Meet the Competitors: Chopped Legends Tournament 21 Photos
Four of Chopped's most legendary judges will hand-pick the 16 past champions they want representing them in the kitchen.
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See Episode GuideToo Yacht to Handle
Chefs who usually hit the high seas by cooking on yachts battle on dry land, trading their sea legs for a topsy-turvy experience in the Chopped kitchen! Predictably, the chefs get seafood in the first basket, but proverbial rough waters in the appetizer round make for a rocky start to the competition. Creativity abounds from the chefs as they make entrées, but the judges find some technical issues with the plates. Then, it's a tight race in the dessert round as the chefs seek to make incredible final dishes with a strange butter and a tropical cocktail.
Avocado Bravado
Four chefs have the green light to go wild for avocados! For all their energy and enthusiasm, the chefs struggle to keep up with the clock in the first round, and the judges are on the edges of their seats. Then, figuring out how to work with a "secret" meat in the second basket might be the key to making delectable main dishes, and the two chefs left for the final round must be creative and conscientious to make avocado work well in their desserts.
Night Market Madness
The night belongs to foodies as four chefs celebrate international night markets and the culinary creativity they inspire. In the appetizer round, the chefs showcase their talents and their cultural points of view. Then, duck in the second basket challenges the chefs to make good decisions, while some alarming kabobs in the final basket guarantee interesting desserts.
Trash into Treasure
The Chopped competitors take on ingredients that would usually be thrown away in hopes of turning edible trash into culinary treasures. In the appetizer round, all four chefs have zero reservations about the zero-waste theme, and they have big plans for the shrimp-centric basket. Then, a leftover dish and ignored vegetable tops create a culinary puzzle in the entrée round, and the two finalists make wise use of expired milk before time expires in the dessert round.
Gnocchi Dokey
Say yes to the stress! Creativity and passion abound when a new group of chefs sign on for the chaotic cooking experience that is Chopped. The competitors aim to prove that they can roll with whatever they find in the appetizer basket, including gnocchi in a bread bowl. Bogus pork meets rabbit meat in the entrée basket, and a savory item and a sparkly treat are two of the ingredients the finalists must include in their desserts.
Legends: Maneet Chauhan
Four incredible competitors return to the stoves after being hand-picked as favorites by legendary judge Maneet Chauhan. The winner gets to compete with Maneet as their sous chef in the tournament's grand finale, with $25,000 cash and $25,000 for charity at stake -- plus legendary status! The baskets that Maneet selects for this battle include a signature Nashville flavoring, an Indian dessert and a frozen cocktail. Who will earn the respect of a legend and advance to the finale, and who will be chopped?
Legends: Scott Conant
Four Chopped Champions are asked back to the kitchen via personal invitation from legendary judge Scott Conant and will face off to see who is most worthy of returning to represent Scott in the finale. On the line: a $25,000 cash prize, $25,000 for charity and legendary status. All of the ingredients are selected by Scott himself, and a certain notorious vegetable is a true test in the appetizer basket. In the second round, one champion hits a major hurdle when an ingredient falls to the floor. Will there be enough time to pull a great plate together? And a simple pantry staple is part of the basket inspiration in the dessert round. The winner will get to cook with Scott as their sous chef in the finale fight!
Legends: Alex Guarnaschelli
Four champions return to the kitchen as favorites of legendary judge Alex Guarnaschelli. The winner will return for the tournament's grand finale, with Alex as their sous chef. In the first round, a French pastry and a richly flavored fish are two pieces of the culinary puzzle that Alex has devised for her special group of competitors. A lowbrow, universally beloved item is in the entrée basket. Then, the two chefs who make it to the dessert round have ambitious plans for some of Alex’s favorite sweet ingredients, but only one champ can advance in this Chopped Legends tournament!
Legends: Chris Santos
Four extraordinary champions, invited back to the kitchen by legendary judge Chris Santos, relish the chance to be put to the test. The winner of this preliminary competition will go to the grand finale, with Chris as their sous chef, to compete for $25,000 cash, $25,000 for charity and legendary status! A beautiful ode to bacon is one of the ingredients in the appetizer basket designed by Chris himself. A soup and a boozy trend are two of the items the chefs must include in their entrées. Finally, the dessert basket contains something super spicy and something very sweet.
Legends: Grand Finale
The best of the best face off to see who can emerge victorious in the tournament finale fight to win $25,000 in cash, $25,000 for charity and legendary status! It's a fascinating dynamic as each returning champion has the judge who tapped them for this tournament as their sous chef. Will communication issues cause any problems in the appetizer round as the teams attempt to make amazing first plates that include two interesting pork products? Emotions run high in a frantic second round, as the teams rush to make great duck entrées. Then, an unpopular canned product in the dessert basket is unlikely to be the most difficult obstacle the chefs face in an intense last round.
No Kid Hungry
End childhood hunger! In this special competition, chefs with a deep understanding of food insecurity make meals with kids and families in mind, as they share their dishes and their stories about resilience and service. The three rounds for this battle are breakfast, lunch and dinner, so the chefs will create three full meals meant to fill a child's belly. From peanut butter to tuna and broccoli, the baskets are packed with family-friendly flavors to prompt nutritious and satisfying culinary creations.
No Kid Hungry
End childhood hunger! In this special competition, chefs with a deep understanding of food insecurity make meals with kids and families in mind, as they share their dishes and their stories about resilience and service. The three rounds for this battle are breakfast, lunch and dinner, so the chefs will create three full meals meant to fill a child's belly. From peanut butter to tuna and broccoli, the baskets are packed with family-friendly flavors to prompt nutritious and satisfying culinary creations.
