Top Chef

8 new chefs and 8 returning chefs battle it out in Charleston.

The chefs are divided up into teams, pitting the newcomers versus the returning chefs, to see who can put the better spin on a traditional lowcountry family meal.

Padma and guest judge, Chris Cosentino divide the chefs into teams to compete in the Top Chef mise en place race.

Padma and Nilou Motamed ring in the holiday season by having the chefs create dishes using a bizarre collection of ingredients.

Their anxiety grows as the clock begins and the pantry doors open to reveal baking ingredients. With all signs pointing to a biscuit challenge, the chefs make a mad dash to create dishes.

Chef Alexander Smalls and author Toni Tipton-Martin ask the chefs to pay homage to the matriarch of Southern cuisine, Edna Lewis.

For the Quickfire Challenge, Padma and guest judge Chef Michael Cimarusti challenge the chefs to cook dishes using ingredients corresponding to the element of their zodiac sign earth, air, fire or water.

The eight remaining chefs divide into two teams to design a restaurant, create a cohesive menu, and impress the judges and diners. Anything can happen in Restaurant Wars when egos collide and tempers flare.

For the elimination challenge, the chefs are asked to draw inspiration from their own childhood memories to create dishes for the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital charity gala on the ultra-exclusive Kiawah Island.

Padma is waiting with a Sudden Death Quickfire where the chefs must create a dish that showcases their freshly caught shrimp.

Thee final four chefs cook impromptu dishes while simultaneously instructing mystery partners how to create the exact same dish. When the judges compare dishes, the chefs are shocked to discover their secret partners are their visiting family members.

The finals begin in Guadalajara, Mexico as the three remaining chefs face off against the winner of Last Chance Kitchen at the new Chivas soccer Stadium. Guest judge Francisco Ruano challenges the chefs to create a dish using goat.

The three remaining chefs head to the Yucatan Peninsula where Chef Roberto Muñoz Zurita challenges them to make a dish showcasing the flavor, complexity and heat of the legendary local habanero using ingredients from the local market.

The final two chefs face-off to earn the coveted title of Top Chef and cook an epic four-course progressive meal.