Chopped: Volume 3

Four Chopped champions are hungry for more as they return for a special Thanksgiving competition. The ferociously competitive chefs must deal with a shocking poultry product in the appetizer round, and the three who make it to the entree round get a big, bright orange surprise. A Thanksgiving dessert basket packed with pumpkin and cranberry flavors inspires the chefs to celebrate the holiday on their final plates.

Four big-hearted amateur chefs arrive in the Chopped kitchen ready to give the judges an unforgettable Turkey Day meal. The competitors, who are celebrated for serving their communities, get creative in the first round when they must make something usually paired with coffee work with ham. Everyone gives thanks for turkey in the entree basket, and the final two unsung heroes are challenged to find a place for a festive beverage in their desserts.

Where's the beef? In the baskets! A beef theme is a meat lover's dream in this competition. The four chefs must cut jumbo-sized ribs down to appetizer-appropriate portions in the first round. A premium steak and a second-rate grocery store meal meet in a puzzling entree basket, and creativity and a shining example of good sportsmanship are on display in the dessert round.

Four Chopped judges compete alongside their significant others in a festive, feisty battle between friends. As the teams endeavor to create appetizers quickly and cooperatively, they must figure out how to use novelty pasta and a splendid fruit in their plates. The entree basket contains a stunning protein and a sweet seasonal surprise, and gingerbread and olives are an odd couple in the holiday dessert basket.

Holiday desserts take center stage as four Chopped champions return for a sweet competition with sugar and spice and not everything nice in the baskets! A bold beverage in the first round has the chefs making faces and making do. Unwrapping chocolates in a hurry is a tedious part of the challenge in round two, and a candy cane with an unconventional flavor threatens the champions' plans for magnificent desserts.

As the clock counts down on New Year's Eve, four chefs take on Chopped baskets to celebrate another trip around the sun. In the appetizer basket, a bite of something decadent and a peppery sauce await. Incredibly luxurious ingredients in the second basket set expectations sky high for the New Year's entree course, and a clever champagne treat is a nice touch in the dessert basket.

The four competing chefs get budget baskets full of low-cost ingredients for every round, and they have to make basic foods burst with flavor. A box of fish sticks is the big catch in the first basket, and the second round involves a lesson in putting your best foot forward when cooking with chicken feet. Finally, cheap wine and a cake mix mingle in the last budget basket.

The chefs get a sweet and salty theme and are tasked with perfectly harmonizing the quintessential flavor pairing on their plates. In the first round, the competitors must combine a Moroccan pie and a sugary take on bacon. A classic fair snack and an imaginative breakfast food are included in the entree basket. And the judges are hoping for creative, beautiful desserts made from a puzzling final sweet and salty basket.

Four college students with a passion for cooking take over the Chopped Kitchen to prove who can make the grade. A humble pizza and common protein keep the appetizer basket relatable but present a challenging culinary puzzle. A caffeinated drink is a featured ingredient in the entree round, although the wildly energetic competitors hardly need it. The two remaining competitors must then make ambitious plans for the peanut butter and banana dessert basket.

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.

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.

The chefs set out to make a whole day's worth of amazing food when the cooking rounds are changed to breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eggs are not in the breakfast basket but the chefs still race to grab them in the fridge. In the second round, the competitors must make terrific mid-day meals with something salty and something reminiscent of a typical American childhood. And the judges hope the chefs who make it to the final round will be able to make lamb dinners to remember.

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.

The chefs are excited to face smoked-food challenges requiring them to make delicious modern dishes with the ancient cooking method. First, a colorful, sweet surprise and a buttery fish are two of the ingredients the competitors choose to smoke in the appetizer basket. The second basket features a lean specialty meat and a spicy liqueur. The two chefs left standing must make do with a fishy candy in the dessert round.

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.

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.

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.

The chefs set out to make an unforgettable summer feast after learning each challenge will have a clambake theme. In the first round, a colorful cocktail and a gamey sausage help get the party started. The entree basket includes a strange starch and plenty of gifts from the sea. Finally, the competitors who make it to round three get to work with a juicy fruit and something cute.