Seasons & episodes

Four distinct groups of champs will return to the Chopped Kitchen: professionals, amateurs, heroes and celebrities, all leading up to a grand finale where one chef will seize the biggest prize in Chopped history: $50,000 and a new car! In this initial battle, four stellar professionals fight to see who will represent the pros in the finale. They have to wrangle and cook eels and figure out what to do with a super salty veggie for their appetizers. Then in the entree round, the champs have to work with a bird and a soda. And a special cheese and a creepy chocolate item appear in the dessert basket.

Some of the most beloved amateur winners return to the Chopped Kitchen for a shot to compete in the $50,000 finale. In the appetizer round the competitors must use salsa and cheese blintzes in their culinary masterpieces. Then as the entree round gets started, an off-balance tug-of-war over a piece of equipment has everybody laughing, except for the chef who loses the fight. And grapefruit is among the loot the last two champs find in the dessert basket.

With two spots left in the $50,000 Ultimate Tournament Grand Finale, the Chopped Kitchen welcomes back four incredible cooking heroes — two firefighters, a police officer and an army vet. In the appetizer round, the hero champs must get creative in order to make savory dishes with pineapple and fruit and nut bars. Then in the entree round, the champs find some lovely stalks of spring garlic in the basket, as well as some beautiful lamb chops. And an unpleasantly purple ingredient that the cooks must work into a dessert makes for a challenging last round.

Four Chopped Champions from the world of entertainment and sports compete for the last spot in the $50,000 finale. In the appetizer round, the celebrity champs find a peculiar type of flour and sweet tea in the baskets. Then a can of soup in the entree round causes various issues for the competitors. And the judges taste banana paste and cream cheese desserts before deciding on the last finalist.

In a Chopped first, three not-at-all-average "Joes" fight it out against one outstanding pro, with $50,000 and a new car on the line! When the competitors get risotto in the first round, they have to decide whether to completely transform it or to greatly enhance its flavor. Then in the entree round, there's a huge surprise in the basket that not all of the champs are excited to see. And with the grand prize looming large, the last two competitors open the basket to find some booze and some baked goods.

Fourth and fifth graders compete; the first basket contains cotton candy; the second round features entrees made from pizza dough and a bitter green; the dessert round basket contains brownie mix.

The competing chefs are given mystery basket ingredients, that cost less than $10, and are expected to transform them into winning dishes. Included: a meatless appetizer round; ham steaks as entrées; and chocolate chips for dessert.

In the first basket, a freaky gummy and a funny mummy hit on the Halloween theme. In the second round the chefs find some awfully scary offal and some more gummy goodness. When the final round rolls around, the remaining two chefs are left spinning their gears about what to do with spider webs made with pretzels and blue cheese.

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.

Spaghetti's bosom buddy, and breadcrumb's perfect mate, is the tasty theme for this special competition as the chefs learn they must make meatballs in every round. Creme brulee is the mystery ingredient curveball in the first meatball round. Then in the entree round, boar shoulder meets the meat grinder. And what exactly constitutes a "dessert meatball?" The two finalists come up with unique interpretations.

We're decking the Chopped halls with the stars of Food Network's The Kitchen! In the first round, the talented co-hosts must make merry appetizers out of seafood salad and challah bread. Then in the entree round, meat and potatoes seem like a great gimme, but what will the star cooks do to bring yule logs to the holiday party? And the two finalists' demeanors become fast and focused as they try to win a $10,000 holiday gift for a favorite charity.

It's four chefs, one family, in a Chopped first when a mother, father, daughter and son who run a restaurant together compete to see who will become the Chopped Champion. The family opens up the first basket to find a flatbread and a strong citrus. Then with three family members left in the entree round, there is fish to de-bone and tofu to flavor. The last two chefs proudly fight for the title as they create desserts using lobster tail pastries and cinnamon chips.

