#GreatAmericanCookIn Challenge Encourages Mature Millennials To Eat In For One Week In May

From globally inspired recipes to takeout remixes, ConAgra partners with renowned chef to create new recipes that will help people fall back in love with the home-cooked meal

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ConAgra

May 02, 2016, 08:30 ET

CHICAGO, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- It's 7 p.m. after a busy day and it's become obvious that dinner will be courtesy of a pricey delivery service, but that doesn't have to be the answer! ConAgra (NYSE: CAG) is encouraging Millennials to have fun in the kitchen and reap the money-saving benefits of cooking simple recipes from home. That's why the company is hosting the #GreatAmericanCookIn Challenge and asking people to pledge to "cook in" for one week during the month of May using key recipe brands such as Hunt's tomatoes, Egg Beaters, PAM, ROTEL, Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter and Reddi-wip.

Cooking with pantry staple ingredients like Hunt’s tomatoes, Ro*Tel chiles and canned beans is a great way to add convenience and versatility to your cooking routine. Chef Catherine De Orio used simple canned ingredients to create this flavorful chili that’s perfect for leftovers. Check out Chef Catherine’s One Ingredient, Five Ways more ways to cook in with Hunt’s tomatoes!

Chef Catherine De Orio created this easy, make-ahead breakfast bowl for the #GreatAmericanCookIn Challenge. It’s packed with protein and mixed with naturally sweet honey and Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter, which adds delicious peanut flavor, a lot of creaminess and just a hint of crunch. The best part about this meal is it can be made the night before so all you need to do is heat it up the next morning! Check out Chef Catherine’s Protein Breakfast Recipes for more ways to start your day with a protein!

Chef Catherine spent years living and working abroad in Italy and tends to gravitate towards Mediterranean flavors. This globally-inspired recipe was created for the #GreatAmericanCookIn Challenge and stars Hunt's Diced Tomatoes with its delicious blend of vine-ripened tomatoes and roasted garlic. Check out Chef Catherine’s Recipes from Around the World for simple, global-inspired dishes you can make at home!

Pledge to participate by using the #GreatAmericanCookIn hashtag and share food photos on Twitter or Instagram from your own one-week challenge. Check out Chef Catherine’s How to Cook In for One Week for more tips and tricks!

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7823451-conagra-foods-greatamericancookin-challenge/

Why aren't more people cooking? According to a recent survey,¹ 21 percent of respondents said they don't have time, and another 28 percent said they simply don't know how. In partnership with Chicago chef and television host Catherine De Orio, ConAgra's month-long "Cook In" aims to sharpen consumers' cooking skills, meal planning and overall confidence in the kitchen.

"Our hope is to give people the inspiration they need to dust off the pots and pans," says De Orio, host of an Emmy award-winning restaurant review show in Chicago. "Whether it's learning how to use one ingredient five ways or prep a week's worth of meals, cooking doesn't have to be intimidating or time-consuming."

This May, Pledge to Cook In for One Week
It's easy to get involved; pledge to participate using the #GreatAmericanCookIn hashtag, and share food photos on Twitter and Instagram during the week of cooking in. Those who pledge to cook in for one week with ConAgra's #GreatAmericanCookIn hashtag can find a variety of resources, tools and support:

Visit Forkful.com in May to get inspired with simple recipes crafted by De Orio and ConAgra's culinary team.
Follow @ConAgraFoods for tips on how to prep and plan meals ahead of time, build grocery lists and enjoy satisfying meals at home.

"My passion for cooking began at a young age and I'm thrilled for this opportunity to partner with ConAgra and to help others learn to love cooking in as much as I do," says De Orio. "I hope many will take part in the #GreatAmericanCookIn Challenge, using these everyday recipe ingredients to create simple and tasty meals in their own kitchen – for one full week."

To learn more about ConAgra's #GreatAmericanCookIn Challenge, visit Forkful.com.

About ConAgra
ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America's leading packaged food companies with recognized brands such as Marie Callender's®, Healthy Choice®, Slim Jim®, Hebrew National®, Orville Redenbacher's®, Peter Pan®, Reddi-wip®, PAM®, Snack Pack®, Banquet®, Chef Boyardee®, Egg Beaters®, Hunt's® and many other ConAgra Foods brands found in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra Foods also has a strong business-to-business presence, supplying frozen potato and sweet potato products as well as other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers. For more information, please visit us at www.ConAgraFoods.com.

About Catherine De Orio
Catherine De Orio is a well-known culinary and lifestyle expert and host of an Emmy award-winning restaurant review show in Chicago. Throughout her career, she's leveraged her passion for food and Italian heritage to inspire people in the kitchen and craft delicious, original recipes.

¹ The Kitchn, 2013

SOURCE ConAgra