Chopped Junior Season 5 Episode 12 Three Ring Kitchen

In Chopped Junior season 5 episode 12, titled "Three Ring Kitchen," four young contestants are tasked with creating three dishes in a circus-themed challenge. The episode kicks off with introductions of the four contestants, who range in age from 10 to 13 years old.

The first round is the appetizer round, in which the contestants are given a basket of mystery ingredients and must create a dish in just 20 minutes. The ingredients this round include a frozen pizza, circus peanuts, canned artichokes, and potato chips. The young chefs have a range of reactions to the ingredients, with one contestant expressing excitement about the pizza, while another is more hesitant about the circus peanuts.

As the contestants work on their dishes, judges Maneet Chauhan, Chris Santos, and Geoffrey Zakarian offer commentary and advice, as well as some playful banter. The judges are impressed by some of the dishes, but find flaws in others. In the end, one contestant is eliminated from the competition, while the other three move on to the entree round.

The entree round requires the contestants to create a dish using three different proteins: chicken wings, cod, and pork chops. The contestants have 30 minutes to cook their dishes and offer commentary on their approaches, such as marinating the pork chops or frying the chicken wings. The judges offer their opinions on the contestants' choices and flavor profiles, and ultimately choose two contestants to move on to the dessert round.

In the dessert round, the two finalists are given a basket of ingredients that include sugary cereal and chocolate-covered pretzels. They have 30 minutes to create a final dish that showcases these ingredients, with the help of assistant chefs who offer advice and support. The judges taste the two dishes and offer their feedback, ultimately crowning one contestant as the winner of the episode.

Throughout the episode, the show intersperses interviews with the contestants, showing how they handle the pressure of the competition and their passion for cooking. The circus theme adds a fun and playful element to the challenge, and the judges provide both constructive criticism and encouragement to the young chefs. Overall, "Three Ring Kitchen" is a fun and engaging episode of Chopped Junior that showcases the creativity and talent of these young cooks.