Chopped Junior

- Season 2

(2016)

Season 2 begins with junior chefs having to transform a weird hot dog and a cheese, that doesn't want to melt, in the appetizer round. Later, retro candies make entrees pop; and raw cookie dough present a quandary, when making desserts. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Scott Conant and Monti Carlo are the judges.

Mother's Day is celebrated, when the junior chefs cook with their moms in mind. Ingredients in the appetizer round include escargot and fruit pops. Later, a pricey cut of meat and gummy candy are used to make entrees; and desserts lean toward the unusual.

The junior chefs show kindness and help each other cut during an appetizer round featuring rock shrimp and beef tongue; quail and a variety of tiny foods in the entrée round; groovy cake in the dessert round. The judging panel includes Maneet Chauhan, Rico Rodriguez and Fabio Viviani.

Chefs Kardea Brown and Amanda Freitag are joined by actor Andrew Rannells to judge a very fishy competition. To start, some sugary items in the first basket have the competitors wondering how to create balanced dishes, and time-management issues create big problems for one junior chef. Later, entrees must include canned pasta and an extremely salty veggie; and an injury threatens to ruin a dessert dish.

A grilling competition starts off with rings of meat and donut hybrids in Round 1. For Round 2, a select piece of beef has the judges worried that the young chefs won't know how to treat it right; and fruit shows up in the dessert baskets.

Heart-shaped pasta must make it on the plate in the appetizer round. Later, the junior chefs face the challenge of shellfish and lime; and a creative take on cookies and milk is discovered in the dessert basket. Judges: Christine Taylor, Alex Guarnaschelli and Eddie Jackson.

Poor man's lobster and a sweet surprise cause a run on tortillas in the pantry; Round 2 offers the junior chefs the chance to play with an Indian tea snack and a lean meat; and chocolate and vanilla are brought together for dessert. Judges include actress Debby Ryan and chefs Marc Murphy and Geoffrey Zakarian.

Pro skateboarder Tony Hawk joins chefs Scott Conant and Tre Wilcox on the judges panel, as four junior chefs compete to make the best dad-pleasing dishes. Mystery basket ingredients include chicken wings and blue cheese for appetizers; enormous sandwiches for entrees; and a big surprise for dessert.

Appetizers are made using both octopus and a tart dessert bar. For entrees, the junior chefs must contend with a confounding meat. And some strange fruit and colorful seeds are found in the dessert baskets. The judges are Alex Guarnaschelli , Kelsey Nixon and Donal.

Over the course of three rounds, the junior chefs have to deal with stinky ingredients; a snack mix and an assortment of mini veggies; and a reptilian cake and vegan cheese.

Funny cookies and a lean meat are part of the appetizer basket. Later, a junior chef faces the problem of burnt bacon, during the entrée round; and a shocking, crunchy snack proves challenging to work with, when making desserts with decorated cake pops. Judges are Marc Murphy, Jennie Garth.

A soft drink with a wacky flavor must be used in the appetizer round. Later, goat entrees are made with grapes in a funny shape and a crunchy healthy snack; and a last ditch dash to the ice cream machine makes for some dessert drama.

A plan for a boar dish falls apart in the final seconds of the first round; must-use entree ingredients include a delectable fish and some colorful tubers; and a taco theme in the dessert basket promotes a lot of creativity.