April 10, 2017
General Mills Foodservice has sales team members located all over the country. A main focus for them is to truly do their best to understand their operators so that they can provide the best possible service. Our sales team seems to particularly enjoy that aspect of their job when it comes to School Foodservice. I know they embrace opportunities to get involved with K12 operator trainings and tastings - I know because they often share details with me.
It is such a good learning experience for me to pick up ideas from sales people in different regions. One idea I just loved was from Michelle in Southern California. She prepared Carnita’s Tortas with our Panini using refried beans, carnitas (pulled pork or chicken) and cheese for a recent site manager’s meeting. I wanted to be able to share that as an example of authentic regional cuisine using our new Pillsbury Breads and was talking with Emily, also in Southern California, about what to serve with this cool new torta. Emily mentioned a powdered chili lime seasoning that is great with cucumber and jicama slices – really all sorts of fruits and vegetables. I’d never tried it before and thanks to the miracle of internet shopping, I am now able to obsessively sprinkle it on apple slices!
Not long after hearing about the torta idea, Jennifer, in Indiana, called me to brainstorm on some Mexican themed ideas. Of course I had to share what I’d learned from our SoCal friends and then she shared her idea for a Fiesta Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Grilled Chicken Breast on a Ciabatta with pepper jack cheese, salsa and maybe some guacamole). Then I started thinking it would be fun to serve Panini “nachos” (triangles dusted with chili powder and a sprinkle of grated cheddar and baked until crisp) with a black bean burrito bowl.
These are just a few ideas that would be fun to serve for Cinco De Mayo. I’m betting that school operators will come up with even more festive ways to serve Pillsbury Breads for this holiday.
Boost your social and share your festive ideas: tag us in your photos on social media, using @pillsbury #pillsburybreads #generalmills. If we repost any images, we will give credit to the appropriate school/school district.