Eight celebrities are placed on teams for Rachael and Guy, then they are tasked with each creating a dish for 150 people.
Each team is tasked with making four desserts, including one with a secret savory ingredient, to be judged by pastry students and culinary instructors. Later, the bottom two contestants face off in an elimination challenge.
Rachael and Guy welcome Chopped judges Alex Guarnaschelli, Marcus Samuelsson, and Scott Conant to the Cook-Off kitchen to judge the remaining six celebrities in one-on-one battles, Chopped style! Each battle challenges the celebrities to cook their version of a judge’s signature dish. The Chopped judges pick the winners of each challenge leaving two surprising front runners on the chopping block to be eliminated.
The five remaining contestants operate their own lunch carts on busy New York sidewalks. Later, the lowest-scoring players face off in an elimination challenge.
An intimate supper club catered by the remaining four celebrity contestants for close friends and family.
The final two celebrity contestants open up their own restaurant; Tim and Nina Zagat.
Season 2 begins with Rachael and Guy meeting celebrity contestants Chilli, Gilbert Gottfried, Cornelia Guest, Dean McDermott, Kathy Najimy, Hines Ward, Carnie Wilson and Johnny Weir. After they pick teams, the first challenge is to prepare a tasting menu for 100 theatergoers, including writers from Entertainment Weekly.
The teams visit a farm, where they must gather produce and create fresh dishes for a family-style feast that will be served in the middle of a walnut grove.
The teams visit Mel's Drive-in in West Hollywood, where they are challenged to put a new spin on three classic diner foods. They must also serve their dishes to customers while wearing old-fashioned uniforms and roller skates.
Rico Rodriguez ("Modern Family") helps judge the food when the teams cater birthday parties for two picky children.
The penultimate challenge for the four remaining celebrities is to come up with a concept and menu for a food truck they will operate. Season 1 winner Lou Diamond Phillips serves as the guest judge.
The two remaining celebrities are tasked with throwing a Hollywood dinner party in the Season 2 finale. They plan, cook and serve a three-course meal to guests, including Kathy Griffin, Nancy Silverton and Suzanne Goin. Then, the winner is revealed.
The eight celebrities arrive in New York City as Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri select their teams. The celebrities get right to work for their first cook-off challenge as they have 90 minutes to prepare a Medieval Feast and then perform for a stadium full of hungry spectators. Rachael and Guy are joined by special guest judge, Chef Lee Anne Wong, who will decide which dish does not make the cut.
Rachael and Guy challenge the celebrities to make Hawaiian-inspired hors d'oeuvres and a team cocktail to serve 50 guests at a luau party in only 90 minutes. The guests fill out comment cards rating each team's dishes, as special guest judge Chef Marc Murphy ultimately chooses the winning team and which celebrity will be eliminated.
The remaining celebrities on must create, shop, cook and package their own signature food product that best reflects their personality. Each team then has to promote and sell their products to the public for tokens, and the celebrity with the most tokens from each team wins a cash prize for their charity and is safe from elimination. Guest judge Madison Cowan rates the quality of each team's products to decide which celebrity will not be moving on to the next challenge.
Team Rachael and Team Guy go head-to-head over two rounds to create the ultimate game day grub with guest judges Chef Alex Guarnaschelli and Josh Elliott of Good Morning America determining their fate. The first round is a head-to-head chicken wing cook-off, with each team's MVP winning immunity and a cash prize for their charity. In round two, the celebrities must create the best elevated game day dish by coming up with a unique team plate of nachos. The teams are judged on both dishes, with one celebrity taken out of the lineup leaving the remaining celebrities one step closer to winning the grand prize.
The remaining celebrities arrive at the iconic Coney Island where they face-off in a mini challenge to create their own twist on French fries to win an advantage in the main challenge. Next, the celebrities will make their own signature hot dog to serve to a boardwalk full of hungry customers. Guest judge Chef Amanda Freitag joins the crowd to decide who is top dog and who will be sent home.
In the final episode, the remaining celebrities from Team Rachael and Team Guy have to prepare a three-course dinner with a five-minute presentation aboard a dinner cruise ship to entertain a panel of judges including Sunny Anderson, Scott Conant, Todd English and Aaron Sanchez. Everything is on the line to win $50,000 for their charity and receive bragging rights as winner of the Celebrity Cook-Off!
