Chopped Season 49, Episode 1: Comfort Food Feud: Bacon

Comfort Food Feud: Burgers

Burgers, how do we love thee? The competitors count the ways in a thrilling battle of the $25,000 Comfort Food Feud. In the first basket, the chefs get a deep-fried surprise and a sloppy classic. In the entree round, they must figure out what to do with a bizarre canned product. The burger-themed dessert round includes sweet creations made with mustard ice cream, and the winner advances to the Comfort Food Feud finale.

Comfort Food Feud: Mac and Cheese

In this round of the Comfort Food Feud, the chefs try to prove they have what it takes to conquer mac and cheese and move on to the tournament's grand finale. In the appetizer round, the chefs get creative with a cocktail and tiny cheesy morsels. The entree round sees the competitors working with a mac and cheese-inspired brunch item, and the final two chefs hope to turn pancake mix and mac and cheese into a heavenly dessert.

42 min

Comfort Food Feud: Pizza

The $25,000 Comfort Food Feud continues with a battle devoted to everyone's favorite cheesy, doughy guilty pleasure: pizza. A flavor-packed appetizer basket leaves the chefs with a lot of decisions to make. The competitors find spaghetti and meatballs in an unusual form in the entree basket, and the two chefs who make it to the dessert round get some spicy, salty and sugary ingredients to reimagine.

42 min

Comfort Food Feud: Finale

Four Comfort Food Feud champions return to a decked-out outdoor arena to battle for the $25,000 prize and the title of Chopped Grand Champion! The ingredient baskets contain delicious reminders of the tournament's culinary themes, starting with a special sandwich and a play on pot pie in the appetizer round. The entree basket contains a turkey stuffed with something somewhat shocking, and the last two chefs battling it out for the grand prize race the clock to create $25,000 desserts that make brilliant use of a mashup monstrosity and mango ketchup.

42 min

Cooked with Care!

Thank you, nurses! Four compassionate nurses, who also cook, bring their TLC to the Chopped kitchen. The judges are impressed by how the competitors handle the time pressure and their mahi-mahi appetizers. In the entree round, a juice made from a vegetable and a prize protein are two of the ingredients the nurses must nurture. Then, a favorite hospital snack is a funny surprise in the dessert basket, but the cooks may not be smiling when the round is done.

42 min

Hangry Baskets: Late Night

In a boisterous battle, the chefs get baskets inspired by late-night food cravings. They must resist the temptation to munch away at the fried snack in the first round and cook something with it! The competitors have some whimsical ideas for the entree basket, which includes a creamy comfort food dish and a simple staple. Then, with the judges hangry for dessert, the last two chefs open the final basket to find sweet and salty surprises.

42 min

Martha Rules: Pantry Surprise!

Martha Stewart takes over Chopped! In a glorious outdoor kitchen in Kennebunkport, Maine, Martha calls the shots and even changes the rules as 16 fearless chefs compete for a $50,000 grand prize. As four competitors set out to make a stellar first impression, Martha has a big surprise related to the pantry. Maine-inspired basket ingredients like blueberry pie and clam chowder set the scene for a sensational coastal feast.

42 min

Martha Rules: Tick Tock!

Martha Stewart takes the reins for another gripping battle in the $50,000 Martha Rules tournament, and she has some tricks up her sleeve regarding the timing of the rounds. In the first basket, the chefs get a seafood delicacy befitting the beautiful coastal setting of the outdoor Chopped kitchen. The three chefs who make it to the second round must whip up Cornish hen entrees, and a citrus fruit meets a local candy in the dessert basket as the remaining competitors fight for a coveted spot in the finale.

42 min

Martha Rules: Blade and Switch

Martha Stewart shocks the four competing chefs in the Martha Rules tournament when she reveals that she plans to make them switch stations – and dishes – at any time! Creativity and agility are on display as the chefs cook under the most peculiar and demanding circumstances. The basket ingredients include everything from sea urchin and lobster rolls to peanut brittle and sauerkraut.

42 min

Martha Rules: Mystery Competitor

Martha Stewart is at it again, revealing a showstopping twist in the Martha Rules tournament: There's only one spot in the dessert round because a mysterious fifth chef is waiting in the wings to compete against whomever makes it that far. The four competing chefs can be eliminated at any time, for any reason, and the mood is tense as they dig into the appetizer basket, which includes a beautiful cake and a bitter beverage. The entree basket contains a hot dog with a long history in Maine, the site of the competition. The mystery competitor steps up for the sudden-death dessert round, and only one chef advances to the $50,000 finale.

42 min

Martha Rules: Grande Finale!

In the finale of the Martha Rules tournament, Martha Stewart pulls out all the stops to make the road to $50,000 extra challenging. In the appetizer round, the chefs wonder what's up when they find footwear in the ingredient basket. The entree round has three chefs working with a bountiful collection of New England-inspired gastronomic goodness, and an extra mandatory task in the dessert round promises to be both time-consuming and educational. Only one chef will keep their head in the game and claim the $50,000 prize and title of Chopped Champion.

42 min

Taco Brawl

Let's taco 'bout it! Four chefs attempt to prove who deserves to win all the dinero for their all-taco meal. A frantic first round leads to some missteps in the kitchen, and fish tacos are in order for the entree round, when the chefs find red snapper in the baskets. In the dessert round, a festive cocktail is part of the puzzle, but will the judges be toasting the chefs' final plates?

42 min

Alton's Maniacal Baskets: Part 4

Alton Brown is at it again! The chefs in his Maniacal Baskets tournament are seriously tripped up by a canned wonder in the appetizer round, and the clock isn't doing them any favors either. A shelf-stable surprise in the entree basket is unlikely to be a crowd pleaser. Can the chefs elevate it? In the dessert round, pudding in the basket would ordinarily be nice to see, but not this particular type of pudding!

42 min

Alton's Maniacal Baskets: Finale

In the wild conclusion of Alton Brown's Maniacal Baskets Tournament, champions from the first four battles compete for the title of Chopped Grand Champion! Before cooking begins, Alton has a big announcement that's sure to get the chefs fired up. Of course, the finale ingredients are super tough. For the entree round, the chefs open the baskets to discover one of the items staring back at them! A weird wedding cake is part of the dessert round puzzle as the two remaining chefs face off to see who will score major bragging rights and the grand prize.

42 min