basket blitz

A Culinary Challenge Fueled by Mystery, Strategy & Teamwork

Step into the heat of the kitchen with Basket Blitz, an adrenaline-charged cooking experience where teamwork meets mystery. In this fast-paced competition, you and your teammates will face the thrill of creating a dish from a basket of surprise ingredients, with just a few you’re allowed to leave behind. With limited time, a shared pantry, and your collective creativity, anything can happen.

You’ll kick things off with a fun twist: a quick warm-up challenge that sets the tone and might even earn your team an edge. From there, it's game on. Once the mystery ingredients are revealed and the theme is announced, you’ll plan, cook, and plate your culinary creation under pressure.

No two Basket Blitz events are the same. One day you might be building the world’s wildest nachos; the next, you're crafting the ultimate taco or an unexpected dessert. The themes rotate, the ingredients keep you guessing, and the competition never lets up.

A panel of judges, and your fellow players, will taste, score, and celebrate the most impressive dishes of the day. Whether you're a confident home cook or just ready to have some fun in the kitchen, Basket Blitz brings the energy, excitement, and delicious rewards.

Ready to see what’s in your basket?

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More about basket blitz

A Culinary Challenge Fueled by Mystery, Strategy & Teamwork

Welcome to Basket Blitz: a high-energy, team-based culinary showdown where mystery, creativity, and collaboration collide. You and your team will face the ultimate test of culinary instincts as you work together to create a dish using a mystery basket of surprise ingredients and a limited pantry. You must use all but three ingredients from your basket, so choose carefully, and cook boldly.

Getting Started

Upon arrival, guests will be welcomed with a light snack and soft drinks. After a quick orientation, you'll draw knives to determine your teammates. Once your team is set, you’ll jump straight into a mini warm-up competition: your first taste of the action!

You’ll face one of the following:

  • The Taste Trial — a blind tasting challenge to test your palate

  • Mise en Place Mayhem — a timed skills challenge that also helps prep a key component of your final dish

This quickfire challenge gets you warmed up and earns you valuable bragging rights, and may just give you a head start.

The Main Event

Once your mystery basket is revealed and the theme announced, you'll have time to:

  • Plan and strategize

  • Shop the pantry

  • Cook within the given time limit

  • Plate your dish for judging

You’ll create a dish that fits a rotating culinary theme (think tacos, raviolis, burgers, empanadas: no two events are exactly alike!).

Judging & Tasting

All dishes will be blindly judged by up to three guest judges, evaluating taste, creativity, presentation, and teamwork. After judging, you’ll get the chance to taste each team’s dish and submit your own ratings as a part of the peer review.

What to Wear

For safety and comfort in the kitchen:

  • Wear closed-toe shoes

  • Long hair must be tied back

  • Wear pants or clothing that fully covers your legs

Ready to Blitz the Basket?

Bring your A-game, trust your team, and let the ingredients surprise you. This is Basket Blitz — and only one team will rise to the top.

Basket blitz theme choices

Select from the following themes for your Basket Blitz challenge!

  • Bold Fillings. Big Flavor. One Dough to Rule Them All.

    Step into the ring for Calzone Collision, where strategy meets saucy creativity. In this stuffed showdown, teams will go head-to-head crafting crave-worthy calzones that deliver on taste, texture, and innovation. From savory classics to surprising mashups, every fold and crimp counts. Will your team master the dough and bring home the golden bake?

  • A Battle of Fillings, Flavor, and Flair

    This is no ordinary pasta night. In Stuffed and Saucy, teams will build from scratch; crafting tender pasta or dough, inventing bold fillings, and pairing them with standout sauces that tie it all together. Whether it’s ravioli, dumplings, or something unexpected, the pressure is on to create something that bursts with flavor. Will your dish be the one that wows?

  • Where Melted, Crumbled, and Creamy Dreams Come True

    Say cheese: and then do something amazing with it. In Cheese the Day, teams dive into the world of dairy-driven creativity. From melty masterpieces to crumbly accents, cheese takes center stage in this theme that dares you to think beyond the block. Expect a range of textures, surprise pairings, and big flavor in every bite.

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  • Culinary Experiences are interactive cooking competitions designed for people who love to watch cooking competition shows, and have always wanted to try it for themselves.

  • These experiences are designed for:

    • Friends and family gatherings

    • Visitors to Sonoma County

    • Locals looking for a group activity

    • Corporate or team-building groups

    • Wine club groups and special interest groups

    No professional cooking experience required!

  • Most experiences are designed for adults. There are three options to consider in designing your experience:

    1. Adults over 18 only;

    2. Mixed group of adults over 18 and teens aged 11-18;

    3. Teen groups aged 11-18 only

    We will work together to design the perfect experience for your group, regardless of age!

  • No. Experiences are designed to be approachable and enjoyable for all skill levels. A little experience in the kitchen is helpful, but your group will work in teams, so you will likely have at least a few people with experience.

  • Locations vary based on your group’s needs.

    • Small groups (6-12) can often use a standard size kitchen, either at your own home, or a rental property for visitors

    • Large groups (12-16), or those in need of a larger space, can use the Cooking for a Crowd kitchen

  • Group sizes vary depending on the experience, but most events are designed for medium-sized groups. Since the experiences are competition based, the minimum group size is six people. Teams will be divided into groups of three or four, depending on group size. The maximum size is 16 people.

    If you are interested in a larger experience, we can work together to provide it. (Our biggest group has been 50 people!)

    If your group is smaller than six, contact us, and we can try to schedule two smaller groups together. The nature of the competition requires at least six people.

  • Pricing includes:

    • All food & ingredients

    • At least two hosts, or more, depending on group size

    • Setup & cleanup related to the experience

    • Any additional costs (such as wine purchases or venue fees if needed) will be clearly stated and agreed upon in advance

  • Pricing varies by experience and group size. Most experiences start at a per-person rate, with add on item pricing available upon request. Current pricing will always be listed on the experiences page.

  • Yes! All experiences are private experiences!

  • No. We are not licensed to provide alcoholic beverages, and you will be using knives!

    Depending on location of the experience, you may be able to offer your own drinks following the competition, while you eat and judge each other.

  • Yes, many dietary needs can be accommodated with advance notice, including vegetarian and gluten-free. Please share any restrictions when booking.

  • Most experiences require nothing beyond comfortable clothing and a willingness to participate. Any specific requirements will be communicated in advance. If you have long hair, bring something to tie it back.

  • We recommend booking at least 2–4 weeks in advance, especially for weekends and peak travel seasons.

  • Cancellation policies will be clearly outlined at the time of your booking. Because food needs to be purchased in advance, experiences must be cancelled at least three days prior to the event, and may incur a cancellation penalty.

  • Tipping is never required but is always appreciated if you feel the experience exceeded expectations.

  • Experiences can be booked directly through our website. Fill out the contact form, and we will get back to you to determine group size, date & time, and help you choose the best combination of experiences to suit your group.

  • Experiences are hosted by Cooking for a Crowd. Depending on the size of your group, you will have at least two people hosting. They will lead all activities, setup and cleanup related to the experience, and make sure you and your group have the best time possible!

  • If you’re unsure which experience fits your group, reach out — we’re happy to help you choose or create something that works.

Frequently asked questions

Schedule an experience

If you're interested in booking an experience with us, complete the form with a few details about your needs. We'll review your message and get back to you within 48 hours.