Chopped

- Season 17

(2013)

Food scraps are used in each round, beginning with herb stems and the remnants of a filleted fish for appetizer recipes. For entries, the chefs must work with potatoes that have eyes; and desserts are made with discarded oranges and bread.

Chefs, who operate food trucks, compete. First, they are forced to use flavored meats in their appetizer dishes; and later, they must use a sugary powder and a leafy vegetable in their entrées; and guanabana-flavored ice cream for dessert.

Sports stars Danica Patrick, Tiki Barber, Chuck Zito and Natalie Coughlin compete for charity. Included: appetizers are made using salmon; chocolate-covered marshmallows cause stress when preparing entrées; and olive-oil cakes must be transformed.

Four extraordinary chefs, who serve their communities with their talents, compete. In the appetizer round, they are given chicken soup and barbecue sauce; and for entrees, they must combine scallops with two unusual produce items.

There's nothing but leftovers for the chefs in all three rounds. First, they are tasked with transforming the remains of a casserole and uneaten takeout food. In the entrée round, the ingredients are something soggy and something sweet.

It's chicken, chicken and more chicken in the baskets for these chefs.

The chefs receive calves' livers and ranch dressing in the first round. Then in the entree round, a small bird and a citrusy spice make for an interesting combination. And will hot sauce be a hit in the finalists' desserts?

Baskets with a Halloween theme challenge the chefs, who must make appetizers out of a bloody protein and a can of chips. Later, entrées are prepared with something gooey, gory and offal; the dessert round proves to be devilishly difficult.

The baskets are packed with ingredients from a brunch menu. In a champagne and caviar appetizer round, one chef makes a generous choice. Chefs pair seafood with pancake mix in the entree round.

Every basket in this competition features circus-themed ingredients, beginning with cotton candy and corn dogs in the appetizer round. Later, one chef creates his entrée by putting nachos and cheese in the food processor.

The appetizer round brings Italian ingredients, including pasta dough, but time issues lead to some big problems. The tasty trend continues with veal chops and botargo in the basket. Then, desserts made with figs are the final two dishes.

With the odds stacked against them, four former runners-up seek redemption in the Chopped Kitchen. In the first round, a faux meat and a hot mustard must be successfully combined.

A battle, with a Thanksgiving twist, begins with the chefs working to elevate the traditional green-bean casserole in the appetizer round. Later, entrée ingredients include a big bird and a frozen orange treat.

In the appetizer round, the chefs must combine kimchi and gefilte fish; for entrées, the chefs work with uniquely flavored vodka and a green snack; for desserts, the chefs are given marshmallow cake and a citrusy water.