Chopped: Volume 1

All bets are off when there's a slimy surprise in the Round One mystery basket. In the entree round, one chef makes a risky creative choice, and the competitors present dessert masterpieces made with animal crackers and prunes.

The chefs pull out all the stops to impress the judges with tofu and prosciutto dishes in the first round. Thai chilies and oysters show up in the entree round, and dessert features Gorgonzola cheese and blueberries.

The chefs are baffled to find a breakfast staple in the appetizer round mystery basket. For two chefs who survive to the final round, the dessert basket holds a whammy of ingredients: avocado, cantaloupe, pecans and brioche bread.

Wrapped in bacon and basil, fried and bruleed, bananas take center stage in the appetizer round. Then the chefs are thrown some Southern curve balls: collard greens in the entree round and grits for dessert.

The chefs attempt to wow the judges, but can watermelon and pepper Jack cheese make for a good pairing? When an ingredient falls to the floor, the offending chef must either rise to the challenge or plead for mercy.

Stymied by canned peaches in the appetizer round and fruit punch and rice cakes for the entree, the chefs struggle for a fresh approach. It all comes down to a heated dessert face-off combining beets, goat cheese and oatmeal.

The chefs are determined to give their all from the start, using quail in their appetizers. Arctic char and creamed corn show up in the second round, and beer and caramel candy have to be used in their desserts.

The chefs panic when facing nori sheets and a whole coconut in round one, and the finalists have to quickly navigate the do's and don'ts of combining donuts with smoked Gouda for dessert.

When a box of macaroni and cheese appears in the appetizer basket, the chefs endeavor to find a place for fluorescent cheese powder in their gourmet dishes. The entree round features ground pork, eggplant and cola.

The chefs try hard to creatively transform string cheese in the appetizer round. For dessert, the two remaining chefs must work with instant coffee and gingersnaps.

The chefs combine Granny Smith apples with shrimp and peanut butter in their appetizers. Can they overcome the pickled peppers of the entree round? Ted Allen hosts as one competitor offers to help, the judges debate the gesture.

Ted Allen hosts as the chefs open their appetizer baskets to find bittersweet chocolate, figs and mussels. The chefs know that three of them will face being chopped, and only one can claim sweet victory.

The judges are eager to dig into appetizers made with strawberries and salmon, and the chefs face turkey and turnips in round two. In the dessert round, the two finalists show no mercy when the gummy bears hit the food processor.