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Food Network's Chopped Grill Masters: Host Ted Allen and Judges Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli and Tim Love. (Food Network photo)
Food Network's Chopped Grill Masters: Host Ted Allen and Judges Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli and Tim Love. (Food Network photo)

Food Network heats up with new seasons of 'Chopped Grill Masters,' 'Chopped Teen Tournament'

by jmaloni

Submitted

Tue, Jun 16th 2015 05:00 pm

Five-part stunts return with 16 grilling pros and teen chefs competing for grand prize

Hosted by Ted Allen, "Chopped Grill Masters" and "Chopped Teen Tournament" return for second seasons on Food Network with special five-part themed tournaments.

Sixteen grilling professionals from around the country face off in "Chopped Grill Masters," premiering Tuesday, July 14 (10 p.m. ET/PT). With a $50,000 grand prize on the line, the stage is set for the ultimate grilling showdown, as the chefs head out of the kitchen to compete outdoors over three rounds, consisting of an appetizer, entrée and dessert, with recurring "Chopped" judges Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chris Santos, and special guest judges Amy Mills and Tim Love deciding the fates for each grilling pro. The winner from each episode will face-off in the fiery finale.

Looking to add a little heat to the kitchen as summer comes to a close, 16 talented teenagers bring their energy and ambition to "Chopped Teen Tournament," premiering Tuesday, Aug. 25 (10 p.m. ET/PT). Through this five-part series, the culinary whiz kids aim for perfect appetizers, entrées and desserts, as they navigate through three rounds, utilizing ingredients that could stump even top professionals.

The teen winners from each episode will head to the finale with a chance at winning the grand prize of $25,000. Judges Maneet Chauhan, Conant, Amanda Freitag, Guarnaschelli and Santos help grade each teen's dish based on taste and creativity.

Visit FoodNetwork.com/Chopped to meet the competitors and find exclusive content, including a fan poll, winner interviews, behind-the-scenes photos, highlights and photo galleries of top moments.

Episode descriptions include:

'Chopped Grill Masters'

Premiering Tuesday, July 14

"Grill Masters: Episode One": In this explosive first "Grill Masters" battle, big personalities and old rivalries create a firestorm in the al fresco kitchen. In the first round, the chefs have two different proteins to prepare: pork chops and sausages. Exercising restraint with a sweet basket ingredient in the entrée round is a challenge for some of the chefs. A cheese and a starch are two of the items that the finalists must make sing on the grills in their desserts.

Competitors:Danielle Dimovski, Chris Hart, Staci Graves Jett, Randy Pauly

Judges: Scott Conant, Amy Mills, Chris Santos

Premiering Tuesday, July 21

"Grill Masters: Episode Two": The "Grill Masters" find grilling-classics hot dogs and hamburgers in the same basket. Rack of elk is a welcome ingredient in the second basket, but the 30-minute time limit presents some issues. The final two chefs have high hopes for what they can accomplish in the dessert round featuring chocolate cupcakes.

Competitors:Mary Brent Galyean, Stan Hays, Matty Melehes, Candy Sue Weaver

Judges: Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli, Tim Love

Premiering Tuesday, July 28

"Grill Masters: Episode Three": Two of the competitors in this "Grill Masters" fight are engaged to be married, but can they both make it to the final round? In the first round, succulent seafood and an odd ice cream are two of the surprises in the mystery basket. Then in the second round of live-fire cooking, the chefs are shocked to find a live ingredient. When a delicate ingredient flames up on the grill in the dessert round, can one chef's dish be salvaged?

Competitors:Donna Fong, Leslie Roark Scott, Harry Soo, Tom Spaulding

Judges: Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli, Tim Love

Premiering Tuesday, Aug. 4

"Grill Masters: Episode Four": Four grilling experts compete for a final spot in the grand finale, for a chance at winning $50,000. Spare ribs play the lead role in the appetizer basket. Then a specially sourced whole fish barely fits into the entrée baskets. And following a round where the judges were not thrilled with how an ingredient was used, the judges are plum happy to see plums in the dessert basket.

