PepsiCo Kicks Off "Game Day Grub Match: Athlete Face-Off" Challenging Football Stars To Cook Up Winning Game Day Dishes

The athletes were challenged to prepare game day dishes using PepsiCo food and beverage products as ingredients – from Doritos to Tropicana, Sabra hummus to Naked Juice, Tostitos to Quaker Oats. The three-episode competition, which was designed and brought to life by PepsiCo in collaboration with Vox Media, owner of SB Nation and Eater, and their in-house content studio, Vox Creative, can be viewed at www.GameDayGrubMatch.com, starting today.

Game Day Grub Match was hosted by Kay Adams of NFL Network's Good Morning Football and the cook-off was judged by an all-star tasting panel comprised of Celebrity Chefs Anne Burrell and Josh Capon, as well as PepsiCo Executive Chef Stephen Kalil.

The winning athlete's dish will be featured on the Buffalo Wild Wings menu at Mall of America in Minneapolis during Super Bowl LII weekend. The athletes each incorporated a Buffalo Wild Wings sauce into a wing challenge featured in the final episode. PepsiCo will also provide a $25,000 donation to Taste of the NFL's Kick Hunger Challenge to benefit a local food bank in the city of the winning athlete's choice. As part of the program, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation are once again sponsoring Taste of the NFL's "Party with a Purpose," a charity event that raises money and awareness for the fight against hunger.

One lucky fan will also have a chance to be part of the action. Through January 15, consumers are encouraged to visit www.GameDayGrubMatch.com and enter a 60-second video about why they deserve to be the PepsiCo Super Bowl LII Social Correspondent and win a trip for two to Minneapolis for the big game. The winner will post about their on-the-ground experiences during Super Bowl weekend on SB Nation's social handles.

"PepsiCo's snacks and beverages have been staples of Super Bowl parties for decades and Game Day Grub Match takes it to the next level, bringing the worlds of food and football together in a really fun way," said Chef Kalil. "The athletes brought their A-game to this competition and I was really impressed at what they cooked up – especially under the pressure of a time clock and heckling judges like me!"

The Contestants… and their Dishes

The contestants competed in three challenges, each chronicled in one of the Game Day Grub Match episodes:

• Episode One: Hometown Challenge
• Greg Jennings: Sweet and Tangy Brat Sandwiches with Lay's Kettle Cooked Jalapeno Potato Chips
• Nick Mangold: Crunchy Fritos-Chorizo Bacon Chili
• Rashad Jennings: Bison Juicy Lucy made with Quaker Oats and Tostitos Queso

• Episode Two: 2-Minute Challenge
• Greg Jennings: Sabra Spinach Veggie Wrap with Guacamole
• Nick Mangold: One-Bite Doritos Nachos
• Rashad Jennings: Seven-Layer Tostitos Nachos

• Episode Three: Wings Challenge
• Greg Jennings: Pure Leaf Sweet Tea Wings with Bourbon Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
• Nick Mangold: Cool Ranch Doritos-Crusted Wings with Buffalo Sauce and Sabra Ranch Tzatziki Dip
• Rashad Jennings: Naked Mango Wings with a Mango Habanero Sauce

Spoiler alert – the winner was Nick Mangold! His Cool Ranch Doritos-Crusted Wings with Buffalo Sauce and Sabra Ranch Tzatziki Dip will be featured on the Buffalo Wild Wings menu at Mall of America during Super Bowl LII weekend. His recipe and others can be found on www.pepsico.com/recipe. Mangold has also decided to direct the $25,000 donation to a New York City food bank, through PepsiCo's partnership with Taste of the NFL.

"Great food, great football. It doesn't get any better than that – especially when you win!" said Mangold. "I'm thrilled my skills in the kitchen also allowed me to support the fight against hunger and help feed those in my local community."

For more information, visit www.GameDayGrubMatch.com.

PepsiCo's Game Day Grub Match partnership with Vox Media was developed by Omnicom Media Group's Content Collective and PepsiCo's media agency OMD.

About PepsiCo       
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated approximately $63 billion in net revenue in 2016, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world is what enable PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation works with non-profit partners to develop innovative, sustainable solutions that address challenges in underserved communities around the world. The Foundation, along with PepsiCo and its employees, seeks to catalyze efforts that advance our Performance with Purpose 2025 goals.

For more information, please visit: www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Global-Citizenship.

About Kick Hunger Challenge
The Kick Hunger Challenge is an online-only fundraising campaign spearheaded by Taste of the NFL. This friendly "competition" pits fans from all 32 NFL teams against each other to raise money for food banks in NFL communities nationwide. Throughout the 2017-18 football season, fans will have the opportunity to support one of the 32 NFL teams and directly impact the donation of thousands of meals to food banks in their team's community. Learn more about the Kick Hunger Challenge at www.kickhungerchallenge.com.

SOURCE PepsiCo