Chopped: Volume 1

The competition starts off strongly with four chefs, cooking with gusto, as they attempt to make delicious jumbo shrimp appetizers. The two finalists find frozen pancakes in the final basket.

Class is in session with managers from America's school cafeterias competing and sharing their stories. When one chef's plans literally fall apart, she must decide whether to rethink her idea or try, try again.

Four talented young cooks are taking over the Chopped kitchen. The judges are amazed by the level of maturity, poise and skill shown in the first round, which features fish filets and a sugary frozen treat.

The chefs learn that they have come to the Chopped Kitchen for a special competition where they will be cooking with unusual cuts of meat, embracing the philosophy that almost every part of an animal can be considered food.

In the appetizer round, three out of the four chefs make a similar choice with a tricky basket ingredient. For the entrees, the competitors attempt to make delicious Cornish hen dishes.

Thirsty for victory, the chefs find a sports drink in the basket in the entree round and carob syrup and spaghetti squash for the dessert round. What will the final two competitors create?

With brook trout in the first basket, the chefs try to reel the judges in with some amazing appetizers. Then candy and kale in the entree round keep the chefs' creativity in overdrive. The finalists make some intriguing desserts.

In the entree round, one chef accidentally drops pork belly onto the floor, but it's what happens when the chef picks the meat up off the floor that shocks the judges most. The two finalists attempt to make great, green desserts.

Four culinary heroes who use their talents to do good in their communities arrive at the Chopped Kitchen to compete. In the entree round, something gamey and something fizzy make for an interesting mix of mystery ingredients.

The chefs open the appetizer basket and find exciting ingredients from Mexico, including pigs' feet and tres leches cake. And one chef sees the chance of a carefree round literally go up in flames when a pan gets much too hot.

Four returning losers -- chefs who made big mistakes in their first competition -- are dead set on not repeating history in the Chopped kitchen. In the entree round, the chefs have to stay sharp to cook with cactus.

Four amateur cooks step into the Chopped kitchen, believing that they can show the pros how it's done. First, the cooks' raw talent is put to the test with a sushi platter in the appetizer basket.