Pillsbury Bake-Off Puts Premium on Fast, Easy

ST. PAUL (AP) - The operators of the Pillsbury Bake-Off are shaking up their contest this year, requiring entrants to come up with simpler and faster dishes.

Pillsbury will reject any recipe that requires more than seven ingredients or takes longer than 30 minutes to prepare (not counting baking time).

Contest manager Shera Balgobin says the reason is simple: Pillsbury's core customers are busy moms who want quick and easy dishes, not elaborate creations. She says the most popular recipes on the company's website are the easy ones.

The Bake-Off was created in 1949 by Minneapolis-based Pillsbury, which is now a division of General Mills Inc. The grand prize winner gets $1 million.