Eddie Jackson welcomes six spectacular chefs to the summer house for the ultimate all-American showdown. First up, the chefs have 30 minutes to whip up their best backyard burger and each chef must randomly choose a cooler with an ingredient to use in their dish. Judges Damaris Phillips and Jamika Pessoa are joined by Mark Anderson and Ryan Fey, to choose the best backyard burger, and the winner receives a key advantage in the next round. In round two, the chefs make another quintessential American summer food -- hot dogs! They have 60 minutes to create one fully loaded hot dog and one fully unexpected hot dog. In the end, the judges will send one chef home for the summer, while the rest continue in pursuit of the $25,000 grand prize.

The four remaining chefs return to the summer house, and Eddie Jackson sets up the theme: summer vacation! For the first challenge, the chefs have 30 minutes to take one tropical fruit and serve it two ways, but no two chefs can use the same fruit. Judges Damaris Phillips and Jamika Pessoa are joined by Genius Kitchen's Courtney Rada to pick which chef used their tropical fruit the best. The winning chef gains access to the special ingredient cooler in the second heat, where they'll have 60 minutes to prepare an entire summer dinner with a popular travel destination theme. One chef's summer vacation ends, and the last three chefs move on to the finale and a chance to win $25,000.