Manda Palomino

This season's contestants head to Las Vegas where they participate in the signature dish challenge; the winners of the challenge ride on the world's tallest Ferris wheel while the losers peel 50 pounds of shrimp and 1,000 pounds of potatoes.

The teams can only have one chef in the kitchen at a time as they prepare three entrées, each with a different protein; actress Lainie Kazan and comic Bill Engvall are guests at the dinner service.

The contestants pair up and prepare three main dishes, each with one of the following holiday themes: July Fourth, Mardi Gras and Cinco de Mayo; challenge winners are flown to Santa Inez Valley, where they blend their own wine.

The teams make vegetarian, meat, seafood and sweet dishes for the surprise judges; the winners go to Palm Springs while the losing team has to squeeze oranges.

The contestants are faced with a communication challenge; the winning team goes on a relaxing retreat while the losers prepare for dinner service, which involves gutting 100 pounds of sea bass; VIP guests include astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

The contestants compete in a bison-dish challenge that tests their archery and cooking skills; cowboy steak night with news commentator Stacey Dash and Olympic gold medalist Phil Dalhausser.