Chopped - Season 1 / Year 2009

All bets are off when a slimy surprise in the Round One mystery basket surprises everybody. Then in the Entrée Round, one chef makes a risky creative choice. Will it pay off? And for the two chefs who survive the dreaded Chopping Block and make it all the way to the Dessert Round, challenges abound, when the competitors present their masterpieces made with animal crackers and prunes, will the judges prefer the more whimsical or traditional dish?

What will it take to amaze the judges all the way through to the dessert course when the ingredients include Tofu, Blueberries and Oysters.

The chefs are baffled to find a breakfast staple in the Appetizer Round mystery basket. Who will "flake" out and who can make it work? Then as the competition heats up, there is theft, deceit, tantrums, confusion and the most sinful food folly of all … double-dipping. For two chefs who survive to the final round, the dessert basket holds a whammy of ingredients, avocado, cantaloupe, pecans, and brioche bread. Ready? Go!

Wrapped in bacon, wrapped in basil, fried and bruleed, bananas take center stage in the Appetizer Round. But when one chef's creation falls apart, is there a sure fire banana backup plan? And you know things are bound to get interesting when the chefs are thrown some Southern curveballs: collard greens in the entree and grits for dessert. To avoid being chopped, these competitors must keep a few simple cooking truths in mind: Know when you are in over your head. Don't get consumed by pride, and always, always taste your food before it's served.

Grace under pressure is the name of the game as the chefs attempt to wow the judges from the first course. Can watermelon and pepper jack cheese make for a good pairing? And will the judges say, "yes" or "yuck," when yucca hits their plates in the second course? But it's not the mystery ingredients, it's the ticking clock, that trips up one competitor. When an ingredient falls to the floor, the offending chef must either rise to the challenge or plead for mercy.

Stymied by canned peaches in the appetizer round and fruit punch and rice cakes for the entrée, the chefs struggle to find a fresh approach. Will ambitious plans to amaze the judges pay off? Or,will the contestants run out of time to do their best work? It all comes down to a heated dessert face-off. The last two chefs must combine beets, goat cheese and oatmeal to create a fantastic final course.

The chefs are determined to give their all from the start. Between Quail, Arctic Char, and Beer which of the showoffs, risk-takers and storytellers make this competition a tense one, right down to the last "chop."

The mandatory ingredients in the appetizer make the chefs nervous when they coconut for appetizers, calamari for entrée and donuts with smoked gouda for dessert.

Tune in when a box of macaroni and cheese appears in the appetizer basket, cola in the entree category and bacon for dessert?

The judges are dismayed when some of the chefs fail to creatively transform the mystery ingredients in the appetizer course. But what can you do with string cheese? The contestants set out to aim higher in the next round. Unfortunately, they face a challenging basket: striped bass, jicama, mango, pimento peppers and brie. Then the final round brings about some caffeinated, cookie fun, when the two remaining chefs must work with instant coffee and gingersnaps.

The chefs make old Granny Smith proud by combining apples with shrimp and peanut butter in their appetizers. Yet, can they overcome the pickled pepper pitfalls of the Entrée Round? Then when one competitor offers to help with the other chef's cereal-centric dessert, the judges debate whether the gesture is considerate or inappropriate.

The chefs open their appetizer baskets to find bitter-sweet chocolate, figs and mussels. The contestants know that three of them will face the bitter disappointment of being "chopped," while only one can claim sweet victory.

The judges are eager to dig into appetizers made with strawberries, turkey dinner and in the dessert round, the two finalists show no mercy when the gummy bears hit the food processor.

Things get prickly when the competitors open up the appetizer baskets to discover a spiny surprise. Then in the Entree Round, the judges sympathize when one chef faces a serious snapper snafu after everything literally falls apart. And when one of the finalists takes liberty with the rules when finishing up a complex dessert, the transgression could mean the difference between victory and disgrace.

An unusually salty vegetable presents the chefs with a quandary in the Appetizer Round. Then a red-hot battle ensues in the entree round, where Thai chilies threaten to overpower the dishes. And when two finalists with very different cooking methods take on Mexican-inspired desserts, the judges face one of their most difficult decisions ever.

The judges have high hopes for this group of up-and-coming chefs, but there is some sloppy work in the Appetizer Round when the contestants must work with whole calamari. Then in the Entrée Round, the three remaining chefs have various degrees of success with bison meat. And in the last round, the two finalists make ambitious plans to create difficult ancho chili desserts within the 30-minute time limit.

A challenging cut of meat in the mystery basket ups the level of difficulty in the Appetizer Round. For the entrée course the chefs must devise big plans for some miniature produce and a whole flounder.

Pride is on the plate as the chefs seek to represent their cultural heritage through distinctive duck appetizers. Then in the Entree Round, when one chef invents a very creative use for Serrano ham, will it be outstanding enough to get the judges to forgive a serious mistake?

For the appetizer course, the judges get an earful of philosophy and a mouthful of piquillo peppers. Then in the Entree Round two of the three remaining chefs make an amateur mistake with snap peas.

