Season 41

1. Ultimate Redemption

December 11, 2018

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.

2. Game On!

January 29, 2019

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.

3. Three Cheers for Chocolate!

February 5, 2019

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.

4. Bacon, Burgers and Beer!

May 21, 2019

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.

5. Just Add Cheese!

June 4, 2019

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.

6. Holy Bologna!

June 18, 2019

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.

7. Plum Fantastic

June 25, 2019

As the competition kicks off, the chefs are challenged with making appetizers using a delicate herb and a playful take on potatoes. When the chefs get a strange Italian street food in the entree basket, they must do as the Neapolitans do. And the judges hope the Dutch baby pancake and sour plums in the dessert basket will spark some delicious creativity.

8. Culinary Fireworks

July 2, 2019

Four chefs prepare for summertime dinners in America using a variety of sunny ingredients including patriotic deviled eggs and star-spangled spaghetti. A clever keg and a new spin on a fair favorite kick off the fun in the first round. Then, the bounty of the second basket includes a cowboy's dream ingredient and some colorful kebobs. And there's a bombshell surprise in the dessert basket -- can the chefs successfully create something delicious to complete the meal?

9. Take the Cake

July 23, 2019

In the first round, the chefs learn they must make appetizers that include ginger-like galangal and a trendy taco. Miniature fruit and softshell crabs are two of the surprises that the competitors face in the entree round, and a pretty cake that reminds one judge of his childhood is at the center of an eclectic dessert basket.

10. So Sumac Me!

August 13, 2019

Four enthusiastic chefs are up to the challenge as they attempt to outsmart the baskets in a race against the clock. Minced meat and something sweet are part of the appetizer round puzzle. Will sumac plus a super salty curve ball in the second basket leave the chefs wondering what to make? And eggs, fruit and sugar in the dessert basket should be relatively easy to work with, but nothing is as simple as it seems on Chopped.

11. Tendon Loving Care

February 11, 2020

Tenderizing beef tendon and bringing joy to bok choy are two of the challenges in round one. A veggie that barely fits in the basket and a prized protein are part of the culinary puzzle in the entree round, and a famed French dessert meets a bubbly jarred surprise in the dessert basket.

12. Poutine Cuisine

March 17, 2020

A plate of poutine and a jar of bamboo challenge the competitors in the appetizer round. Not all the chefs are happy to see a whole fish in the second basket, and as the round winds down, the judges start to panic that not everyone will finish. In the dessert round, the chefs must hurry up and figure out how to use a colorful snack food.

13. Frying Times

March 31, 2020

With $10,000 at stake, there's a twist in the competition! The chefs learn that they will be required to fry something in every course. In the appetizer round, a brightly colored beverage and a stuffed pasta are part of the puzzle. A decadent finger food and a protein-packed shocker challenge the chefs in the entree basket, while a classic cookie and a wild sundae bring the fun to an exciting, frying dessert round.