Home / Series / Cooks vs. Cons / Aired Order /

All Seasons

Season 1

  • S01E01 Burger Battle

    • March 17, 2016
    • Food Network

    Professional chefs and home cooks vie for cash in this series, which 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. The competition moves on with a challenge involving tropical fruit.

  • S01E02 Mac 'n' Cheese Meltdown

    • March 24, 2016
    • Food Network

    The pros and home cooks serve their best mac and cheese dishes to judges Graham Elliot and Daphne Oz.

  • S01E03 Taco Takedown

    • March 31, 2016
    • Food Network

    The surprise ingredient of soda must be used when making tacos. Later, a kitchen fire erupts as the remaining contestants work to come up with pickle dishes to impress judges Graham Elliot and Kardea Brown.

  • S01E04 Cookie Crumble

    • April 7, 2016
    • Food Network

    The first challenge facing the contestants involves incorporating cookies into a classic meat and potatoes dish. Later, they are given nuts as a surprise ingredient.

  • S01E05 Candy Clash

    • April 14, 2016
    • Food Network

    The first challenge is for the contestants to make a pasta dish with corn. Later, they have to incorporate sweet candy in their savory entrées.

  • S01E06 Meatball Mayhem

    • April 21, 2016
    • Food Network

    A world-class meatball showdown is followed by a chocolate challenge.

Season 2

  • S02E01 Doughnut Derby

    • July 10, 2016
    • Food Network

    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.

  • S02E02 Surf and Turf Showdown

    • July 17, 2016
    • Food Network

    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!

  • S02E03 Shrimp and Grits Gridiron

    • July 24, 2016
    • Food Network

    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!

  • S02E04 Pancake Pandemonium

    • July 31, 2016
    • Food Network

    The playing field is flattened during the pancake challenge, as pros and amateurs alike must decide how to incorporate onions into their dishes. Judges Scott Conant and Alex Guarnaschelli are tasked with awarding the prize to the tastiest creation, despite the surprise ingredient of grapes that will leave one contestant feeling sweet and others sour.

  • S02E05 Chicken Wingin' It!

    • August 7, 2016
    • Food Network

    While judges Richard Blais and Daphne Oz attempt to suss out the pros and amateurs, things get twisted as the competitors are challenged to incorporate pretzels into their chicken wing dishes. The second round gets even fresher when the remaining competitors fight for the ultimate prize by working with mint.

  • S02E06 Beer Bedlam

    • August 14, 2016
    • Food Network

    Delicious ideas are brewing during the clash of the sandwiches, as professional and amateur cooks must utilize beer in their handheld masterpieces. Then, in round two, the surprise ingredient of muffins challenges the contestants to avoid a crummy result. It's up to judges Marc Murphy and Daphne Oz to determine who's a pro and who's an average Joe!

  • S02E07 Pie Fight

    • August 21, 2016
    • Food Network

    It's Sloppy Joe day in the kitchen, and the pros and amateurs must use pies as the surprise ingredient. Some cooks get crusty, but for others, the path to the cash prize is as easy as pie! Judges Josh Capon and Daphne Oz share cooking ghost stories in the second round when the remaining cooks must utilize campfire treats in their dishes.

  • S02E08 Crab Cake Crazy

    • August 28, 2016
    • Food Network

    Judges Richard Blais and Marcus Samuelsson are put to the test determining whose crab cakes are the best between cooks and cons. When frozen vegetables must be used to create a winning dish, will it be a piece of cake for the working chefs or will the amateurs have the advantage? Then, it's a booze cruise to the finish, as the secret ingredient of cocktails keeps the judges drunk with power.

  • S02E09 Chowder Chowdown

    • September 4, 2016
    • Food Network

    A hearty challenge is set for the pros and amateurs when chowder must be prepared with carnival treats. The waft of the fair grounds intoxicates some, but one cook falls into a deep-fried funk! Then, will judges Richard Blais and Monti Carlo undress the cons in the second round as they try to use the surprise ingredient of salad dressing?

  • S02E10 Ballpark Snack Attack

    • September 11, 2016
    • Food Network

    A cheesesteak playoff in which ballpark snacks must be worked into a winning dish; contestants embrace the Italian kitchen during a pasta sauce challenge; judges Katie Lee and Marcus Samuelsson

  • S02E11 Pizza Pizzazz

    • September 18, 2016
    • Food Network

    Cooks deconstruct pizza to accent parmesan-inspired dishes; pros try to separate themselves from the home cooks as they create masterpieces from deli food; judges Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli.

  • S02E12 Fish and Chip Championship

    • September 25, 2016
    • Food Network

    Cooks fry up their interpretations of the British staple of fish and chips; Thanksgiving leftovers are used to create a winning dish.

