The Trickiest Surprise Ingredients Featured on Cooks vs. Cons

See what happens when pros and amateurs on Cooks vs. Cons attempt to showcase surprise ingredients in their dishes.

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Cooks vs. Cons

Just when Cooks vs. Cons competitors think they're set to cook the assigned dish in Round 1, host Geoffrey Zakarian is on hand to change their plans with the announcement of a mandatory surprise ingredient that must be showcased. And again in Round 2, though competitors can prepare any dish they'd like, their freedom goes only as far as yet another surprise ingredient. Cereal, soda, pickles, mushrooms and chocolate — all of these sweet, savory, tangy eats and drinks, and others, have made appearances, though not all the uses of them were wholly successful. When we checked in with Geoffrey recently, he told us about another ingredient he'd like to see revealed in the future. When we checked in with Geoffrey recently, he told us about another ingredient he'd like to see revealed in the future: "I think ... another protein, like a chicken that they have to butcher or something they have to butcher — that would wipe me right out."  Browse photos to see how both professional chefs and amateurs approached the surprises.

Tune in to the new-season premiere of Cooks vs. Cons on Sunday, July 10 at 10|9c.

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