‘Iron Chef’ Returns Next Month With a Thanksgiving Episode

Recently-revived culinary competition show Iron Chef is headed back to the airwaves next month for a new series of battles starring Alex Guarnaschelli, Michael Symon, Bobby Flay, Jose Garces, and newly-minted Iron Chef Stephanie Izard.

During each episode of Iron Chef Showdown, two chef teams will compete against each other in the Chairman's Challenge, judged by host Alton Brown. The winner will face one of the Iron Chefs in the Secret Ingredient Showdown, and a rotating roster of guest judges will determine the champion.

The show premieres on November 8 with a Thanksgiving-themed episode featuring contestants Matt Kerney (of Longman & Eagle in Chicago) and Lindsay Autry (of The Regional Kitchen & Public House in Palm Beach) cooking to compete against Bobby Flay in the main battle. John Besh and Antonia Lofaso will be the judges for that episode, and back-flipper extraordinaire Mark Dacascos is returning as the Chairman.

But that’s not all the Iron Chef action that’s headed to your TV set this fall. Food Network is launching a new program hosted by Brown called Iron Chef: Behind the Battle, which will look back at past challenges from previous episodes of the show. That program will air immediately following each new episode of Iron Chef Showdown, and the premiere on November 8 will also be preceded by a one-hour special called Iron Chef: Where Are They Now. And throughout the run of the show, Alton will also host an online-only companion called Alton's Ingredient Alchemy, exploring ingredients featured on the program.

Iron Chef Showdown premieres on Wednesday, November 8 at 9 p.m. on the Food Network.

• Iron Chefs Return To Legendary Kitchen Stadium [BI]
• Iron Chef Showdown [Food Network]