PURCHASE, N.Y., Jan. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Super Bowl 50 party planning is in full swing, and PepsiCo is turning to student chefs from the world's top culinary college to take game day cooking to a new level.
Enter PepsiCo's Game Day Grub Match, a one-of-a-kind cooking competition featuring students from The Culinary Institute of America competing to create the ultimate football food. There's only one catch: each dish must creatively incorporate PepsiCo food and beverage products as ingredients.
Tastemade, the leading digital media company focused on food, travel and lifestyle programming for the connected generation, was on hand to capture all the action. The students teamed up with culinary influencers – or "Tastemakers" – from Tastemade to help get their creative juices flowing. A Tastemade video series chronicling the competition launched today at www.GameDayGrubMatch.com. The content will also be featured on the Tastemakers' YouTube channels and promoted on Tastemade's social platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.
"Great food and football are captivating millions of fans gearing up for Super Bowl 50 — and Game Day Grub Match brings these two things together in a way only PepsiCo can," said PepsiCo Executive Chef Jody Denton. "Our snacks and beverages have been staples of Super Bowl parties for five decades, and the student chefs from the Culinary Institute of America took game day food to a whole new level. Tastemade is a perfect partner for this program – their engaged digital community and passion for great storytelling takes viewers behind the scenes and lets them get in on the action."
The three teams who vied for the title of Game Day Grub Match champions were:
- Claire Kim from Glendale, CA and Yejin Yoon from Baltimore, MD, paired with Tastemaker Joel Gamoran. Their Doritos Dim Sum Joh featured a Naked Bright Beets and Pepsi glazed chicken wing tossed in a Doritos Cool Ranch togarashi; a Rold Gold pretzel shrimp potsticker steamed in Sierra Mist and served with Sierra Mist nouc cham; and a Sabra hummus and cheese stuffed pork egg roll coated in Cheetos and served with a Tropicana Orange Juice sweet and sour sauce.
- Evan Potter and Michael Cuchiarale both from Utica, NY, paired with Tastemaker Katie Quinn. Their 315 Tostitos-Dipped Pork Meatballs with a Kick featured a Tostitos Salsa Mexican meatball coated with Tostitos Blue Corn Chips and served with Mountain Dew guacamole; a Tostitos Queso Buffalo meatball coated with Cool Ranch Doritos and served with a Sierra Mist ranch dressing; and a Tostitos Creamy Spinach and Sabra Hummus Mediterranean meatball coated with Stacy's Pita Chips and served with a Sierra Mist yogurt sauce.
- Cody North from Belmont, NH and Samantha Landwehr from Baltimore, MD, paired with Tastemaker Jimmy Wong. Their Empanada Trio featured a Sabra hummus dough filled with Pepsi-marinated chicken, corn and cheese served with a Doritos Nacho Cheese dip; a Frito dough stuffed with Tostitos Salsa, refried beans and chorizo served with a Mountain Dew salsa verde; and a Quaker Oats dough filled with Naked Berry Almond pastry cream and served with a spicy chocolate sauce.
The cook-off was hosted by Culinary Institute of America alumna and Food Network Chef Anne Burrell and the dishes were evaluated by an all-star tasting panel comprised of: CBS NFL Analyst and Super Bowl XL Champion Head Coach Bill Cowher; NFL Executive Chef Marc Payero; Culinary Institute of America President Dr. Tim Ryan, and PepsiCo Executive Chef Jody Denton.
After much deliberation among the judges, Claire, Yejin and Joel were selected as the Game Day Grub Match champions for their Doritos Dim Sum Joh, earning them a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, tickets to Super Bowl 50 and a $5,000 scholarship.
"I was sooo thrilled to be back at The Culinary Institute of America, and work with the students in the kitchen for this year's PepsiCo Game Day Grub Match," said Chef Anne Burrell. "This competition is such a wonderful opportunity for these aspiring chefs to apply everything they are learning, and I was truly impressed with how all three teams challenged themselves to use the PepsiCo snacks and beverages in innovative ways to create great tasting one-of-kind dishes."
Good Food for a Good Cause
As part of their trip to San Francisco, Claire, Yejin and Joel will serve their dish at the 25th annual Taste of the NFL "Party with a Purpose," which rallies top chefs and NFL players to raise money in support of food banks throughout the country.
In addition to reuniting with Chef Anne Burrell at the event, the students will be joined by TV personality and multiplatinum recording artist Nick Lachey. As a member of the Feeding America Entertainment Council, Lachey encourages the public to support the organization's mission to end hunger in America. PepsiCo and The PepsiCo Foundation have a long-standing relationship with Feeding America, serving as Visionary Partners of the organization. The PepsiCo Foundation is a sponsor of Taste of the NFL's "Party with a Purpose."
"I am so excited to join PepsiCo and the Game Day Grub Match champions at this year's Taste of the NFL 'Party with a Purpose' to support the fight against hunger," said Nick Lachey. "With millions of Americans unsure of where their next meal will come from, it is great to see the PepsiCo Foundation's commitment to helping those in need, and I hope we can inspire others to get involved."
Tastemade will publish additional video content documenting Claire's, Yejin's and Joel's experience at the Taste of the NFL event and the rest of their Super Bowl festivities early next month.
Game Day Grub Match: Home Edition
In addition to the student competition, PepsiCo is also giving the general public a chance to share their best dish. Beginning today through February 7, 2016, football fans and foodies alike can submit their own game day recipe via Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest using the #GameDayGrubMatchEntry hashtag for the chance to win a variety of prizes. For more information on prizes and how to participate, visit GameDayGrubMatch.com.
The Super Bowl represents the culmination of a season-long activation for PepsiCo and its brands, which include Pepsi, the sponsor of the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show; Doritos, with its hugely successful "Crash the Super Bowl" contest; Gatorade, which fuels athletes on the field and is a staple of Super Bowl sidelines and locker rooms; and Tostitos, which helps fans "Party Like a Pro."
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2013, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth in shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
About PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation is the philanthropic anchor of PepsiCo, collaborating with non-profit organizations to develop innovative solutions to challenges facing underserved communities around the world. In support of PepsiCo's commitment to Performance with Purpose, the PepsiCo Foundation provides grants to eligible non-profit organizations to advance progress in the fields of Human, Environmental, and Talent Sustainability. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Global-Citizenship.
About The Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world's premier culinary college. Dedicated to driving leadership development for the foodservice and hospitality industry, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts; bachelor's degree majors in management, culinary science, and applied food studies; and executive education through its Food Business School. Its conferences and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability, world cuisines & cultures, and professional excellence & innovation. The college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its worldwide network of 48,000 alumni includes leaders in every area of foodservice and hospitality. The CIA has campuses in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu.
About Taste of the NFL
Taste of the NFL (TNFL) is a 501(c)(3) dedicated supporting hunger relief organizations in the 32 NFL cities and across the country. Proudly celebrating its 25th anniversary at Super Bowl 50, Taste of the NFL conducts national and local fundraising events throughout the year, culminating in the annual Party with a Purpose® on Super Bowl Eve. Since its inception, Taste of the NFL has raised more than $24 million, which has provided more than 192 million meals for Americans. All proceeds raised are donated directly to local and national food banks in each of the 32 NFL cities. Tickets to this event can be purchased at www.TasteoftheNFL.com.
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SOURCE PepsiCo