Guest judge Andrew Zimmern is on hand in this competition filled with bizarre surprises in all the baskets. The chefs have to contend with an offbeat ice cream flavor and an unusual meat in the appetizer round. In the entree round, a shocking-looking protein must be combined with a pink veggie. And the dessert basket contains some odd eggs and a peculiar Turkish treat.

Reality stars Renee Graziano (Mob Wives), Travis Lofland (Deadliest Catch), Amy Roloff (Little People, Big World) and Kathy Wakile (Real Housewives of New Jersey) are ready for battle in the Chopped Kitchen. They'll have to tackle biscuit dough, vegetable cream cheese and cherry pie filling if they're going to take home $10,000 for their favorite charity.

It's a night owls' nosh-fest, when the chefs learn that they will be preparing decadent dishes best enjoyed in the late-night hours. For the first course, the chefs must work with a carb-heavy Canadian snack and an Italian sausage. In the entree round, the chefs find themselves taking apart tiny burgers in an effort to creatively transform a midnight snack. Things get really "loco" in the dessert round with burritos in the basket.

Four fearless home cooks put their pride on the line in the Chopped Kitchen. In the first basket, this group of awesome amateurs must transform spinach vinaigrette and chicken truffle sausages. Then in the entree round, will the chefs endeavor to be wildly creative with wild boar roast? And the finalists utilize some interesting techniques to makes something new from marshmallow chocolate cookies.

You can put all your bread on a bet that a baker is going to take the $10,000 prize in this competition. In the first round, the competitors must bake focaccia and figure out how to make a rich fish work with rice pudding. The ingredients in the second basket strongly hint at a particular recipe: Is it a trap? The two bakers to make it to the dessert round consider themselves lucky, until they are stymied by an alarming candied ingredient.

Will the chefs think the "chilified" baskets in this special competition are too hot to handle? In the first round the heat is on with habanero peppers. In the entree round, the competitors must work with one of the hottest peppers known to man, in beef jerky form. And the finalists must find a way to balance spice and sugar in their desserts.

The chefs learn that they must grill something in each round of this competition. For their appetizers, the chefs discover watermelon and wine coolers in the basket. A beautiful cut of beef and tedious-to-prep beans await the chefs who make it to the second round. A cone of sugar and a pitcher of lemonade are two of the fun items found in the dessert basket.

It's an ice cream dream come true with an entire Chopped competition devoted to everyone's favorite sweet, cold treat. In the first round, the chefs find some beautiful gourmet scoops in cones, which they must find a way to make work with halibut. In the entree round, another ice cream surprise awaits the competitors, as well as some premium cuts of beef. When the two finalists move on to the dessert round, they'll have two ice cream machines and one goal: frozen perfection.

This special competition is all about celebrating the sandwich, every "wich" way it may be prepared. The four competitors must get creative, starting with beef brisket appetizer sandwiches, but when two chefs make the same big mistakes, who will move on? The chefs must make entree-worthy sandwiches from pork shoulder and pate. And stacking up dessert sandwiches is so much fun, but what will the two finalists make with Thai curry paste and chocolate-covered espresso beans?

The mystery baskets were filled with ingredients suggested by fans via social media. The first round was from Twitter; the second from Facebook; and the third from Instagram. Chef Emily and Chef Vandy were in a relationship prior to competing on this episode.

It's a second chance at victory for four losing chefs seeking redemption. After the chefs make skate and pomegranate molasses appetizers, one chef must endure the indignity of being the first chef re-chopped. In the entree round, the competitors work with a boozy ice cream and an amusingly-named British pudding. In the dessert round, a German tart is a good start.

Cheese is not just a key ingredient for many comfort food classics, it's also the theme for this competition. In the first round, the chefs must make creative use of blue cheese and goats cheese in their appetizer plates. In the entree round, two French cheeses must be used with chicken thighs and garlic scapes. Two ferocious competitors fight the final cheesy course to the very end.