Country Crock® And Celebrity Chef Carla Hall Make Creative Casseroles To Help You Be The Star Of Summer Gatherings

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- This season, Country Crock^® Spread is partnering with celebrity Chef Carla Hall to share her secret, quick-and-easy summer meal  – casseroles – to help families enjoy the season, rather than spending it in the kitchen.

"Whether going to a summer barbecue, block party or family gathering, casseroles are one-dish wonders that allow me to get creative in the kitchen and be the star of every summer gathering," says Carla. "Country Crock is my go-to casserole ingredient. It gives dishes a creamy and delicious taste the whole family loves."      

Carla knows busy summer activities can make it difficult for families to enjoy regular well-balanced meals in the summer, so she has developed tips to help get delicious and nutritious dishes on the table:

• Daily Serving of Vegetables – Check!: Include a serving of vegetables to creamy and delicious casseroles even the pickiest of eaters will love. If you don't have fresh veggies on hand, frozen veggies work just as well!
• Create a Summer Gathering Show-Topper: Add a crumb topping to your favorite casserole by using Country Crock  to give it that crunchy texture you can't resist.
• Put a Casserole-style Twist on Family Favorites: Try Easy Mac n' Cheese Veggie Chicken Casserole! It's a perfect pairing of yummy cheesiness, and hearty protein to liven up a regular weeknight dish.
• Wake Up Taste Buds With Breakfast Casseroles:  A breakfast casseroles is super simple to prepare the night before. Just pop it in the oven the next morning and be ready to greet hungry morning tummies.
• Country Crock and 'Roll' It …: Casseroles are a creative one-stop balanced meal offering proteins, veggies and a starch in dishes parents know their whole family will love.

"Country Crock Stars" Contest
Chef Carla Hall is working with Country Crock to inspire families across the country to show-off their most creative casseroles recipes. Country Crock is on the hunt to find "Country Crock Stars" who dial up the deliciousness in their creamy and tasty casseroles with Country Crock. Entrants will share their recipe twists and the stories behind them to create the ultimate collection of recipes.

Through May 31, consumers can enter to become a "Country Crock Star" by submitting a recipe of their favorite casserole using Country Crock and accompanying photo of the dish. From June 14 to July 8, finalists will be featured on the Country Crock Facebook page to be voted on by fans. The top three winners, to be announced in July, will receive $5,000 and a trip to New York City, and 12 semi-finalists will win cookware. For more information and to enter, visit www.facebook.com/countrycrock. For casserole inspiration, great tips and recipes, visit CountryCrock.com.

"We are thrilled to be working with Chef Hall," says Christiane Paul, Senior Director, Unilever. "Her 'cook with love' philosophy aligns perfectly with Country Crock families, helping bring creative and nutritious solutions to the kitchen."

About Unilever North America

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries. Our products are present in 7 out of 10 homes globally and are used by over 2 billion people on a daily basis. In the United States and Canada the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Ragu, Simple, Slim-Fast, Soft & Beautiful, St. Ives, Suave, tcb, TIGI, TRESemme, Vaseline, and Wish-Bone. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.

Our ambition is to double the size of our business, whilst reducing our overall environmental footprint (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal) and increasing our positive social impact. We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020, and decoupling our growth from our environmental impact. Supporting our three big goals are more than 50 time-based targets. See more on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at http://www.unileverusa.com/sustainable-living/ or http://www.unilever.ca/sustainable-living/.

Unilever employs more than 12,000 people across North America – generating over $10 billion in sales in 2012. For more information visit www.unileverusa.com or www.unilever.ca.

Media contact:
Haley Bakker-Arkema
312-729-4238
[email protected]

SOURCE Unilever