Get the Chef's Secret to Irresistible Cuisine

Progresso® and Chef Michael Chiarello Take Panko Bread Crumbs Nationwide and Introduce All-Natural Chicken, Reduced Sodium Chicken and Beef-Flavored Broths

MINNEAPOLIS - Oct. 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — If crispy is what you want, panko is what you've got to get. Until now, that could be a challenge, but Progresso^® is putting that elusive "perfect crunch" within reach with its new panko bread crumbs, now available at grocery stores nationwide. And the secret to irresistible flavor doesn't stop there. Progresso also took a page out of its grandmothers' cookbooks with a new line of all-natural, low-fat and preservative-free broths. Available in chicken, reduced sodium chicken and beef flavors, Progresso broths are also now available at grocery stores across the country.

Chef Michael Chiarello, who has partnered with Progresso in recent years, is helping get the word out about Progresso Panko bread crumbs and broth.

"I love working with Progresso because we share the same goal: to get exceptional ingredients into the hands of America's home cooks, making it fun and easy to make incredible meals for your family and friends," says Chiarello. "If you want restaurant-quality results, you have to start with restaurant-quality ingredients. Ask any chef – panko bread crumbs are a must any time you want to create a dish with impeccable, delicious crispiness. And for rich flavor with the kind of depth you'd find at a fine restaurant—or your grandmother's kitchen—an all-natural broth, made with quality, real ingredients is the only way to go."

Panko for crispy perfection

Unlike traditional bread crumbs, panko, which is Japanese for bread crumbs, is made from the soft, tender centers of bread instead of the crust, resulting in a uniquely crunchy texture that is ideal for fish, seafood, poultry, meats and vegetables. Progresso Panko bread crumbs make it easy to pan-fry, deep-fry or bake to the perfect crisp: dredge food in flour, dip into beaten egg, coat all sides with Progresso Panko bread crumbs, then fry or bake. Progresso Panko bread crumbs can also be used as a crunchy topping for casseroles, like Mashed Potato Gratin, Green Bean Bundles or mixed with Parmesan cheese to top lasagna. Available in two flavors, plain and Italian style, Progresso Panko bread crumbs make it easy to add both flavor and crunch to any dish.

"Chefs at America's best restaurants have been using panko bread crumbs for more than a decade, but for many years, home cooks could only find panko if they happened to have a grocery store with a specialty Asian food selection," says Julie Ennis, marketing manager for Progresso Foods. "We're making Progresso Panko bread crumbs available at grocery stores across the nation so that home cooks can make all their delicious restaurant favorites at home."

A new standard for ready-made broth

Like Progresso's line of premium soups, Progresso broths contain the finest all-natural ingredients and combine rich chicken or beef flavor with the perfect blend of seasonings.

"For nearly a century, it has been our mission to bring the best possible ingredients to home cooks, so it was a natural next step to create a broth with the quality and flavor people have come to expect from Progresso," says Kyle Duea, marketing manager for Progresso broth. "With our complete line of ingredients and soups and through our partnership with chef Chiarello, we're making it easier than ever to bring your family together with a meal that's both wholesome and delicious."

More than a hundred years of great taste

The Progresso tradition began in 1905 when a young Sicilian, Vincent Taormina, began a small importing business to bring authentic Italian foods to Italian-American families. Driven by the wartime shortage of imported products, Progresso opened its original manufacturing plant in Vineland, New Jersey, where they created the first Progresso premium soup in 1949, a Minestrone based on an old family recipe. It was the first canned, ready-to-serve soup in America. Today, Progresso continues that tradition with more than 70 premium, ready-to-eat soups.

In addition to soups including its newest line of light soups and broth, Progresso's line of high-quality ingredients also includes four varieties of bread crumbs; pureed, crushed, diced and whole tomatoes; a variety of beans, including cannellini, chick peas and black beans; marinated and ready-to-serve artichokes; vinegars, such as balsamic and red wine; seafood sauce and tuna.