"I'm not going to be the girl who never won a star during challenges," says Amber. Gibson and Sean are tied for the lead. But she and Helen have yet to earn stars, so this week they're going out in full force — that is, until they find out what the next challenge is.
Role Reversal
"What would you like to have as a mini challenge?" Guy asks the kids. "Watch our parents cook," answers Amber. To her surprise, Guy has all the parents join their kids. "We would like each of you to tell us what their least favorite ingredient is," Rachael tells the parents. The kids are not so pleased.
Spicing It Up
"I don't like anything about squash," says Luis, so he's hoping the spice level in his chili will "bring down the flavor of the zucchini." Upon tasting it, Guy thinks it's "a little bit too spicy for the average person," but Rachael thinks the texture turned out great, because it's not mushy, which is what Luis hates the most.
Bacon Makes Everything Better
"I hate Brussels sprouts raw," says Amber, so she's decided to roast them, which is the only way she'll tolerate them. She plans to layer them underneath her baked chicken. Guy helps her render bacon fat, which will add more flavor. Unfortunately, time constraints have her finishing the sprouts on the stovetop.
Reinventing the Bean
"Garbanzo beans and I are not friends," says Finn, who has decided to turn his hated ingredient into hummus for coating chicken cutlets. "I think that's brilliant," says Rachael, who advises him to thin the texture so it adheres well. Guy is impressed at how crispy it is for having been baked.
Who Cooked the Cheese?
"I hate that little skin around it," says Madison about Brie. "It looks like something a mouse would eat." At first Rachael questioned Madison's choice of putting cheese in pancakes, but upon tasting them, both she and Guy love them. Madison, however, doesn't seem convinced that she likes Brie more than before.
A Matter of Opinion
"I always thought when I was little that all mushrooms are poisonous," says Lauren. But after making stuffed mushrooms, she claims to have been converted, although her mom doesn't believe it. Lauren wins the challenge, walking away with a smart watch, and so does Amber: "I knew I could do it," she says.
Cooking for a King
"It looks like we're going to be eating for the main challenge," says Gibson excitedly. In fact, the kids are trying out eight classic sandwiches to inspire their main dishes with Rachael and Guy randomly assigning them. "We found the perfect judge for this," says Rachael, who reveals that Jeff Mauro is here.
Eight Hands Are Better Than One
"I'm trying to be an octopus right now," says Sean, "[because] I'm moving a mile per minute." He's deconstructing a Philly cheese steak, using puff pastry as one component of a more complex dish, but he intends to keep "the same textures and the same flavors" so it's still familiar.
Great Meatballs of Fire
Lauren is using chicken and liver pate to make her banh mi-inspired meatballs, which she's decided to bake. Unfortunately she burns her hand attempting to remove them: "I don't have any extra meatballs," Lauren says of the ones that fell inside the oven," so I have to salvage these."
Two Times the Challenge
"I'm taking the fresh salmon and I'm dipping it in olive oil," says Helen, who's inspired by the smoked salmon sandwich to make her dish two ways, including a smoked salmon hash, which Guy helps her get started on. But before she knows it, time is nearly running out.
Speeding Up the Technique
"There's 10 minutes left, and my lamb is still not even cooked through," says Gibson, worried his gyro-inspired dish won't be ready in time. The thinly pounded leg of lamb for his salad has started to seize up on the grill, so Guy advises him to weigh it down with a pot of water so it can cook through evenly.
Breaking the Bottom Streak
Although she stumbled during her presentation, Team Guy's Helen managed to earn her first star for best dish. "I will pay $23 for this dish," says Jeff. "That's how well it was executed." And on Team Rachael, Finn ends up winning best dish for his grilled Caesar salad.
Doubling Her Chances
"I could not tell you one thing right now that I would like you to do better than that," Guy tells Amber after she's presented her Cubano empanadas. She wins best presentation on Team Guy, and earns a second star for MVP. On Team Rachael, Luis wins best presentation.
More Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off
Go behind the scenes of the competition with photos and videos of the kid chefs, Rachael and Guy, and special celebrity guests.
