Host Ted Allen with the "Chopped" judges

You can say this about "Chopped": it has a formula that works and it's stuck with it for a long time. It makes perfect sense. After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Of course, the super popular cooking competition show hasn't remained static for all these years. Since premiering way back in 2009, it's had a few nips, tucks and tweaks, and the Tuesday evening Food Network series has another little tweak coming up: a new judge with a very big name. Although the series has always had a stable of rotating judges (with guests frequently mixed in for variety), including chefs Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy, Chris Santos, Marcus Samuelsson and Amana Freitag, it's never had the likes of Martha Stewart before, who joins as a recurring guest judge in the Tuesday, June 5, episode.

Before then, though, there's still lots of classic "Chopped" fun to be had. In this week's episode, airing Tuesday, May 15, host Ted Allen ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") reveals some intriguing mystery ingredients in the baskets -- ingredients that, as always, the competing chefs must feature in their dishes. 

The first round's basket includes beautiful plums alongside a classic Asian food, but in an innovative form. For the entrée round, the baskets contain a cut of meat that's notoriously tough and a somewhat unusual mayonnaise-based product. When it comes time for dessert, the remaining contestants find a sugary breakfast cereal item that's sure to surprise.

So what is it about "Chopped" that's made it so appealing for so long? Perhaps it's just the simplicity of it all. Barring the occasional special episode, it's just four professionals doing what they do best: cooking. They're all given the same four mystery ingredients, which run the gamut from super common to super bizarre. Their time is limited, but outside of that, it's just pure cooking competition while the host and judges look on and pass commentary.

"Chopped" has always been good fun, and it's showing no signs of slowing down, with Martha Stewart joining as a recurring judge next month. The latest season airs Tuesday evenings on Food Network.