Season 3

  • S03E01 Pumpkin Thumpin'

    • November 23, 2016
    • Food Network

    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.

  • S03E02 French Fries Freestyle

    • November 30, 2016
    • Food Network

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

  • S03E03 'Tis the Seasoning

    • December 7, 2016
    • Food Network

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

  • S03E04 Apple Apocalypse

    • December 14, 2016
    • Food Network

    Pasta made with Asian condiments and sinfully delicious savory apple dishes are critiqued by judges Alex Guarnaschelli and Jet Tila.

  • S03E05 A Lotta Frittata

    • December 21, 2016
    • Food Network

    The contestants must include olives in their creamy egg cakes; judges Daphne Oz and Justin Warner choose the best rice dish.

  • S03E06 Lunchbox Bonanza

    • December 28, 2016
    • Food Network

    Daphne Oz and Scott Conant judge; the competitors must use kids' lunch snacks in a steak and egg meal; in round two, the chefs try to make use of mustard as the surprise ingredient.

  • S03E07 Juicy Resolutions

    • January 4, 2017
    • Food Network

    The cooks make stuffed peppers; judges Daphne Oz and Justin Warner judge the chefs' cheesy dishes.

  • S03E08 Crantastic Quesadillas!

    • January 11, 2017
    • Food Network

    The contestants must use cranberries to create quesadillas; Scott Conant and Daphne Oz judge the waffles the pros and amateurs make in their attempt to win the big cash prize.

  • S03E09 Salad Bar Blowout

    • January 18, 2017
    • Food Network

    Salad bar toppings must be incorporated into shrimp scampi variations; judges Jeff Mauro and Daphne Oz enjoy the second-round preparations that include coffee as an ingredient.

  • S03E10 Gas Station Gourmet

    • January 25, 2017
    • Food Network

    The pro and amateur cooks must concoct a gumbo with ginger as the surprise ingredient; judges Alex Guarnaschelli and Justin Warner pick a winner after trying some gas station snack masterpieces in Round 2.

  • S03E11 Tailgate Takedown

    • February 1, 2017
    • Food Network

    The cooks must incorporate tailgate snacks in their sliders; the pros and amateurs must make dishes out of pizza toppings; Eddie Jackson and Daphne Oz judge.

  • S03E12 Tarts and Hearts

    • February 8, 2017
    • Food Network

    The cooks and cons must combine tarts with vegetable or candy hearts; Alex Guarnaschelli and Jeff Mauro judge the contestants' chocolate dishes.

  • S03E13 Macho Nachos

    • February 15, 2017
    • Food Network

    Nachos with canned soup for round one; in round two, cake must be used in a savory dish; Sunny Anderson and Daphne Oz judge.

Season 4

  • S04E01 Burrito Incognito

    • March 22, 2017
    • Food Network

    The cooks and cons must incorporate cabbage into their burritos; the contestants incorporate ham into their dishes; Sunny Anderson and Amanda Freitag judge.

  • S04E02 Gone Bananas

    • March 29, 2017
    • Food Network

    The pros and amateurs must pair bananas with pork chops in the first round; in round two, Anne Burrell and Daphne Oz must decide who did the best job of incorporating picnic salads into their dish.

  • S04E03 All About Alfredo

    • April 5, 2017
    • Food Network

    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!

  • S04E04 Patty Meltdown

    • April 12, 2017
    • Food Network

    In round one, judges Daphne Oz and Russell Jackson pull up a stool for a juicy diner classic -- the patty melt! However, the jukebox gets bumped when the cooks and cons face incorporating cinnamon into the savory dish. Round two has its own record scratch as the cooks need to incorporate party dips into their dishes.

  • S04E05 Fry, Fry Again

    • April 19, 2017
    • Food Network

    The pros and amateurs sweeten up judges Alex Guarnaschelli and Simon Majumdar when utilizing pineapple in their fried chicken dishes in the first round. Then, the judges keep their eyes peeled for the cooks and cons in round two to decide who smashed the competition with their best potato dish.

  • S04E06 Egg Fight

    • April 29, 2017
    • Food Network

    In the first round, Judges Aarti Sequeira and Justin Warner fish for the cooks and cons while observing the contestants hook up tuna casserole with milk. The remaining contestants try not to crack under pressure when incorporating eggs in their round two masterpieces.

  • S04E07 Breakfast in Bedlam

    • May 3, 2017
    • Food Network

    The cooks and cons are a bit sour when tasked with integrating lemon varietals into their round one breakfast sandwiches. Things get a bit sweeter in the second round when they must use maple in their dishes, and Judges Aarti Sequeira and Jet Tila tap a winner.

