Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Group photo courtesy of Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons

Last week I flew to Minneapolis to visit the Pillsbury Test Kitchens in the General Mills offices. I’ve worked with General Mills several times over the last few years, including the crafts I currently make for their Kix Cereal brand, so it was great to finally visit and put some faces with names. There were 9 of us all together, including these wonderful bloggers from Crazy for Crust, Oh Sweet Basil, Busy Mommy, From the Kitchen of Mama Harris, Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons, Rachel Ferrucci & Sensibly Sara.

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Pillsbury’s Food Editor, Madison Mayberry, talked about Pillsbury and their vision, how recipes are tested and retested and how products are developed. One of Pillsbury’s main focuses is to help families spend less time in the kitchen, and more time together.

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

We were given a tour of the building and taken through the test kitchen’s commissary where those testing recipes can come and “shop” for whatever ingredients they need.

prop closet 8

prop closet 7

prop closet 6

prop closet 5

prop closet 4

prop closet 3

prop closet 2

prop closet 1

The prop room was probably the most fun for a group of food bloggers. Shelves, shelves and more shelves packed with cloth napkins, placemats, chargers, plates, bowls, ramekins, pots, pans, casserole dishes, cutting boards, glasses, cups and more! All these props are of course used in food styling and photographing their recipes.

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Before lunch we donned our aprons and headed to the test kitchen where we were charged with creating our own recipe using one of the Pillsbury doughs and only 4 other ingredients.

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

We were split into groups of 2 and 3 and set free to get our creative juices flowing. I was paired up with my friend, Carrian, from Oh Sweet Basil. Carrian and I originally met at Evo in Park City, Utah, a great conference that sadly no longer takes place.

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Bloggers were busy at work making their recipes…

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

it was actually rather fun and the light in the test kitchen was amazing. The windows were three stories high!

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Each group of bloggers had a chance to talk about their dish, what ingredients they used and what type of Pillsbury dough.

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens @amandaformaro

Overall it was a lot of fun and great to be working in the kitchen! Thanks for bringing us in General Mills and letting us have a look at your operation.

If you would like to see what Carrian and I made, head over to get the recipe for Chicken Enchilada Empanadas on Amanda’s Cookin’!

7 Responses to Visit to the Pillsbury Test Kitchens

  1. How fun!! I love all of the photos! That prop room! OMG I want it, no.. I NEED IT!

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  4. Dave says:

    Are the tours available to the general public?

  5. Vincent Cochran says:

    How do I get in a class thats#1,#2if I have a business that requires a kitchen to refurbish and sanitize do you have that option

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