They came... they saw... they conquered the Chopping Block for $10,000, but it's not enough for these champions. Sixteen former champions return to the kitchen to play the "Chopped" game again. The winner of the showdown moves one step closer to the ultimate Chopped payday... $50,000.

Our first four returning champions...

Wayne Lyons chef & restauranteur

Heather Priest personal chef from Kentucky

James Gillespie culinary instructor

Wade Burch executive chef from Texas

The winner of this match goes on to the final match for $50,000. You know how to do this... On the panel today.

- Scandinavian cuisine expert & New Harlem Renaissance chef Marcus Samuelsson
- Star executive chef Alex Guarnaschelli
- American cuisine expert Geoffrey Zakarian

Round 1: APPETIZER (20 minutes). On the menu today for round 1 are... Chinese celery, chickpeas, preserved lemons, and country style pâté.

Who wants 20 minutes? I got'em. You got a dish?

Wayne: Pâté & Chickpea Croquette
Heather: Crispy Pâté Wonton
James: Penne Pasta with Pâté "Meatballs"
Wade: Pâté Infused Crostini

You can fry celery and have it work with the pâté and the chickpea. Last time Wayne was here, he took things to the FINAL second. He's going to have to do it again if he wants to finish.

He... does not.

Wade's dish has a salad of the celery, lemons, and apples. He knows how to play with the sweet and sour, BUT his bread is burnt. James serves his penne with lemon butter. It's lacking in a few departments. Heather roasted her chickpeas to play with her dumplings. Alex would NEVER toast her peas, but the rest of the basket is incorporated nicely in the dumpling. Wayne... didn't use his croquette because he couldn't plate it in time. The rest of his plate is delicious.

It is not unprecedented that someone doesn't use all of his ingredients and still moves on... But it doesn't happen in this case. WAYNE is the first to be chopped.

Round 2: ENTREE (30 minutes). Next champion box has... rack of antelope, stinging nettles, jicama, and port wine cheese.

... and time starts now.

Heather: Peruvian Spiced Antelope
James: Antelope Chops
Wade: Spice Rubbed Antelope

James also prepared a jicama-potato hash. His crust has that crispy crackling. The nettles are lost, though. Heather has a cheese polenta with her chop. It's a beautiful, very clean dish, but it needs a sauce. Wayne is serving his dish with carrots and melted raspberries. He likes to express himself. His dishes have a great flavor, but what's up with sweet potatoes and carrots?

The next person... to be chopped... is... HEATHER. The flavors are there, but it needed some sauce.

Round 3: DESSERT (30 minutes). The player who survives this round will play again in the final. Must-uses: nopales, sweet potatoes, pie crust, and Mezcal.

We're 30 from a second win... Let's go!

James: Sweet Potato Pie
Wade: Nopales with a Sweet Potato Custard

We've got smack talking in the kitchen. Take that energy and concentrate it on your cooking.

Something's burning in the kitchen.. It's from James' oven. WOOPS! His pies are both burned AND undercooked. He'll try to recover. But will it pass muster with the judges?

James is serving his tart on creme anglaise with Mezcal raspberries. The acidity is always a smart move with the creme anglaise, BUT the tart is unacceptable. Wade turned his pie dough into a biscochito cookie. His nopale leaf is bitter. His custard and cookie: spot on.

Wade grew from his first dish onwards, while James dropped off in the middle of the competition. But who'll get the free pass to the $50,000 final?

The final chef... to be chopped... is...  JAMES. Too much resistance to the required box ingredients.

And Wade Burch is once again the Chopped Champion. This means for him, he will compete for $50,000 in the Grand Finale.

Next week, another player is going to join him in the final. The other three.. are going to get Chopped. The road to $50,000 and the title of Chopped Superchampion continues.

To see extras from this episode, or to apply to be a contestant on "Chopped", visit the official website at www.foodnetwork.com/chopped.