Season 45

1. $50,000 Champs Challenge: Part 1

January 21, 2020

Chopped champions return to the stoves, racing the clock and conquering basket after basket with the hope of moving on to the $50,000 finale. Watermelon weirdness in the first basket threatens to shake the champs' confidence, and a funky soybean product and an unusual cut of meat challenge the chefs to come up with wholly original entrees. Inside the dessert basket, the remaining chefs find a crunchy surprise that they must make work with a delicate fruit.

2. $50,000 Champs Challenge: Part 2

January 28, 2020

It's a rough reunion with the Chopped kitchen when the returning champs find a diabolical set of ingredients in their first basket. In round two, a giant fish and a sweet space food get the chefs thinking creatively. The final two champs wrestle to make sense of a salad cake as time ticks away in the dessert round, which sends one chef on to the $50,000 finale.

3. $50,000 Champs Challenge: Part 3

February 4, 2020

The fiercest Chopped champions are back to defend their titles in a whirlwind, no-holds-barred battle. A frozen oddity throws them a curve ball in the first round, and they find a box of something sweet plus a yummy Chinese specialty in the entree basket. The judges watch to see whether flowers in the dessert basket inspire creativity to bloom, and the winning chef advances to the $50,000 finale.

4. $50,000 Champs Challenge: Part 4

February 11, 2020

Passionate Chopped champions return for a shot at $50,000, and the competition kicks off with a colossal clam and a starchy comfort food in the first basket. In the entree round, the judges are eager to find out if the chefs can wing it with squab, and the dessert round puzzle includes a wild pizza pie and a purple tuber. The chef who outperforms the others gets to advance to the $50,000 finale.

5. $50,000 Champs Challenge: Grand Finale

February 18, 2020

Four repeat champions make their triumphant return to the Chopped kitchen to do it all over again for a shot at $50,000! Jaws drop when the chefs find out what's in the first basket, and a dream cut of beef could turn into a nightmare in the 30-minute entree round. The dessert round is the ultimate challenge for two seemingly unstoppable champs, but only one can take the title of Chopped Grand Champion and the $50,000 prize.

6. Chock-Full of Chocolate

March 24, 2020

Four pastry chefs step into the Chopped kitchen to show off their chocolate skills. A chocolate-covered seafood snack is a sneaky surprise in the appetizer basket, and a tart fruit and a Japanese food staple find their way into the entree basket. The remaining chefs find jerky in the dessert basket, and it just might work in their favor.

7. High on the Hog

May 26, 2020

Nose-to-tail cannot fail! The competing chefs are elated to get a pork theme for their battle, and the gorgeous cuts of premium meat in the first basket don't disappoint. A Bloody Mary with a special surprise adds to the porky fun in the second round. Then something fizzy and something "offal-ly" difficult to incorporate in a dessert are part of the final challenge.

8. Soda Flop

June 16, 2020

Four chefs set out to prove that fish heads are delicious in an exhilarating appetizer round. A strange-flavored fizz threatens to throw off the chefs and make their entrees flop, and an equally odd taffy perplexes the remaining competitors in the dessert round.

9. Terrine Cuisine

June 23, 2020

The chefs must hop to it and make rabbit terrine work with a less highfalutin, packaged product in their appetizers. Combining cake mix and ramen is part of the challenge in round two, and a weird ice cream and a curious condiment test the two finalists as they attempt to make desserts that the judges will love.

10. Time and Turmoil

June 30, 2020

Four daring competitors are up against the clock to come up with amazing appetizers using a cheesy creation in the first basket. A red spread and dried fish are two of the surprises the chefs must make sense of in round two, and a citrus food and an unusual seaweed snack must be combined in the desserts.

11. Jarring Jars

July 7, 2020

The four competing chefs are surprised to open their baskets in the appetizer round to find a large, imposing cut of beef. Unusual cupcakes and a curious jarred "candy" are two of the mystery ingredients in round two. When the final two chefs feast their eyes on a jar of pigs' lips in the dessert basket, they struggle to face the challenge gracefully and successfully.

12. Cauliflower Power

July 21, 2021

Cauliflower is the veggie of the moment and the undisputed star of this Chopped battle. In the first round, the chefs must use the ubiquitous carb substitute in their dishes along with a funky Mexican delicacy. Kung Pao cauliflower is featured in the entree round, and the judges decide whether the remaining chefs' halo-halo cauliflower desserts are so-so or so good.

13. Quail Without Fail

July 28, 2020

The four competing chefs have a lot to sort out in the appetizer round when they're challenged to create plates with a Korean dish made with intestines and a super spicy condiment. The three remaining competitors attempt to make successful quail entrees, and a shaker of Australian seasoning and a jar of Mexican caramel are two of the surprises in the dessert basket.