Seasons & episodes

Four chefs face a three-round culinary battle where pasta is found on every plate. They start off the carb-tastic competition by making pasta appetizers that include pea tendrils and a fatty, delicious fish. A common vegetable causes some surprising problems in the entree round. Finally, a huge, sweet surprise in the final basket gets the judges excited for dessert.

An ingredient basket containing squab kicks off an action-packed first round in the Chopped kitchen. As the chefs endeavor to make great entrees in round two, they must break down a large fish and figure out what to do with a sweet beverage. Cookie mix in the dessert basket seems like a breeze, but the variety of cookie mix may give the competitors pause.

The chefs are excited to find a small plates theme in effect for their competition. The judges -- including Martha Stewart -- are expecting modern, creative dining experiences in every round. The first basket features a surprise from one judge's restaurant. The round two basket contains a German sandwich that sounds unappealing to the uninitiated, and the third basket has the final two chefs scrambling to make small plates with big flavor that include a sensational citrus.

The chefs dive into the first basket to discover a beautiful example of their competition's "belly of the beasts" theme -- tuna belly! A cocktail named after poultry and a boxed product that brings low-cost meals from childhood to mind play supporting roles in basket two. And both chefs choose to add chocolate to their desserts but will it taste great with the mystery ingredients?

The chefs set out to wow the judges with brunch meals that wake their palates. A classic brunch combination-turned ice cream flavor makes for a challenging first basket. A unique take on eggs keeps the brunch theme front-and-center in the entree round. The two chefs remaining in the dessert round then get to find out what goes into boozy cereal.

Kids who love to cook take over the Chopped Kitchen to prove they are forces to be reckoned with in the culinary world. The young competitors focus on finding creative ways to prepare ground chicken in round one. Both fries and sprouting cauliflower are found in the tricky entree basket. And not everything goes according to plan when the final two kids take on desserts made from a fermented beverage and a sweet novelty item.

Talented kid cooks compete with their brothers and sisters in an impressive show of cooperation in the Chopped Kitchen. The sibling teams uncover a strange pizza and some bitter greens in the appetizer basket. In round two, the judges find out if the kids have the chops to cook goat chops. Finally, a tropical fruit and a sugary cereal keep the kids on their toes in the dessert round.

Four chefs enter the Chopped Kitchen and lay it all on the line to get it done! The appetizer round has the chefs wondering what exactly a Chinese tea egg is and what exactly they got themselves into by agreeing to compete. Pizza in a strange format and an uncommonly eaten piece of pork appear in the entree basket. A big, stinky fruit is the talk of the dessert round, and the big question is whether the finalists know how to make it delicious.

Four talented chefs work to stay focused and stay sharp in this competition. They're surprised by a strange hot dog creation in the first basket, but they push on with some delicious results. The entree basket contains a can of something that's not usually used in gourmet cuisine, and the two determined competitors who move onto the dessert round get to make final dishes using a yummy cake and a Japanese drink.

Firefighter cooks take over the Chopped stoves in this special competition, proving that they're cool under pressure and thrive when the heat is on! Will some familiar finds in the first basket lead the competitors in predictable or creative directions? In the entree round, the firefighters must make a strange sweet treat work with beef, and the dessert basket reveals a flaming surprise for the two finalists.

Martha Stewart is thrilled to celebrate her favorite holiday, Halloween, as a judge in the Chopped kitchen. All manner of spooky fun is found in the first basket, including a scary sight in a martini glass and macaroni and cheese in a clever package. A witch's cauldron holds a green, savory surprise in the entree basket, and it's demolition day at the haunted gingerbread house as the final two chefs make their desserts.

In pursuit of $50,000, four Chopped champions are back at the stoves with renewed ambition, seeking to be named the best of the best! The appetizer round is as exciting as they come, and a fire extinguisher is used for the first time in Chopped history. Extreme examples of salty and sweet meet in the second basket, and a colorful, unconventional surprise in the dessert basket gets a "wow" from everyone, but can the chefs get it to work in their final plates?

