The Chopped judges take on notorious mystery baskets. Alex Guarnaschelli wrestles with puff pastry, Maneet Chauhan and Chris Santos have a fish-and-chips battle, and a wine-sipping Ted Allen provides dramatic narration.

No longer just watching, Chopped judges are taking over the kitchen

Chopped judges triumph over baskets that had chef contestants flummoxed.

Chopped judges are ready for anything. Marc Murphy's "chef cam" shows a new angle, breakfast unites the boys until Ted Allen throws ingredients at Scott Conant, and Maneet Chauhan's title of Maestro of Spice is put on the line.

In the Chopped judges' first round, they revisit a dessert basket. In round two, a rack of lamb offers them a chance to show off their skills. In the final round, they find creative ways to include late-night-themed ingredients.

Chopped judges try to tame sugary kid favorites. Churros and champagne figure as Alex Guarnaschelli and Marc Murphy tackle celebrity tournament ingredients. Once Scott Conant perfects his hair, he takes on a whole suckling pig.

Geoffrey Zakarian hosts as Ted Allen and the judges face a carnival-themed basket full of fried snacks. Alex Guarnaschelli speaks up when she notices someone forgot an item, then the chefs tear into Thanksgiving ingredients.

Chopped judges must work "watermelon brains" and chocolate-covered bugs into Halloween desserts. Trash-talk and ingredient thievery ensue as they tackle Grandma's meatloaf. French custard proves tricky to work into appetizers.

Chopped judges face goat heads in round one. In round two, they must make sense of ingredients in disguise. In round three, they take on ingredients from a barbecue competition.

The Chopped judges must use creepy, bloody and slimy foods, striped bass and pizza to create culinary masterpieces.

After the contestants are gone, the judges try to transform mystery baskets into delicious dishes! Challenging ingredients include vegan lobster, a tempura chocolate sandwich cookie, and seriously strong mixed drinks.

Dough flies as Geoffrey reinvents the calzone and Maneet accepts a lucrative bet. Then, entrees get fratty as Chris Santos indulges in collegiate amounts of cheese, while Marc Murphy sinks pong shots from across the kitchen.

Thanksgiving leftovers become Latin American cuisine, despite the presence of some angry birds. Then, Marc Murphy makes quick work of baby food, and the final sitcom-themed showdown boasts nostalgic flavors and unusual combos.

Aaron Sanchez prepares for smooth sailing with a packet of orange powder, then judges share the secret to making a quick London broil. Finally, a circus-themed dessert round is so good, Ted Allen skips numbers in the countdown.

Amanda Freitag finds herself in a bit of a pickle in round one, Alex Guarnaschelli keeps the fryer in business and Marc Murphy manages to find the time to sip wine and shoot the breeze with Ted Allen.

Geoffrey Zakarian's secret love of potato crisps emerges in the form of dance, pork bung inspires Aaron Sanchez's new line of breathing apparatuses and Marc Murphy does his best to sabotage others in the last round.

The judges tackle the mystery basket from a Father's Day Competition. Then, things heat up with a caddy of hot sauces in round two. Finally, the judges try their luck with duck, and Amanda Freitag gets a surprise visit.

The judges take on a newlywed-themed dessert basket featuring cheese and cake while Ted Allen asks some intimate questions. Then, they get a taste of the limelight as they're mobbed by paparazzi in the Star Power finale.

Amanda Freitag, Marcus Samuelsson and Alex Guarnaschelli peel, smash and sear their way through a potato-themed basket. Then, one judge has ambitious plans to make baked Alaska and plate it before the clock runs out.

The judges whip up pork belly and walnut appetizers in round one. Then, Scott Conant gets stumped by hamachi collar, and the judges must turn ugly food into gorgeous entrees while trying to ignore a frighteningly funny intruder.

The judges get revved up for a food truck-themed round one. Then, it's game on with Cornish game hens in round two, while round three finds the chefs revisiting a dessert basket from a grilling special.