Chopped Junior

Neatness is always important in plating, but with sloppy joes as a mandatory ingredient in the first round, the judges -- food blogger Siri Daly, actress Cheryl Hines, and chef Geoffrey Zakarian -- must excuse some sloppiness! A red pesto and some white turnips keep things interesting in the entree round, then a yummy bacon apple pie is found in the dessert basket.

When the young chefs must butcher and cook snakes in the appetizer round, will they be too squeamish to let their skills shine through? In the entree round, a dense oddball of a cake must be worked into lamb shoulder dishes. Then, the last precious seconds of the round are a show of desperation and cooperation as the finalists are challenged to make creative, caffeinated desserts for the judges, actor Chris Colfer and chefs Raiza Costa and Amanda Freitag.

Chefs Maneet Chauhan and Andrew Gruel and actress Meghan Markle preside over a competition that begins with a three and a half-pound peanut butter cup and a too-hot griddle that creates problems for one of the young chefs. An enviable cut of pork and a strong-flavored candy are two of the gifts in the entree basket, then the finalists take on a gooey skillet of pink sweetness along with a healthy, crunchy snack in the dessert round.

The young competitors hatch a plan for what to do with a "birds' nest" in the first basket, which is actually a common dish in disguise. Then, in the entree round, the chefs learn a new word for a specific type of chicken and must hustle to get it cooked through. The two finalists have similar ideas for killer kiwi desserts, but will the judges -- singer Austin Mahone, cookbook author Raquel Pelzel and chef Aaron Sanchez -- love their dishes equally?

Chefs Kenny Gilbert and Geoffrey Zakarian and actress Mae Whitman rule the judging table for this round of culinary competition! First, some of the young cooks are not fans of the kid-favorite chicken nuggets found in the appetizer basket. Then, will the junior chefs have the experience to properly cook the delicate bay scallops from the entree basket? The end of the round prompts some unprecedented cooperation among the competitors, then in the dessert round, a hybrid fruit and some Mesozoic candies make for a fun time.

Talented 11- and 12-year olds are ready to prove their culinary expertise to the judges, actress Bridget Moynahan and chefs Marc Murphy and Angelo Sosa. First, they set out to make pleasant pheasant dishes in the appetizer round, then the entree basket features something gummy and some yummy ducks. For dessert, one of the competitors must quickly come up with a back-up plan when a key element doesn't turn out right.

The young cooks get some expensive seafood in the first basket and struggle to make the most of valuable time in order to impress the judges, actress Ta'Rhonda Jones, restaurateur Sabin Lomac and chef Aaron Sanchez. Then, bacon is discovered in an odd place in the entree basket. Finally, some figs and fancy peaches must make it to the dessert plates.

A new group of ambitious junior chefs must win over a special panel of judges: chef Tiffany Derry, actress Busy Philipps and chef Aaron Sanchez. First up, an odd egg and a unique version of chicken and waffles are found in the basket. Orange noodles and a red paste are among the colorful ingredients that the young chefs must promptly address in the entree round, and the two finalists must find creative ways to turn Italian pudding and sweet sushi-shaped sandwiches into original desserts.

The young competitors get a generous 30 minutes to cook minute steak in the appetizer round. Breaking down a bird is part of the challenge in round two, along with figuring out what to do with some cool ketchup. Then, the dessert basket contains some delicious stuffed fruit and a fun snack cake. The judging panel features chefs Amanda Freitag and Kristen Kish and former MLB player Jason Varitek.

Savory meets sweet, and all is awesome! The junior chefs find something called an "everything donut" in the appetizer basket, which they must make work with a pickled pork product. Cooking venison is a new experience for some of the junior chefs in the entree round, then a competitor makes a bold move in the final seconds of the dessert round. It's up to the judges -- chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and David Guas and NFL player DeMarcus Ware -- to decide if it was a smart choice.

With gory surprises in every basket, the costumed competitors have much to fear and $10,000 to gain in this Halloween showdown, presided over by judges Scott Conant, event planner Jackie Sorkin and actress Michelle Trachtenberg. A vial filled with something deceptively familiar and some spicy mummies are weird surprises in the first basket, then the entree round has the junior chefs digging into a spooky casserole. Finally, the last two competitors confidently craft desserts from an odd collection of goodies!

In round one, the junior chefs encounter pigs' ears and potatoes as they strive to impress chefs Katie Lee and Chris Santos and actor Alan Thicke. Then, a container of soup and a can of truffles make for strange basket fellows in the entree round. Finally, the pair of kids left in the dessert round get to monkey around with monkey bread and queso fresco.

A serious seafood challenge plus a healthy frozen dessert are two of the ingredients that the junior chefs encounter out of the gate. In round two, a pork chop plate will get a young cook chopped, then major setbacks in the dessert round keep the finalists working furiously on their rainbow pancake dishes until time is up. The judging panel features TV host Debbie Matenopoulos and chefs Chris Santos and Dale Talde.

In round one, the junior chefs have to hustle to do their best with duck and some wild-flavored cupcakes. The young cooks all take different routes with the snapper in the entree basket, then the finalists find a playful pie and a tart surprise in the dessert round. The judging panel features chef Scott Conant, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and chef Jamika Pessoa.