Four Grand Prize Winners Receive a Year's Worth of Groceries in the Hungry Jack® Use Up the Box Recipe Contest

ORRVILLE, Ohio, April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooks across America have proven that they can put their pantries to work when looking for meal time inspiration. Today, Hungry Jack® Pancake Mix, Syrup and Potatoes, announced the four Grand Prize winners in the third annual Hungry Jack Use Up the Box Recipe Contest. Each winner will receive a year's worth of free groceries.

The winners in each of the four categories are (full recipes at www.useupthebox.com):

Appetizer Category:

• Lidia H. of Pasadena, CA: Crispy Chicken with Maple/Dijon Dipping Sauce
  "Raising a large family, I always need to think of easy and appetizing dishes that will make everyone happy. My Crispy Chicken with Maple Dijon Dipping Sauce is created using Hungry Jack Complete Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix, Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes and Hungry Jack Original Syrup – all items I have in my pantry."

Brunch Category:

• Robert G. of Hayden, ID: Mini Maple Bacon Beignets
  "Bacon is a hot trend and I always have it on hand.  That inspired me to add a twist to my New Orleans favorite and create Mini Maple Bacon Beignets using Hungry Jack Original Syrup."

Comfort Food Category:

• Patty W. of Fredericksburg, VA: Cinnamon Apple Dumplings
  "My mother would make me peach dumplings as a special treat, and after getting married, I wanted to carry on my mother's tradition. I changed up my family recipe to include apples and spices mimicking traditional apple pie and using Hungry Jack Complete Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix to create a tender dumpling. Since then my Cinnamon Apple Dumplings have become one of my family's favorite recipes."

Sweet Treat Category:

• Julie D. of Clementon, NJ: Browned Butter Pecan Cake with Quick Bananas Foster Ice Cream
  "My Browned Butter Pecan Cake with Quick Bananas Foster Ice Cream was inspired by my eagerness to create something from my pantry. I paired a simple Bananas Foster Ice Cream with a browned butter muffin made with Hungry Jack Complete Extra Light & Fluffy Pancake & Waffle Mix. To my delight, the combination proved to satisfy my whole family's sweet tooth."

"Over the past three years we've seen an incredible number of creative ways to use the entire line of versatile Hungry Jack products," said Maribeth Badertscher, Vice President, Corporate Communications, The J.M. Smucker Company. "This year the originality of the submissions really stood out.  The entries showed how to use pancake mix, syrup and potatoes in unique and exciting ways to make family mealtime memorable and delicious."

The Hungry Jack Use Up the Box Recipe Contest kicked off in August 2011, when Chef Kelsey Nixon, star of Cooking Channel's "Kelsey's Essentials," challenged Americans to create recipes using Hungry Jack pantry staples. The qualified entries were narrowed down to a group of 12 finalists – four in each category: Appetizers, Brunch, Comfort Foods, and Sweet Treats – and posted on www.useupthebox.com for a nationwide vote in February and March. The finalists with the highest combined scores from initial judging and the nationwide online vote were declared winners in their respective categories.

Chef Nixon's recipes, along with the four Grand Prize winners' and runner-up recipes can be found at www.useupthebox.com. Join the Hungry Jack community on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HungryJack.

About The J.M. Smucker Company

For more than 110 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that bring families together to share memorable meals and moments.  Today, Smucker is a leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North America. Its family of brands includes Smucker's®, Folgers®, Dunkin' Donuts®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Eagle Brand®, R.W. Knudsen Family®, Hungry Jack®, Cafe Bustelo®, Cafe Pilon®, White Lily® and Martha White® in the United States, along with Robin Hood®, Five Roses®, Carnation® and Bick's® in Canada. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. For more information about the Company, visit www.smuckers.com.

The J. M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks, except for the following which are used under license:  Pillsbury®, the Barrelhead logo and the Doughboy character are trademarks of The Pillsbury Company, LLC; Carnation® is a trademark of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.; Dunkin' Donuts® is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder, LLC; and Douwe Egberts® and Pickwick® are registered trademarks of Sara Lee/DE B.V.  Borden® and Elsie are also trademarks used under license.

About Basic American Foods

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California and privately held, Basic American Foods is one of the world's leading suppliers of convenience food products, including dry potato and bean products. Founded more than 75 years ago, Basic American Foods serves foodservice distributors, commercial and non-commercial foodservice operators, industrial, wholesale club, and retail customers in domestic and international markets. For more information visit www.baf.com.

SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Company