Chopped

Four chefs bid in an auction before each round to determine their fourth ingredient, resulting in an unpredictable competition.

The chefs must bid on their fourth ingredients in an auction; in the entrée round, a bidding war breaks out over a premium item.

The chefs get only three items in each basket and must bid in a live auction for a fourth ingredient; the entrée round auction includes an unusual protein that gets big bids from more than one chef.

Four competitors are given baskets with just three items; a live auction determines what each chef scores as their fourth ingredient; one chef raises expectations by spending a lot of money to secure a favorite ingredient for his appetizer dish.

The chefs are given a larger sum of money to bid on their fourth ingredient; in the first round, all the items that the chefs win at auction seem challenging in their own way, and the judges' expectations are sky-high.

Four chefs cook Thai-inspired meals, starting with chicken feet in the first basket; a colorful entrée basket includes some pretty purple dumplings; in the dessert round, a competitor must juggle two simultaneous snafus.

Four carnivorous chefs take on a bold breakfast sandwich and Berkshire bacon in the appetizer basket; the final two chefs are not concerned about how to include bacon in their desserts, but the cruel clock gives them plenty to worry about.

Tasting the love in every bite is a given when four chefs battle to cook the best soul food meal in the Chopped kitchen! In the appetizer round, a classic mismatched pair is a nice -- already cooked! -- surprise in the basket. Something crunchy and something cheesy are two of the mandatory entrée basket ingredients, and the judges are suitably eager to savor soul food desserts made with fruit and cornbread.

Four chefs are eager to impress as they race to make appetizers with mizuna and a weird pizza, but first round jitters are a real problem; a deep-fried oddity is part of the challenge for the competitors in the second round.

The chefs rush to come up with smart ways to utilize the alligator in the first basket, but they soon learn their gator plans might be difficult to execute; in the dessert round, an ice cream machine fiasco spells trouble for one of the competitors.

This battle is all about indulging wholeheartedly in late-night cravings; in the first round, tacos and ramen in the basket force the chefs to make fusion plates; the entrée basket includes a very hot pepper and a beloved potato product.

Peaches and pancetta in the appetizer basket make for a creative first round; an unusual pork product in the entrée basket is a little bit gory; the chefs are challenged to figure out the best way to make it shine on the plate.

In round one, the chefs figure out if anyone has a clue what to do with emu. The competitors find a savory cake in the entrée basket. A really weird soda and an ice cream machine battle make for an enthralling dessert round.