  • S04E08 Cajun Nation

    • May 10, 2017
    • Food Network

    In round one, the cooks and cons churn out great dishes for judges Jordan Andino and Alex Guarnaschelli with butter-infused jambalayas. Then, round two is buzzing with excitement when the judges can't bee-lieve who the pros and amateurs are after watching them make their best dishes with honey.

  • S04E09 Chili Challenge

    • May 17, 2017
    • Food Network

    It gets hot in the kitchen during round one as the cooks and cons bubble up their best chili cheese fries while incorporating apricots. The remaining contestants cook with garlic in round two, and judges Eddie Jackson and Justin Warner must choose the dish they "clove" the most!

  • S04E10 Grill Warfare

    • May 24, 2017
    • Food Network

    Judges Alex Guarnaschelli and Carla Hall grill the cooks and cons in round one, while the pros and amateurs try not to stumble incorporating backyard beverages into their burgers. Round two gets wild when the remaining contestants must include buffalo in their dishes.

  • S04E11 Pasta Impastas

    • May 31, 2017
    • Food Network

    Ted Allen and Sunny Anderson try to spot the ``impastas'' while observing the cooks and cons incorporating noodles into their huevos rancheros dishes; the remaining contestants include yogurt in their Round 2 masterpieces.

  • S04E12 Taco Tug-O-War

    • June 7, 2017
    • Food Network

    The cooks and cons all vie to reel in the win while making fish tacos; judges Daphne Oz and Gail Simmons have a hard time sussing out the pros and amateurs in Round 2, and decide who made the best dish incorporating sausage.

  • S04E13 Battle Baked Clams

    • June 14, 2017
    • Food Network

    The pros and amateurs must incorporate carrots into their baked clam dishes in the first round; in the second round, the contestants must fuse tea into their dishes for judges Jeff Mauro and Daphne Oz.

Season 5

  • S05E01 Ballpark BBQ

    • July 5, 2017
    • Food Network

    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.

  • S05E02 Biscuits and Gravy

    • July 12, 2017
    • Food Network

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

  • S05E03 High Steaks

    • July 19, 2017
    • Food Network

    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.

  • S05E04 Meatball Madness

    • July 26, 2017
    • Food Network

    In the first round, meatball subs sound easy enough, but it takes some pro moves to make them with unusual buns; in round two, the cooks and cons incorporate pomegranates; judges Aarti Sequeira and Justin Warner decide who wins.

  • S05E05 The Whole Enchilada

    • August 2, 2017
    • Food Network

    In round one, the cooks and cons must create their best enchilada dishes incorporating cereal; in the second round, the judges continue to stalk out the contestants' true identities when choosing who made the best dish using celery.

  • S05E06 Not Your Mama's Meatloaf

    • August 9, 2017
    • Food Network

    Creating spins on the American classic, meatloaf, by adding a little citrus to the mix; the heat is on in round two when the cooks and cons must infuse their dishes with jalapenos to impress judges Carla Hall and Daphne Oz and take home the win.

  • S05E07 Open Sesame

    • August 16, 2017
    • Food Network

    Fusing sesame into the New Orleans classic po' boy; in round two, the remaining contestants aren't too sad about cooking their best with blue cheese for a $10,000 prize.

  • S05E08 Iron Chef Shake-Up

    • August 23, 2017
    • Food Network

    Iron Chefs Jose Garces and Alex Guarnaschelli judge round one as the cooks and cons make stuffed mushrooms that incorporate vanilla; in round two, the contestants make un-fig-ettable masterpieces with figs.

  • S05E09 A Lotta Empanada

    • August 30, 2017
    • Food Network

    Empanadas with hazelnuts; in round two, host Geoffrey Zakarian and judges Josh Capon and Aarti Sequeira are in despair trying to separate the remaining contestants into cooks and cons while they prepare masterpieces with pears.

  • S05E10 Spice and Ice

    • September 6, 2017
    • Food Network

    Incorporating flavored ice pops into curry; in round two, the remaining contestants hit the gas using beans in their dishes as host Geoffrey Zakarian and judges Amanda Freitag and Alex Guarnaschelli suss out the pros and amateurs.

  • S05E11 Nacho Average Cook

    • September 13, 2017
    • Food Network

    Incorporating peppermint into a breakfast hash; in round two, the remaining contestants must melt the judges' hearts with their best dish using nachos.

  • S05E12 Endless Pastabilities

    • September 20, 2017
    • Food Network

    Chip-infused ravioli dishes in round one; in the second round, the contestants must make peace with the surprise ingredient and incorporate chickpeas into their dishes.

  • S05E13 Pizza Party

    • September 20, 2017
    • Food Network

    In round one, the cooks and cons incorporate ranch into their pizza dishes; in round two, host Geoffrey Zakarian has the remaining contestants cook their best avocado-infused dish.