Death Is Not an Option
Four brave chefs prioritize flavor over fear as they take on outrageously daring ingredients to make killer dishes for the judges. The heat is on in the appetizer round with frighteningly difficult ingredients and just twenty minutes to cook. Then, the chefs prove they have the chops to make a swamp-loving chomper tasty in the entrée round and try not be be stung by a shocking sweet in the dessert basket.
Gluten for Punishment
Something fried in the appetizer basket is a bit of a head-scratcher for the chefs, but they must power on in an attempt to make it to the next round. The competitive fire is strong in the entree round as the chefs hustle to put together plates from a particularly strange combination of basket ingredients, including some curious fusion tacos. Then, the judges are impressed when the chefs bring very different yet clear visions to the dessert table.
Tickled Pink Pineapple
Four chefs will have a nose-to-tail tale to tell after finding a biggie piggy surprise in the appetizer basket and get a bit overzealous pounding pork for their entrée. Then, the final two competitors are tickled pink by the discovery of pink pineapple in their dessert baskets and try to do it justice in their final plates.
Southwestern Strength
Four Southwestern competitors take the reins in the Chopped kitchen, and the baskets are packed full of ingredients from America's most arid and untamed lands. A cactus product and a comfort food casserole stand out in the appetizer basket, while a spicy surprise forces the competitors to bring the heat in the entrée round. Then, a special flour in the dessert basket could prove to be inspiring or intimidating for the chefs.
No Kid Hungry
End childhood hunger! In this special competition, chefs with a deep understanding of food insecurity make meals with kids and families in mind, as they share their dishes and their stories about resilience and service. The three rounds for this battle are breakfast, lunch and dinner, so the chefs will create three full meals meant to fill a child's belly. From peanut butter to tuna and broccoli, the baskets are packed with family-friendly flavors to prompt nutritious and satisfying culinary creations.
Battle Italiano: Veneto
In a celebration of foods from the Veneto region of Italy, famous for its hearty yet elegant cuisine, the chefs showcase what they know about making amazing Venetian dishes. A strikingly strange ingredient in the first basket threatens to throw them off their game, while using polenta to best effect in a half-hour entree round is a tremendous task. After two ambitious chefs set out to leave an impression with their pear and cheese desserts, the judges will have to decide who has secured a spot in the Battle Italiano finale!
Battle Italiano: Tuscany
Four chefs focus on the fabulous food of Tuscany in all its fresh, humble, sensational glory. In the appetizer round, the judges wonder whether the chefs will manage to make good choices while dealing with a super-lean meat in the basket. Then, issues of confidence and competence plague the chefs in round two, and two chefs inspired by an Italian cookie tray -- and their desire to score a spot in the finale -- race to make amazing final plates!
Battle Italiano: Emilia-Romagna
Four chefs get to the heart of Italian cuisine as they explore the incredible influence that the robust Emilia-Romagna region has on the culinary world. A slithery surprise and a frozen favorite challenge the chefs in the appetizer round, and those who make it to the entrée round have very different ideas for their veal and mushroom dishes. Then, the two competitors who remain for the dessert round endeavor to represent themselves and their region!
Battle Italiano: Puglia
Four chefs get inspired by Italy's "olive oil capital" as they create coastal cuisine from Puglia. In the appetizer round, a chef's mistake causes a big stink in the kitchen -- literally, and an imposing protein takes up a lot of space in the entrée basket. In the dessert round, a tough basket that includes cactus creates a prickly situation for the final two chefs.
Battle Italiano: Finale
The four winning chefs return for the Battle Italiano finale, where they'll represent their regions and fight to take home the Grande Campione's $25,000 prize! The baskets are anything but standard issue, and the appetizer round features pizza in a tube! Emotions run high in a dramatic entrée round with just three chefs left in the epic tournament. Then, unfamiliar ingredients in the dessert basket promise to keep the two finalists on their toes!
Dough the Right Thing
Good first impressions are key! With no major tricks in the first basket, the chefs are left to create their own problems, as they attempt to piece together scrumptious meat and potato appetizers. Delicious duck dishes are a tall order in the entrée round in just 30 minutes. Then, in the dessert round, the chefs hesitate to make the obvious choice when they get a particular dough in the basket. Will their creativity pay off or trip them up?
Fermented Rice Rice Baby
Four feisty chefs share their love of cooking by showcasing their unique personalities on the plate, but a time-consuming flex threatens one competitor's chances of finishing the first round. Then, the judges get excited over fantastic pork and kohlrabi entrée plates, and a fermented find is a head-scratcher in the dessert basket.
Carnivore Converter
Four chefs take on the challenge to create meat-free plates that could win over the palates of even the most die-hard carnivores. Dough and mayo must make it into the chefs' first set of veggie-licious dishes, and the competitors create mushroom entrées with tons of flavor in order to meet the meat-free-but-amazing criteria. Then, a boxed brownie mix seems like a gift in the dessert round, but the 30-minute time limit complicates things.
Fermented Rice Rice Baby
Four feisty chefs share their love of cooking by showcasing their unique personalities on the plate, but a time-consuming flex threatens one competitor's chances of finishing the first round. Then, the judges get excited over fantastic pork and kohlrabi entrée plates, and a fermented find is a head-scratcher in the dessert basket.
About the Host
Ted Allen
Food Network HostTed, the host of Chopped, was the food and wine specialist on the groundbreaking, Emmy-winning series Queer Eye, which had a 100-episode run.
