Genre Cooking show Country of origin United States No. of seasons 4 | Presented by Ted Allen Original language(s) English No. of episodes 43 | |
Chopped Junior is an American reality-based cooking television game show series hosted by Ted Allen that pits four adolescent chefs against each other competing for a chance to win $10,000. New episodes air every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Food Network.
Format
Like its predecessor Chopped, four chefs compete, however, these contestants are between the ages of 9 and 15. Their challenge is to take a mystery basket of ingredients and turn them into a dish that is judged on its creativity, presentation and taste. On each round, the chefs are given a basket containing between three and five ingredients, and the dish each competitor prepares must use each ingredient in some way, and although forgetting an ingredient isn't an automatic disqualification, the judges will take it into consideration. The ingredients are often not commonly prepared together. The competitors are given access to a pantry and refrigerator stocked with a wide variety of other ingredients.
Unlike the adult version of Chopped, the younger competitors are given 30 minutes for the appetizer round, but the entrée and dessert rounds are both still 30 minutes.
The dishes prepared by the competitors are critiqued by a panel of judges. The dishes are scored based on presentation, taste and creativity. The judges then decide which chef is "chopped," and is eliminated from the competition. The winner receives $10,000 and a Chopped Junior chef's coat.