The categories for the 49th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest are Cozy Weekend Breakfasts, Appetizers for Any Party, Winning Weeknight Dinners, and Sweet + Simple Desserts. Recipe and story entries will be accepted through Wednesday, September 12 at 11:59 a.m. CST.
“The Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest was created as a way to celebrate home cooks across America, and discover delicious recipes, many of which stem from great family memories and time spent together in the kitchen,” says Cassi Dermody, Marketing Communications Manager for Pillsbury. “Asking contestants to share their inspiration along with their recipe brought a new dimension to judging last year's Contest as they made the recipes more meaningful. We are looking forward to reading and getting inspired by the memories shared as part of this year's Contest.”
In the 48th edition of the Bake-Off Contest, Pillsbury awarded the grand prize to Amy Nelson of Zionville, North Carolina for her Bejeweled Cranberry-Orange Rolls and her inspiration behind the recipe. She was chosen over thousands of talented home cooks after months of testing. Her recipe was inspired by her mother, with whom she would cook with when she was young.
“I am so excited to partner with Pillsbury to announce that the 49th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest is officially open. My advice to this year's entrants is to just go for it,” says Nelson. “Everyone has great stories and memories to share around food and because the Bake-Off Contest highlights simplicity, it encourages cooks and bakers of all abilities to enter. Just developing my entry last year was a rewarding experience because it gave me a chance to share special food memories and make new ones with my friends and family in the kitchen.”
The grand prize winner of the Bake-Off Contest will receive $50,000 in cash, a kitchen suite from GE Appliances, a trip to New York City during December 2018 or January 2019 to appear on the Food Network show The Kitchen, and a feature in a 2019 edition of Food Network Magazine. Each category winner will also be featured in Food Network Magazine, as well as receive a kitchen suite of GE Appliances, and $5,000 in cash.