Four Chopped champions come back fiercer than ever with their sights set on the tournament's $50,000 grand finale. The chefs create wildly different appetizers from a basket that includes black garlic. A novelty candy in the second basket requires a hammer and some culinary imagination, and plenty of competing flavors in the dessert basket leave the chefs with some decisions to make.

The judges grapple with how to chop champions when four talented winners return to the Chopped Kitchen for a shot at $50,000. In the first basket, the chefs face a delicacy from the sea. A fancy sauce and a plain vanilla treat are two of the ingredients in the mix in round two, and a giant, chocolaty surprise awaits the chefs who make it to the dessert round.

Four returning Chopped champions compete for a chance to make it to the grand finale to fight for $50,000. In the first round, the chefs contend with a basket that includes tiny, infuriatingly time-consuming eggs and a Moroccan meat. Red snapper in the entree basket must be filleted in a snap, and pastries and pops in the dessert basket challenge the two remaining competitors.

Four repeat champs are back for the Chopped Champions Grand Finale and the chance to make a $50,000 meal! The appetizer basket challenges the chefs with a seafood delicacy that requires a high degree of thoughtfulness. An in-your-face shocker in the second basket leaves the remaining chefs racing to make bold plates. And with the prize at stake, the two remaining chefs face off in a dessert round with a basket that is fittingly difficult.

Host Ted Allen and his sister -- plus three judges and their siblings -- crowd the kitchen for a wild Thanksgiving competition! These turkeys are sure to have a blast cooking together, starting round one by tackling a curious green bean creation and a bitter green. There's no bird in the Thanksgiving entree basket but there's plenty of delicious fall goodness. Finally, a latte and lots more await the final competitors in the dessert basket.

Four grandmas bring their homey cooking styles to the Chopped Kitchen and give the judges a holiday dining experience to remember. In the first round, the matriarchs cook appetizers with love, care and some unusual candy canes. A gilded surprise is the centerpiece of the second basket. Finally, the two grandmas who move on to the dessert round are delighted to find a selection of holiday cookies -- but will they know what to make with them?

Four chefs who didn't make it in high-stakes tournaments return in search of redemption. The competitors face goat chop appetizers in the first round. A breakfast cereal is the crunchy curveball in the entree basket. The remaining chefs then open their final basket to find a cookie behemoth and a strange soda.

The chefs must cook a game-day feast and set out to tackle the challenge with gusto! In the first basket, they find a whimsical dish that looks like nachos. Three chefs then get to feel the rhythm of a drumsticks entree round. Finally, a fusion snack meets a hybrid beverage in the dessert basket.

Four talented pastry chefs get to make a chocolate feast for the Chopped judges. In the first round of this all-desserts battle, the competitors must make dark chocolate creations that include a prized fruit and a salty snack. The second round is a celebration of judge Martha Stewart's favorite variety of chocolate, milk chocolate. And 30 minutes might not be enough time for the last two competitors to get everything they intend to their final plates.

In what may be the best Chopped competition theme ever, the chefs' baskets are packed with bacon, burgers and beer! In the bacon appetizer round, the competitors go in some inventive directions with their dishes, including pizza and poutine. Round two is an adrenaline-packed burger battle that has the chefs working with a fun take on onion rings. And the alliterative theme comes to its boozy conclusion in the dessert round, with beer boldly represented in the baskets.

Comfort food connoisseurs and gourmands alike know that any dish can benefit from a slice, a melt or a sprinkling of cheese! In this special competition, every basket is filled with cheesy yumminess including an unusual take on a Philadelphia classic in the first round. The chefs must work with a crunchy cringe-worthy surprise in addition to a fancy Spanish cheese in the entree round. And a cheese-tastic tower is one of the building blocks for the finalists' desserts.

Four chefs are forced to get creative from the start when they find a kitschy, oddball cake and an unusual hybrid veggie in their appetizer baskets. An offal surprise and a fun fungus dish keep things interesting in round two. In the final round, an ice cream mishap leaves one of the chefs scrambling to put a key lime dessert together.