Cooks vs. Cons

The series begins with a burger battle, judged by Graham Elliot and Daphne Oz, who are kept in the dark as to who the pros and amateurs are, when tasting their dishes.

Judges Graham Elliot and Daphne Oz are out to spot the mac 'n' cheese that separates the pros from the home cooks in this latest battle. Who will claim victory? Can an amateur really out-cook a professional?

Two professional chefs compete against two home cooks for a cash prize, and in round one, the competitors create their best tacos using the surprise ingredient of soda. In round two, it all comes down to who can create the best dish with pickles. When a kitchen fire erupts, will the cooks and cons manage to keep their cool, or will judges Kardea Brown and Graham Elliot be able to tell who the real pros are?

Heavyweight chefs battle it out with amateur cooks for a big cash prize as judges Scott Conant and Daphne Oz attempt to separate the cooks from the cons! The lasagna challenge is layered with twists, as contestants must incorporate the surprise ingredient: condiments. Then, round two keeps rolling as the surprise ingredient doughnuts has the remaining cooks colliding between sweet and savory.

Professional chefs and home cooks compete through a sticky situation, when the surf and turf challenge must utilize syrup as the surprise ingredient. Then, will the amateurs crumble in round two trying to work chips into a winning dish? Judges Alex Guarnaschelli and Daphne Oz attempt to sift out the chefs from the pretenders!

Judges Richard Blais and Daphne Oz know their shrimp and grits, but do they know how to tell a cook from a con? Working chefs and home cooks hide their identity as bacon makes a glorious appearance in the first round. In round two, the remaining contestants put their skills to the test in the battle of the cherries. The taste of defeat may be tart, but the winner gets a huge cash prize with a cherry on top!

In the Season 3 premiere, pumpkin is the surprise ingredient when the contestants make French toast. Then, judges Alex Guarnaschelli and Curtis Stone determine whose dish is tops when ice cream toppings are used to accent savory staples.

Peanuts are added to a dumpling challenge; and potato fries must be repurposed into twice-fried masterpieces.

Challenges take on a festive theme. Included: Rack of lamb is infused with traditional holiday drinks; and holiday treats are regfited as flavorful dishes.

The cooks and cons try not to come unwrapped in round one when they're faced with incorporating cabbage into their burritos. Then, will judges Sunny Anderson and Amanda Freitag have their hunger cured when the contestants incorporate ham into their round two masterpieces?

The pros and amateurs try not to slip up when given bananas to pair with pork chops in the first round. Then, in round two, Anne Burrell and Daphne Oz realize it's not day at the park when they must decide who did the best job of incorporating picnic salads into their dish.

Contestants spice it up for judges Daphne Oz and Aarti Sequeria by using salsa to create fabulous Alfredo dishes. In round two, the cooks and cons must think outside the takeout box and transform Chinese takeout into a winning dish!

In round one, the cooks and cons are tasked with fusing corn and hot dogs; after one contestant strikes out, the remaining contestants continue to round two, in hopes of making their best dish, incorporating barbecue.

In round one, the cooks and cons must incorporate berries into their biscuits and gravy dishes; in round two, the cooks and cons try to play nice in a battle of licorice.

In round one, the cooks and cons create chicken fried steak dishes with peas; in round two, host Geoffrey Zakarian and judges Beau MacMillan and Daphne Oz try to grind out the pros and cons, after they are challenged with using pecans in their dishes.