I Tried 6 Popular Hamburger Helper Flavors and This One Is Even Better Than the Original

My first encounter with Hamburger Helper happened a few hours ago. Until today, I had never purchased, prepared, or even tasted it—at least that I can remember. My dad never cared for it, so my mom never made it. But as a kid, I’d hear about it from my friends, who would often brag that they were having “the helper” for dinner that night. Because it’s always better late than never, I finally tried the hyped-up food of my childhood, and used my completely impartial palate to pick a favorite.

What Is Hamburger Helper?

Hamburger Helper was invented in the early 1970s as a response to a troubling economy that was dealing with meat shortages and the high cost of beef. The brand, then owned by Betty Crocker, developed a boxed product that promised to turn one pound of ground beef into a meal that served five. Each box came with macaroni and a dried sauce mix. To cook, simply brown the beef and combine it with water, milk, plus the box’s contents. 

It was a huge success and expanded into different flavors and noodle types. The line, currently owned by Eagle Family Foods, now consists of more than 40 products that not only use beef, but also tuna and chicken.

How I Tested

For this taste test, I only chose products from the beef line. I used the same ground beef for all the dishes and cooked them following package directions. My biggest criteria for testing was flavor, followed by texture and appearance. Here’s how they ranked.

The Best Flavors of Hamburger Helper, Ranked

6. Deluxe Cheeseburger Macaroni

With a name like “Deluxe Cheeseburger,” you’d expect a big cheesy, beefy flavor. Sadly, all I tasted was salt. It wasn’t all that great to look at either and the noodles ended up soft and indiscernible, even though I cooked them following the package recommendations. I’m not sure I’d buy this one again.

5. Beef Pasta

This is the “classic” or OG flavor of Hamburger Helper. Unfortunately, it too was overly salty. It tasted more like creamy beef broth with some soft noodles and ground beef mixed in. I wanted more flavor, more spice... more anything. It was underwhelming and not worth the $3.29 I spent on it.

4. Bacon Cheeseburger

This box fared a bit better than the Deluxe Cheeseburger only because of bacon. After perusing the ingredient list, I saw that there wasn’t any actual bacon added, only bacon fat. There’s an option on the package to use bacon in place of ground beef, but to keep things fair, I stuck with the ground beef. While I appreciated the additional bacon flavor, it tasted a bit like the processed bacon bits you buy for salad, but without the actual bits. Maybe next time, to improve flavor and add some texture, I’d consider adding a few slices of cooked bacon along with the ground beef.

3. Stroganoff

Stroganoff is not typically a beautiful-looking food and the Hamburger Helper version wasn’t much to look at either. However, it did give off “stroganoff-vibes” with its creamy appearance. Like the others on the list, it was salty and, although creamier than others, it lacked the tanginess and herbal flavor common with stroganoff. This fell under the “OK” category, and could possibly be improved with a finishing touch of sour cream and some dried or fresh dill. 

2. Chili Macaroni

I love spicy food, and this version brought some much-appreciated heat. It’s simple and one-note, but it was better than many of the other boxes I sampled. Macaroni is the traditional noodle choice, but a more textured pasta would work better for holding onto the sauce. If I buy this one again, I’ll absolutely add some diced tomatoes and chiles along with some additional cayenne pepper and a can of kidney beans to really up the chili vibes.

1. Cheesy Italian Shells

The Cheesy Italian Shells had what all of the others didn't—flavor! The addition of dried herbs was exactly what this and all of the other boxes needed. I liked the use of shells instead of macaroni or other flat noodles, because they provided more nooks and crannies for holding sauce. While ranked as the best of the bunch, a few modifications would make it even better. For example, adding a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and a bag of baby spinach would be a delicious way to extend the dish even further while adding color and texture. I’d even consider adding a can of chickpeas or a dollop of pesto!