Amanda Freitag

Passion and expertise rule the kitchen on the fast-paced new series, Chopped. Hosted by Ted Allen (Food Detectives), the series challenges four up-and-coming chefs to turn a selection of everyday ingredients into an extraordinary three-course meal. After each course, a contestant gets "chopped" until the last man or woman left standing claims victory.

Coming up with ideas for dishes using the mystery ingredients provided on "Chopped" can be difficult for adult chefs with years of experience, so imagine how difficult it is for young chefs on "Chopped Junior." In this version of the long-running franchise, children are tasked with making something out of mystery-basket ingredients that don't seem to go together. The usual "Chopped" judges are joined by celebrity guest judges to determine which kids advance after each round. The winning cook earns the same $10,000 prize that adults win on the main show. If things get a little too intense for the youngsters, host Ted Allen is there to comfort them and encourage them to keep going.