Sargento and Chef Tiffany Collins Celebrate National Panini Month

PLYMOUTH, Wis., Aug. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sargento Foods Inc. has teamed up with chef and cookbook author Tiffany Collins to reinvent the classic panino during the third annual National Panini Month. Too often, sandwiches are seen as a lackluster meal option. Throughout the month of August, Sargento and Chef Collins encourage food lovers to put a twist on their typical sandwich routines with recipes inspired by quality cheese.

Chef Collins created exclusive recipes, such as Open Faced Eggs Benedict Panini and Island Pineapple Chicken Panini, that pair seasonal ingredients with natural cheese to jazz up the traditional grilled sandwich.  Sargento and Collins invite home cooks to challenge their culinary skills and experiment with flavorful ingredients to expand their panino palate.  

"Panini offer many mouth-watering possibilities with zesty sauces, premium natural ingredients and unique flavor combinations. And they're relatively simple to make, considering how delicious they are," Tiffany Collins, author of "200 Best Panini Recipes" said.  "For a quality, homemade panino, it's best to start with a natural cheese, like Sargento sliced natural cheese, that brings real flavor to your sandwich."

Sargento Deli Style Sliced Cheeses are sliced from 100 percent natural, never-processed cheese and are available in many varieties, including Sharp Cheddar, Baby Swiss and the new Natural Blends Cheddar-Mozzarella.

To celebrate National Panini Month, Collins will judge a panino-making competition at The Culinary Institute of America, hosted by Sargento.  Teams of student cooks will compete before a panel of top judges and their peers to create the best original panino featuring Sargento cheese. The competition will take place at the CIA's Hyde Park campus during its Welcome Back weekend on August 13.

"A panino is a perfect way to make any meal special or celebrate any occasion, from elegant brunches to casual parties. It's easy to cook and even allows your guests to customize their meals with flavors suited to their individual palates," Collins said.  

To view Collins' recipes, receive more information on Sargento cheeses, and locate a store near you that carries the product, visit www.sargento.com or https://www.facebook.com/SargentoCheese.

About Sargento Foods Inc.

Sargento Foods Inc. has demonstrated its passion for cheese and cheese-based meal solutions throughout its history. Founded in 1953 in Plymouth, Wis., Sargento is a leading manufacturer, packager and marketer of natural shredded, sliced and snack cheeses, cheese appetizers, ingredients, sauces and other culinary solutions. Sargento is owned and operated by the Gentine family, and has net sales of more than $900 million. For more information, please visit www.sargento.com.

For More Information:

Christie Dooley
GolinHarris
312-729-4055
[email protected]

SOURCE Sargento Foods Inc. from Plymouth, Wis.