the costumed competitors have much to fear and $10,000 to gain in this Halloween showdown, presided over by judges Scott Conant, event planner Jackie Sorkin and actress Michelle Trachtenberg. A vial filled with something deceptively familiar and some spicy mummies are weird surprises in the first basket, then the entree round has the junior chefs digging into a spooky casserole. Finally, the last two competitors confidently craft desserts from an odd collection of goodies!
