Sep. 23, 2009 (PR Newswire) -- ORRVILLE, Ohio, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- How much creative meal potential resides in your pantry? When you think outside the box and make delicious new dishes using pantry staples such as pancake mix, instant potatoes, peanut butter, syrup, or cornmeal as ingredients, at-home chefs can open up a world of possibilities, beat meal-time monotony, waste less and save money. Starting today, the makers of Hungry Jack(R) and Food Network chef Adam Gertler encourage consumers to think outside the box with their pantry staples in the first-ever Hungry Jack Use Up the Box Recipe and Essay Contest.

Nearly eight in ten Americans (77%) throw away pantry items they fail to use up, according to a recent survey conducted by Kelton Research on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Company. With forty-seven percent of respondents reporting that they generally make the same meals on a weekly basis, and one in three (31%) never use a food product outside of its intended use, it is time to put the contents of your pantry to work.

Between September 23 and November 9, 2009, home cooks across the country are invited to craft and submit an original recipe using Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes, Pancake Mix or Syrup as ingredients and write an essay describing how the recipe was created and inspired by pantry items at www.useupthebox.com or via regular mail. An online vote will help determine one Grand Prize Winner in each of the three categories - Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes, Pancake Mix and Syrup - and winners will each receive a year's worth of groceries.

It's not surprising that six in ten (60%) Americans look for either ease or cost savings when preparing meals, and it is simple and budget friendly to look in the pantry for inspiration. Chef Adam Gertler, star of Will Work For Food on The Food Network, looks to his pantry for creative recipe thought starters just waiting to be mixed, blended or whipped into a new, delicious meal. Adam created five mouth-watering dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, each using pantry staples like Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes, Pancake Mix, and Syrup. Adam's recipes as well as his helpful pantry-maximizing tips can be found at www.useupthebox.com.

"Hungry Jack products are high quality, taste great and are versatile, offering countless ways to use up the box by creating sweet or savory dishes and stretching meal dollars," said Chef Gertler. "Have fun challenging yourself to come up with unique recipes using Hungry Jack products and whatever else you have kicking around the pantry.