Hamburger Helper is a packaged food product manufactured by Eagle Foods. As boxed, it consists of a dried carbohydrate (often pasta or rice), with powdered seasonings contained in a packet. The consumer is meant to combine the contents of the box with brownedground beef ("hamburger"), water, and, with some varieties, milk to create a complete one-dish meal.
There are also variations of the product designed for other meats, such as "Tuna Helper" and "Chicken Helper". Some of these feature other starches, such as potatoes.
History
The packaged pasta brand "Hamburger Helper" was introduced by General Mills in 1971[1][2][3] in response to a meat shortage and rising meat prices.[4] In 2005, Food Network rated it third on its list of "Top Five Fad Foods of 1970". In 2013, the company shortened the brand's name to just "Helper".[5]
The Hamburger Helper mascot is "the Helping Hand" or "Lefty"—a four-fingered, left-hand white glove with a face on the palm and a red spherical nose. It often appears in the product's television commercials and on packages.[2][3][6]
In May 2022, General Mills announced an agreement to sell the brand to Eagle Foods for approximately $610 million.[7] On July 5, 2022 the sale was completed.[8]
Hamburger varieties
Prepared Hamburger Helper with ground beef
The basic (and most popular) version of Hamburger Helper is a box of dried pasta with seasoning that is designed to be cooked with ground beef. Hamburger Helper offers a variety of flavors, including lasagna, cheddar cheese melt, various types of stroganoff, spaghetti, and others.
Other varieties
A cream sauce with pasta designed for tuna
There are also variations designed for other meats: "Tuna Helper" and "Chicken Helper".
Tuna Helper became successful as the second variety to appear on the market, in 1972.[2]
Fruit Helper was introduced in 1973. These were dessert products made with canned or fresh fruit. The Fruit Helper line has since been discontinued.[9]
Chicken Helper was introduced in 1984 in response to the wide availability of inexpensive boneless and skinless chicken breasts.[2]
Asian Helper is a selection of four main Asian-American-style dishes, three made with chicken and one with beef.[10] With the acquisition of the brand by Eagle Foods, the line has been discontinued.[citation needed]
Whole Grain Helper options include Lemon & Herb Chicken, Honey Mustard Chicken, Cheeseburger Mac, and Beef Stroganoff flavors made with whole-wheat pasta.[11] The line has also been discontinued.
Pork Helper was introduced in 2003. Varieties included pork fried rice and pork chops with stuffing. The product was discontinued shortly after its introduction.[12]
Hamburger Helper Bold was introduced at some point.[when?] It was a spicier version of Hamburger Helper.
Helper Mac n Cheese was a microwavable mac and cheese dish, with flavors such as pizza.
Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles were introduced in 2006. This product requires water and brief cooking in the microwave to produce a single serving portion of some of the most popular flavors. Chicken Helper flavors were added in 2007 despite the brand being discontinued shortly thereafter. It returned in 2024, as Hamburger Helper Microwavable. The 2024 re-release is made with dehydrated beef and comes in 4 flavors: Beef Pasta, Cheeseburger Macaroni, Chili Macaroni and Tomato Basil Macaroni.
In popular culture
A 1977 book collecting material from the satirical TV show Saturday Night Live contained an unproduced sketch called "Placenta Helper," an ad for a product which "lets you stretch your placenta into a tasty casserole." The sketch was written by Tom Davis and future United States Senator Al Franken.[13]
The animated television seriesFamily Guy featured Lefty the mascot in one of their famous "cutaway gags" from the 2009 episode "Business Guy". The gag involved Lefty, who appears with his neurologically impaired brother, who takes the form of a right-handed glove, representing the non-existent brand "Cheeseburger Helper".[15]
On April 1, 2016, General Mills commissioned an EP as an April Fools' Day prank, titled Watch the Stove. According to a press release, the EP was produced for General Mills by a team at St. Paul, Minnesota's McNally Smith College of Music.[16] The EP's title is a parody of the Jay-Z and Kanye West collaborative album Watch the Throne. It contains five songs, all of which are about Hamburger Helper. It instantly achieved a viral status, played over four million times on SoundCloud in less than three days, with many listeners finding value in the brand's promotion of younger artists.[17]
It is mentioned in "Young Sheldon" Season 6, episode 21, 'A Romantic Getaway and a Germanic meat-based Diet,' which aired on May 18, 2023. Georgie is cooking with his baby CeeCee in his arms and tells Mandy that she is his "little Hamburger Helper helper."
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