April is National Grilled Cheese month and Kraft Singles is paying homage to it with a coupon offer for free cheese.

The first 1,000 people who submit their favorite grilled cheese memory at http://www.iheartgrilledcheese.com on April 16 will receive a coupon for one free pack of Kraft Singles.

“We hope to hear from consumers in terms of what their favorite grilled cheese memories are,” Basil Maglaris, Kraft spokesman, said.

Kraft is sponsoring this year’s Grilled Cheese Invitational, an annual grilled cheese cook-off competition in Los Angeles. The event, which takes place April 19, is open to the public, and will feature professional and amateur chefs battling it out to see who makes the best sandwich.

“We were just looking for a couple of exciting ways to bring excitement to Grilled Cheese Month,” Maglaris said.

During the event, Kraft will distribute grilled cheese sandwiches to the 100 participants and attendees.

Grilled cheese is the No. 2 preferred non-deli sandwich nationwide, Kraft said. While the exact origin of the grilled cheese sandwich is unknown, similar recipes appeared in Ancient Roman cookbooks. The sandwich started gaining popularity in 1920, according to NPD Group.

Online marketing supports the promotion. Edelman handles PR.

Kraft portfolio includes other popular brands, such as Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia cream cheese, Maxwell House, Nabisco cookies and Oreo. The company’s 2007 revenue exceeded $37 billion.

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