Food Network welcomes the New Year with one new series, seven season premieres, and two superstar chefs: Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine. To kick off 2011 with flair, hit primetime reality series Worst Cooks in America returns on Sunday, January 2nd at 9pm with hosts Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine following a special two-on-two Iron Chef America battle with Anne and Robert at 8pm.
Starting Wednesday, January 19th at 10pm, Robert Irvine takes on a new nearly-impossible challenge as he attempts to save the most desperate restaurants in America in 48 hours with only $10,000 in the new primetime series, Restaurant: Impossible. Guy Fieri’s hunt for the ultimate tailgate champ concludes in the finale of Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri on Saturday, January 29th at 10pm. Plus, FoodNetwork.com features exclusive health-conscious videos, tips and recipes for the New Year from favorites like Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis, and Aarti Sequeira. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.FEATURED SERIES
Worst Cooks in America: Season 2
Sixteen of the country’s most hopeless cooks attempt to transform from kitchen zeros into kitchen heroes as they compete in a grueling culinary boot camp. The “recruits” – nominated by family and friends for their abysmal cooking skills – are split into two teams led by Chef Anne Burrell (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef) and Chef Robert Irvine (Dinner: Impossible). In each one-hour episode, the recruits put to use the techniques they learn from their chefs in two high-pressure tests. The worst cook from each team is eliminated at the end of the episode and in the finale, the finalists must prepare a restaurant-quality meal for a panel of culinary experts. On the line are the chefs’ professional reputations and $25,000 for the newly-crowned kitchen hero. Season one of Worst Cooks in America premiered on January 3, 2010 as the highest-rated series premiere in Food Network history.
- Premieres Sunday, January 2nd at 9pm, “Worst Food Forward” – SEASON PREMIERE!
For the Skill Drill, the 16 recruits must prepare a dish from scratch before each chef chooses a team for the other chef to teach. For the Main Dish Challenge, the recruits butcher a chicken and replicate an entrée as taught by their chef.
- Premieres Sunday, January 9th at 9pm, “Farmageddon”
The recruits visit a farm where Chefs Anne and Robert challenge them to prepare an omelet for their Skill Drill. For the Main Dish Challenge, both chefs demonstrate a dish, and each recruit participates in a step of the demo. Then, the recruits must rely on their memory when the chefs take away their notebooks.
- Premieres Sunday, January 16th at 9pm, “Frozen to Fabulous”
Chefs Anne and Robert set out sauces for each team to replicate by taste alone, and each chef then incorporates one of the sauces into a seafood dish which their team members must recreate for the Skill Drill. Then, in the Main Dish Challenge, the recruits must replicate a “Frozen Meal Makeover.”
- Premieres Sunday, January 23rd at 9pm, “Grill Skills”
Chefs Anne and Robert challenge the recruits to a burger-grilling Skill Drill. The chefs choose the most creative burger after a blind taste test, and reveal a “Chef Advantage” – the chef whose recruit wins the Skill Drill gets to trade a team member. For the Main Dish Challenge, the recruits must execute elegant meals for two.
- Premieres Sunday, January 30th at 9pm, “Game Day Party”
The chefs assign their teams a scrambled recipe for the Skill Drill. Each team works together to unscramble the recipe and cook the dish while the chefs secretly watch. For the Main Dish Challenge, the recruits must cater an hors d’oeuvre party for NFL star Kris Jenkins, his wife, and 30 of their guests.
SERIES PREMIERE
Restaurant: Impossible
Premieres Wednesday, January 19th at 10pm – SEASON PREMIERE!
After combating countless “impossible dinners,” Chef Robert Irvine faces a daunting new challenge: save America’s most desperate restaurants from impending failure in just two days with only $10,000. Robert aims to rescue these restaurants and give hope to the owners and their employees.
Day one of the extreme mission begins with a thorough business assessment as Robert launches the restaurant into full service, closely observes the staff and kitchen, and determines their weakest spots. Then, he updates the menu, restrains the staff, and implements aesthetic changes with the help of his design team before hitting the streets to tell the community about the improved restaurant.
FEATURED EPISODES
- Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, January 2nd at 8pm
“Iron Chef Symon and Anne Burrell vs. Iron Chef Cora and Robert Irvine”
- Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, January 9th at 10pm
“Iron Chef Flay vs. Chuck Hughes (of Garde Manger in Montreal/host of Cooking Channel’s Chuck’s Day Off)”
- Barefoot Contessa: Premieres Saturday, January 22nd at 1pm
Special guests Alec Baldwin and Mariska Hargitay join Ina Garten for a scrumptious lunch.
- Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, January 23rd at 10pm
“Iron Chef Forgione vs. Nicolas Cantrel (of Bagatelle in New York, N.Y.)”
- Tailgate Warriors: Premieres Saturday, January 29th at 10pm
Guy Fieri settles the score as the finalists cook up all-new menus in hopes of being crowned the ultimate tailgate champion at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
SEASON PREMIERES
*Denotes new time slot
- Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Season 11, Premieres Monday, January 3rd at 9pm*
- Chopped: Season 6, Premieres Tuesday, January 4th at 10pm
- Ace of Cakes: Season 10, Premieres Thursday, January 6th at 10pm*
- Secrets of a Restaurant Chef: Season 7, Premieres Saturday, January 8th at 12pm*
- Barefoot Contessa: Season 13, Premieres Saturday, January 8th at 1pm
- Sandra’s Money Saving Meals: Season 4, Premieres Sunday, January 9th at 12pm*
- Ten Dollar Dinners: Season 4, Premieres Sunday, January 9th at 12:30pm
SCHEDULE CHANGES
PRIMETIME SERIES
- The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Mondays at 10pm
- Throwdown with Bobby Flay: Wednesdays at 8:30pm
- Unwrapped: Thursdays at 10:30pm
DAYTIME SERIES
Weekends:
- Big Daddy’s House: Saturdays at 8am
- Alex’s Day Off: Saturdays at 9am
- Giada at Home: Sundays at 10am
- Paula’s Best Dishes: Saturdays at 11am
- Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day: Sundays at 9am
- Cooking for Real: Sundays at 11am
- Aarti Party: Sundays at 11:30am
- Down Home with the Neelys: Sundays at 1pm
Weekdays:
- Guy’s Big Bite: Sundays at 1:30pm
- 30 Minute Meals: Monday-Friday from 2-3pm (back-to-back episodes)
- Paula’s Best Dishes: Monday-Friday from 12-1pm (back-to-back episodes)
- Barefoot Contessa: Monday-Friday from 1-2pm (back-to-back episodes)
- Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee: Monday-Friday at 10am
- Grill It with Bobby Flay: Monday-Friday at 10:30am
- Down Home with the Neelys: Monday-Friday at 11am
ONLINE
As of Saturday, January 1st, FoodNetwork.com will launch Healthy Every Week offering:
- Healthy weeknight appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts.
- Simple tips and tricks to make meals more health-conscious.
- Slideshows of healthy foods for different issues like super foods, low cal foods, gluten free, and more.