Competitors:Mike Davis, Ash Fulk, Phil Johnson, Angie Mar

Judges: Scott Conant, Amy Mills, Chris Santos

Premiering Tuesday, Aug. 11

"Grill Masters: Grand Finale": The four finalists are facing off for the $50,000 grand prize. These "Grill Masters" are expecting difficult baskets, and they certainly get them. Rattlesnake is the vicious surprise in the first round. Some offal and fruit are part of the culinary puzzle to solve in the entrée round. And a breakfast item and a classic pie beg to be transformed in the dessert round to determine the new grilling champion.

Judges: Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chris Santos

'Chopped Teen Tournament'

Premiering Tuesday, Aug. 25

"Teen Tournament: Episode One": In this first preliminary competition, a strangely fuzzy ingredient is one of the surprises awaiting the young chefs in the appetizer round. Then in the entrée round, a challenging protein must be paired with a processed cheese. And the judges become increasingly concerned for the last two teens, who encounter a number of problems combining chips and candies into yummy final dishes.

Competitors: Franco Fugel, Yazmene Kaylani, Anna Mindell, Theo Vicioso

Judges: Maneet Chauhan, Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag

Premiering Tuesday, Sept. 1

"Teen Tournament: Episode Two": Four new culinary whiz kids enter the "Chopped" kitchen, as expensive crustaceans are a bit of a shocker in the appetizer baskets. Nerves and mishaps plague the entrée round, and one of the young competitors gets very flustered with the sharpness of the knives and the scarcity of time allotted to complete creative lamb dishes. The two teen chefs who make it to the dessert round must create yummy, sweet dishes with a frozen treat and an Indian spice.

Competitors:Nino Asaro, Alyssa Chacon, Peter Wenger, Salma Zahran

Judges: Maneet Chauhan, Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag

Premiering Tuesday, Sept. 8

"Teen Tournament: Episode Three": This group of competitors is particularly young - just 13 and 14 years old. But the teens quickly impress the judges with their flavors, poise and seemingly boundless ambition in and outside of the kitchen. In the dessert round, the teens must grapple with vegan chicken. The entrée round finds the remaining three teens daringly slicing into big butternut squashes and working out their mixed feelings about okra. There's a special delivery in the dessert basket: a box of assorted cookies, which the teen chefs are tasked with repurposing into dishes that also include walnuts and plums.

Competitors:Alexina Chasin, Allison Lee, Eliza McKelvey, Jarren Pross

Judges: Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chris Santos

Premiering Tuesday, Sept. 15

"Teen Tournament: Episode Four": With just one spot left, four new talented teen chefs have set their sights on the last remaining place in the grand finale. The heat is on in the appetizer round when they find a spicy protein and a strong pepper in the basket. The judges find it difficult to watch without offering help, as the teen chefs tackle an entrée basket that includes thick veal chops and beautiful heirloom tomatoes. Then a classic candy bar and a sweet fruit juice that the teens had never before tried are two of the ingredients at play in a very competitive dessert round.

Competitors:Justin Ballenger, Danny Ganzman, Olivia Neumark, Veronica Seguin

Judges: Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chris Santos

Premiering Tuesday, Sept. 22

"Teen Tournament: Grand Finale": The final four, fearless young culinary hopefuls return to compete for $25,000 and the title of "Chopped" grand champion. Excitement is at an all-time high, as the teen chefs open the first baskets and find pasta, some jarred seafood, candy and a veggie. Breaking down a giant fish is a daunting way to begin the entrée round, and scant use of a certain other basket ingredient could mean elimination for one of the young returning champs. Then in an intense dessert round, the two remaining teens compete to turn "mocktails" and a festive cake into a $25,000 dessert.

Judges: Amanda Freitag, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chris Santos

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