The Best Episodes of Chopped Season 38

Four female butchers battle it out for a shot at $10,000. In the first round, the competitors must break down a large piece of beef while sizing up a sweet salad in the basket. Fresh chickpeas pose a time-consuming challenge in the second basket. Then, a third savory round gives the last two women a final chance to show off their butchery skills.

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The competing chefs are told to picture themselves in a lovely coastal town as they prepare a meal of magnificent beach bites for the judges. A variety of seafood and a flotilla of edible boats kick things off in the appetizer basket. When more than one of the competitors don’t leave much time to plate, they cut it close and try to beat the clock. A cute, beach-themed surprise makes an appearance in the entrée basket, and desserts with a splash of rum and a dose of fun are in store for the judges.

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The chefs get foods that heal in the ingredient baskets and have to make dishes that are both yummy and healthy. A little fish packed with nutrients is the star of the appetizer basket, but will it go well with the rest of the mystery ingredients? Following some frantic moments at the end of the entree round, the judges must decide whether a competitor's ill-advised decision to slice beef tenderloin is a deal breaker. In the dessert round, the final two chefs race to make plates that include nuts and berries.

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The chefs face an adrenaline-packed competition filled with daunting seafood ingredients. A prized surprise awaits them in the first basket and a shocking salad meets a beautiful fish in the entree round. Finally, the judges temper their expectations as the chefs face an extraordinarily tough dessert basket.

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Four chefs have to get creative with wonton wrappers after finding lowbrow eclairs in the first basket. A can full of cheesy comfort food and a lean bird are on the entree agenda. And a strange pastry is the odd find in the final round -- will it be a piece of cake for the final two competitors?

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Four chefs must layer flavors in perfect, trendy bowls under the watchful eye of new judge Martha Stewart. For the first basket, Martha brings a special surprise from her garden. In Round Two, the chefs must make a nostalgic canned food balance with an Indian condiment in their entree bowls. And dessert bowls made from an Italian syrup and a candied treat are the final order of business for the last two remaining chefs.

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There's a flavor clash happening in the Chopped kitchen as the first basket challenges the chefs to come up with a yummy solution to a perplexing culinary puzzle that includes a dill pickle-flavored treat. A Midwestern casserole and some stunningly presented pork make for a grand entree basket, and as the clock winds down in the final round, a chef's injury puts their Gjetost cheese dessert in jeopardy.

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The chefs must cook a glorious meal for the judges using only fired-up grill pans. The first basket contains a shocker of a meat and a sweet surprise that the competitors wish they could ignore. A freshwater fish and a fermented product challenge the chefs in Round Two. And in the dessert round, some strange s'mores and weirder burger buns keep things interesting for the last remaining contenders.

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From kitschy classics to artisanal designer donuts, the chefs will get a taste of it all as they celebrate delicious rings of joy in every round and feel the pressure of performing well for a very demanding donut connoisseur, judge Martha Stewart. A box of donuts and a jar of a particular condiment challenge the competitors in the appetizer round. A wild donut creation is the centerpiece of the entrée basket. Then, the two chefs lucky enough to advance to the donut dessert round must make Martha proud using her own donut dough recipe.

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The chefs get some surprises in the ingredient baskets, starting with the appetizer round, when they have to make gefilte fish work with something super sweet and something soft and salty. The judges are excited to see a beautiful pork product in the entree basket, but will the chefs treat it right? And a particularly strange collection of ingredients in the dessert basket leaves the remaining two chefs scrambling to solve the final culinary puzzle.

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The Chopped chefs get swept up in mushroom mania, with mushroom surprises in the baskets and plenty in the pantry. In Round One, the competitors try to make a great first impression on judge Martha Stewart with an unusual cocktail and an intensely-flavored protein. In the second basket, the chefs discover a creative use for bacon and a French dessert with a wild twist. Then in the final round, two chefs face the difficult task of making mushrooms into sweet creations.

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In the first round, the chefs find a classic Asian food in an innovative form and some lovely plums. A tough cut of meat and a container full of an unusual mayonnaise product test the chefs' creativity in Round Two. And a giant surprise made of sugary breakfast cereal invigorates the competition in the final round.

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Four bartenders who love to cook compete in this special competition to prove that barkeeps know how to keep the flavors coming. An outrageous cocktail is the centerpiece of a fun first basket, and in the entree round, a potato dish prompts two of the contenders to grab more spuds from the pantry. The pressure is on in the final round when the two remaining bartenders must make the best desserts they can with a trendy drink and a classic pie.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.

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