Chopped Junior

School's out, but it's time to make the grade by cooking for the judges. Some funny cookies and a lean meat are part of the appetizer basket puzzle, and burnt bacon becomes a problem in the entrée round. Then, some cleverly-decorated cake pops are hardly the toughest ingredient in a dessert basket that also contains a shocking, crunchy snack.

Four fresh-faced junior chefs must give it their all to impress the judges. In round one, the competitors must confront a soft drink with a wacky flavor, and some grapes in a funny shape and a crunchy healthy snack are required elements in the young chefs' goat entrées. Then, there's big drama in the dessert round as one competitor attempts a last-ditch dash to the ice cream machine.

The judges are ready to put these junior chefs to the test! The first round has boar and is anything but boring when plans fall apart for one of the competitors in the final seconds. A delectable fish and some colorful tubers are two of the must-use entrée ingredients, then a taco theme in the dessert basket promotes a lot of creativity.

When the young chefs must butcher and cook snakes in the appetizer round, will they be too squeamish to let their skills shine through? In the entrée round, a dense oddball of a cake must be worked into lamb shoulder dishes. Then, the last precious seconds of the round are a show of desperation and cooperation as the finalists are challenged to make creative, caffeinated desserts for the judges.