Episode
Chopped: Mac and Cheese
Overview
In this competition, every round features the food pair with a powerful bond -- macaroni and cheese! The competitors come out strong in the appetizer round with sophisticated mac and cheese dishes that include Swiss chard. Then in the entree round, when one chef leaves cheese out of their dish, will it add up to approval from the judges? And a time-crunch in the dessert round leaves one of the chefs dashing to get all components on the plate.
Details
- Series
- Chopped
- Season
- Season 25
- Episode
- Episode 13
- Air date
- 2015-12-01
Episode context
Mac and Cheese is Episode 13 in Season 25 of Chopped. It aired on 2015-12-01.
Previous / Next
More episodes from this season
Episode 11: Thanksgiving Soup-er Stars
All four chefs in this special Thanksgiving competition dedicate their time and talents to soup kitchens. In the first round, the chefs each come up with distinctive appetizer concepts in response to the typical Thanksgiving leftovers found in the baskets. Then in the entree round, the remaining chefs are surprised to see a theme emerging with the baskets. And an ice cream cake and a starchy candy are two of the perplexing items to be dealt with in the final round.
Episode 10: Oktoberfest!
Don your lederhosen and hold your steins high for Oktoberfest in the Chopped Kitchen! The chefs discover fine fare for a German party in the first basket, including pretzels and sauerkraut. Schnitzel and beer keep the celebration going in the entree round. And the judges are impressed by the complex desserts that the two finalists make from spaetzle and chocolate sausage.
Episode 9: Bizarre Battle
The chefs are shocked to find out that in this special episode, bizarre foods will be found in all the baskets. In the first round, a strange bird part and a stinky young fruit are two of the surprises in the baskets. Then the three chefs who get a shot at the entree round must turn some very hot candies and some ugly offal into beautiful, balanced dishes. And something purple and something fermented make for a very difficult dessert round.
Episode 8: Sitcom Moms
Four funny women (Tichina Arnold, Jackee Harry, JoMarie Payton and Betsy Randle) who are best known for playing mothers on TV, take on the role of Chopped competitor! The actresses have a hard time coming up with solid ideas for what to do with the mushrooms and frozen TV dinners in the appetizer basket. In the entree round, the cooks have 30 minutes to deal with minute steak, and the judges worry they might get served overcooked meat. In the final hilarious round, the two sitcom moms remaining are asked to get creative with tiramisu and strawberry sauce.
Episode 7: Teen Redeem
Four teen chefs return to the Chopped Kitchen with victory -- and redemption -- on their minds. With lump meat crab and mayo in the first basket, crab cake seems like the safe route, but will they surprise the judges with something more creative? In the entree round, one of the teens seems particularly unhappy to see a nostalgic candy, and a lovely vegetable is a novel ingredient for the young cooks. And the two teenagers who make it to the dessert round hustle to make sweet creations from Italian cookies and peanut butter toast.
Episode 6: Viewers' Baskets
Fans took to social media to pick the basket ingredients in this special viewers' choice competition. In the first basket, the chefs warily taste a curious canned product before forming their plans. Then in the entree round, some weird candy and a slimy surprise keep the "ugh"-factor high. And the two chefs who make it to the dessert round must make sweet creations using an unusual condiment and a dairy delicacy.
Episode 5: Teen Tournament: Grand Finale!
Four returning teen winners come back to compete for $25,000 and the title of Chopped Grand Champion! Excitement is at an all-time high, as the young cooks open the first baskets and find a pasta, some jarred seafood, a candy, and a veggie. Breaking down a giant fish is a daunting way to begin the entree round, and scant use of a certain other basket ingredient could mean elimination for one young champ. Then in an intense final round, the two remaining teens turn a mocktail and a festive cake into a $25,000 dessert.
Episode 4: Teen Tournament: Episode Four
Four ambitious teens set their sights on the last remaining place in the Teen Tournament Grand Finale! The heat is on in the appetizer round with a spicy protein and a strong pepper in the basket. The judges find it difficult to watch without offering help as the young chefs tackle an entree basket that includes thick veal chops and beautiful heirloom tomatoes. Then a classic candy bar and a sweet fruit juice are two of the ingredients at play in a very competitive dessert round.
Episode 3: Teen Tournament: Episode Three
The new group of teen chefs must grapple with vegan chicken in the first basket. The entree round finds the teens daringly slicing into big butternut squashes and working out their mixed feelings about okra. There's a special delivery in the dessert basket -- a box of assorted cookies -- which the teen chefs are tasked with repurposing into dishes that also include walnuts and plums.
Episode 2: Teen Tournament: Episode Two
Four new whiz kids battle it out in this second competition of the Teen Tournament. Expensive crustaceans are a bit of a shocker in the appetizer baskets, while nerves and mishaps plague round two, and one of the competitors gets flustered with the sharpness of the knives and the scarcity of time allotted to complete creative lamb entrees. The two teen chefs who make it to the dessert round must create yummy, sweet dishes with a frozen treat and an Indian spice.