Top Moments of Chopped After Hours: In-Laws, In Teams

Judges Amanda Freitag, Maneet Chauhan and Alex Guarnaschelli take on the appetizer basket from the In-Laws, In Teams episode.

Episode: In-Laws, in Teams!

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Forming Fully Baked Ideas

The ladies of Chopped — Amanda, Maneet and Alex — or the "Charlie's Angels of Chopped," as Alex says, are cooking with lasagna, onion blossom chips and a wine purse. "This was one of the more catastrophic appetizer baskets that we've seen," says Alex, pointing out the fully baked lasagna and the arugula, which is often a crutch ingredient.

Getting Cheesy

"That's what I'd like to do," says Amanda, explaining she's using different cheeses to make a queso fundido. She uses the cheese from the lasagna and adds fresh mozzarella and Gruyère. But when her idea to turn the lasagna sheets into chips doesn't work, she fries up tortillas instead.

You Don't Know Until You Try

"What the heck is arugula sorbet?" Ted asks Alex after she explains her idea for an arugula and tarragon sorbet. "I don't know yet," she replies. "It's an herb geyser," yells Ted when Alex forgets to cover the blender as she's making the arugula mixture. "I have no idea if this is going to work," she says, as she pours it into the ice cream machine.

Refreshing and Comforting

Maneet brings tomatillos to the party, deciding to make a gazpacho of arugula and tomatillos with lasagna fritters. She cuts the lasagna into cubes, batters and deep-fries them. "I would eat that," says Ted.

Choosing a Different Road

"Wow, wow, wow," says Amanda upon tasting Alex's salad and sorbet. "It's really clean." Maneet explains her direction was also to bring freshness to a heavy basket. "Visually you made everything disappear, but it's all there," Alex says of Maneet's gazpacho. "You guys went on the lighter note. I took it down a whole 'nother road," says Amanda of her queso fundido. She adds, "There's no freshness here," which gets everyone laughing.