In the Appetizer Round the chefs are challenged by edamame, shrimp, and problems with time management. Then when the three remaining chefs put their signature styles into flank steak entrees, the judges have a difficult choice to make.

The judges are impressed when one of the contestants falters in the Appetizer Round but, nonetheless, sticks to a bold plan for a Merquez sausage dish. Then with liquor in the entree basket, the flames fly high.

After unpacking a challenging Appetizer Basket, the chefs get creative using buckwheat flour to make crepes, crusts and fritters. Then in the Entrée Round, the judges are troubled when one chef successfully incorporates an exotic fruit from the basket but takes another mandatory item and simply places it on the plate. And the two final chefs tackle black olives in dessert with no fear, but the judges are disappointed when one of the competitors fails to learn from an earlier mistake.

Don't miss this ultimate face-off! In this first installment in a special four-part series, previous Chopped Champions return to compete again. When a Southern seafood specialty appears in the Appetizer Basket, two of the returning chefs have the added pressure of skillfully representing their roots. Then in the Entrée course, leafy greens meet Japanese noodles, but not every chef's dish meets the mark in terms of portion size. And in the Dessert Round the finalists have to work with one of the world's most expensive spices, but will their efforts be priceless or careless?

Gotta tune in to find out who has the chops to be the Chopped Champion again! In this second installment in a special series, four winners return to battle for superiority in the kitchen. When the chefs present their cockles appetizers, the judges must do some investigating; one of the chefs may or may not have gotten every mystery item into the dish. Then for the entrée course, along with ground chicken and apples, the judges find a disgusting shocker on one of the chefs' plates. And when The Big Cheese of La Mancha finds its way into the Dessert Basket, who will be the Big Winner? One of the finalists makes a napoleon, while the other chef takes a more avant-garde approach.

In this must-watch third installment in a special four-part series, the reigning Chopped Champion and three other previous winners return to compete. In the Appetizer Round, the judges are baffled, but curious, when one of the chefs chooses a very unusual method of cooking squab. And in the Entrée Round, one contestant struggles to stay calm after discovering that three of the four items in the mystery basket are unfamiliar. Then in the Dessert Round, the chefs are dumbfounded by what they must combine with grapefruit. But the judges can't wait to taste the intriguing results!

You won't believe what happens in the final competition in the all-stars series, when four Chopped Champions face off for a chance to reclaim the title and bank another $10,000. But when the chefs open up the Appetizer Basket and find bananas, endives and a whopper of a surprise, it becomes clear that to win it, these champs will have to bring it! Then in the Entrée Round, a melon mishap has the judges wondering how forgiving they should be. And in the Dessert Round, the finalists know if they are as slow as the molasses in the mystery basket they don't stand a chance!

In the Appetizer Round, kumquats and croissants collide, as well as two super enthusiastic chefs racing for the fridge. Then in the Entrée Round, green beans and ground pork prove a surprisingly difficult challenge. And in the Dessert Round, when one chef makes a grits dish reminiscent of childhood, it's up to the judges whether the jaunt down Memory Lane will lead to the Winner's Circle.

A slippery shocker in the appetizer basket starts things off on a terrifying note. Then in the Entrée Round, the judges are stunned by the oh-my-gosh mistake one chef makes with an umeboshi-arugula salad. Good gracious, parsnips and soda crackers for dessert? The finalists have to act quickly to make it work.

In the Appetizer Round, when two of the chefs attempt to cook a fish that is traditionally used for sushi, the results are questionable. Then, after doing their best with an unfamiliar condiment in the Entree Basket, the contestants get an angry reception at the Chopping Block for not following the judges' advice. And the bubbly is flowing in the Dessert Round when the chefs must incorporate prosecco into their final dishes. But the celebratory mood is broken by a heart-stopping, emotional ending to the round.

Out of the gate one chef decides to take a familiar route with beef but is challenged by an unfamiliar mystery ingredient. Will it work? Then in the Entrée Round the chefs must break a fundamental rule by combining fish and cheese. And following the first elimination, the chopped chef has angry words for the judges. Then when the two finalists go with a similar approach to dessert, the judges ponder which pumpernickel and curry creation will prevail.

Just how the graham cracker crumbles in the Appetizer Round depends on how the chefs can recover from setbacks. One contestant struggles to plate after suffering a cut, while an opponent learns that flashy knife work may not yield the best results. Then in the Entrée Round one chef breaks a plate and another chef breaks with cultural tradition by incorporating puffed rice cereal into a typical chorizo dish. Then the two finalists endeavor to make coffee bean desserts that are good to the last bite.

Tis the season to shake things up! The chefs learn that as an added challenge, their dishes must have a holiday theme. In the appetizer round, the first opportunity to see who's got game, they get venison. And a heated debate ensues over a borrowed blender. Then, in the entree round, marshmallows don't marry well with the huge surprise in the mystery basket. And in the dessert round the remaining chefs "say cheese", but will they be smiling when their final festive dishes take shape?