Chopped — Season 25

Aug 2015

In the first preliminary competition of the Chopped Teen Tournament, a strangely fuzzy ingredient is one of the surprises awaiting the young chefs in the appetizer round. Then in the entree round, a challenging protein must be paired with a processed cheese. And the judges become increasingly concerned for the last two teens, who encounter a number of problems combining chips and candies into yummy final dishes.

Sept 2015

Four new whiz kids battle it out in this second competition of the Teen Tournament. Expensive crustaceans are a bit of a shocker in the appetizer baskets, while nerves and mishaps plague round two, and one of the competitors gets flustered with the sharpness of the knives and the scarcity of time allotted to complete creative lamb entrees. The two teen chefs who make it to the dessert round must create yummy, sweet dishes with a frozen treat and an Indian spice.

Sept 2015

The new group of teen chefs must grapple with vegan chicken in the first basket. The entree round finds the teens daringly slicing into big butternut squashes and working out their mixed feelings about okra. There's a special delivery in the dessert basket -- a box of assorted cookies -- which the teen chefs are tasked with repurposing into dishes that also include walnuts and plums.

Sept 2015

Four ambitious teens set their sights on the last remaining place in the Teen Tournament Grand Finale! The heat is on in the appetizer round with a spicy protein and a strong pepper in the basket. The judges find it difficult to watch without offering help as the young chefs tackle an entree basket that includes thick veal chops and beautiful heirloom tomatoes. Then a classic candy bar and a sweet fruit juice are two of the ingredients at play in a very competitive dessert round.

Sept 2015

Four returning teen winners come back to compete for $25,000 and the title of Chopped Grand Champion! Excitement is at an all-time high, as the young cooks open the first baskets and find a pasta, some jarred seafood, a candy, and a veggie. Breaking down a giant fish is a daunting way to begin the entree round, and scant use of a certain other basket ingredient could mean elimination for one young champ. Then in an intense final round, the two remaining teens turn a mocktail and a festive cake into a $25,000 dessert.

Sept 2015

Fans took to social media to pick the basket ingredients in this special viewers' choice competition. In the first basket, the chefs warily taste a curious canned product before forming their plans. Then in the entree round, some weird candy and a slimy surprise keep the "ugh"-factor high. And the two chefs who make it to the dessert round must make sweet creations using an unusual condiment and a dairy delicacy.

Sept 2015

Four teen chefs return to the Chopped Kitchen with victory -- and redemption -- on their minds. With lump meat crab and mayo in the first basket, crab cake seems like the safe route, but will they surprise the judges with something more creative? In the entree round, one of the teens seems particularly unhappy to see a nostalgic candy, and a lovely vegetable is a novel ingredient for the young cooks. And the two teenagers who make it to the dessert round hustle to make sweet creations from Italian cookies and peanut butter toast.

Nov 2015

Four funny women (Tichina Arnold, Jackee Harry, JoMarie Payton and Betsy Randle) who are best known for playing mothers on TV, take on the role of Chopped competitor! The actresses have a hard time coming up with solid ideas for what to do with the mushrooms and frozen TV dinners in the appetizer basket. In the entree round, the cooks have 30 minutes to deal with minute steak, and the judges worry they might get served overcooked meat. In the final hilarious round, the two sitcom moms remaining are asked to get creative with tiramisu and strawberry sauce.

Oct 2015

The chefs are shocked to find out that in this special episode, bizarre foods will be found in all the baskets. In the first round, a strange bird part and a stinky young fruit are two of the surprises in the baskets. Then the three chefs who get a shot at the entree round must turn some very hot candies and some ugly offal into beautiful, balanced dishes. And something purple and something fermented make for a very difficult dessert round.

Oct 2015

Don your lederhosen and hold your steins high for Oktoberfest in the Chopped Kitchen! The chefs discover fine fare for a German party in the first basket, including pretzels and sauerkraut. Schnitzel and beer keep the celebration going in the entree round. And the judges are impressed by the complex desserts that the two finalists make from spaetzle and chocolate sausage.

Nov 2015

All four chefs in this special Thanksgiving competition dedicate their time and talents to soup kitchens. In the first round, the chefs each come up with distinctive appetizer concepts in response to the typical Thanksgiving leftovers found in the baskets. Then in the entree round, the remaining chefs are surprised to see a theme emerging with the baskets. And an ice cream cake and a starchy candy are two of the perplexing items to be dealt with in the final round.

Nov 2015

The chefs open up their appetizer baskets to discover chicken hearts as one of the mandatory ingredients. Three fancy fish dishes are in store for the judges, following an exciting entree round featuring sea bass and an expensive spice. And breaking brittle and slicing zucchini are two of the tasks that the final pair of chefs must complete on their way to creating desserts that they hope will be delectable.

Dec 2015

In this competition, every round features the food pair with a powerful bond -- macaroni and cheese! The competitors come out strong in the appetizer round with sophisticated mac and cheese dishes that include Swiss chard. Then in the entree round, when one chef leaves cheese out of their dish, will it add up to approval from the judges? And a time-crunch in the dessert round leaves one of the chefs dashing to get all components on the plate.