I Ranked 15 Popular Hamburger Helper Flavors and the Winner Is the One My College-Age Kid Requests When He Comes Home

Hamburger Helper Flavors Ranked

Some might think us food bloggers are cooking from scratch every night, spending all day in the kitchen to put a gourmet meal on the table. Sure, some days resemble that, but guess what? Those of us who cook for a living still rely on quick weeknight meal solutions just as much as you do.

When it comes to convenience foods, you'll never hear me judge anyone using them. We all need a little help from the store once in a while.

For years, one name synonymous with this concept has been Hamburger Helper. The shortcut supper that many of us enjoyed in our childhood is still around today helping busy people get supper on the table fast. I have been using it for more than 20 years, and our family definitely has favorite Hamburger Helper flavors.

We decided to take a deep dive into their multiple flavor choices and rank them! Here are 15 popular Hamburger Helper flavors, ranked from worst to best!

Related: 48 Best Ground Beef and Rice Recipes

What is Hamburger Helper?

Advertised as "America's Favorite One Pan Meal", Hamburger Helper was introduced by General Mills in 1971.

This boxed convenience food comes with a dehydrated carbohydrate, such as rice or pasta, and a seasoning packet. These are to be combined with water and/or milk and browned ground beef for a simple one-skillet meal.

Over the years the line has expanded to 30 different varieties, which include other proteins like Tuna Helper and Chicken Helper, along with another starch, potatoes.

Related: 28 Best One-Pan Skillet Meals

How did Hamburger Helper get its start?

In the United States in 1970, the economy was struggling and beef prices were rising when the creators decided to show how just one pound of ground beef could be stretched to feed an entire family. The product helped home cooks save time and money, which made it a huge success!

According to General Mills, about 1 million households eat Hamburger Helper for dinner each weeknight still today.

Related: 150+ All-Time Best Easy Ground Beef Recipes

What was the original flavor of Hamburger Helper?

Helper made its national debut in 1971 with five original varieties:

• Beef Noodle

• Potato Stroganoff

• Hash

• Rice Oriental

• Chili Tomato

It was an instant success, with about twenty-seven percent of American households purchasing Hamburger Helper in the first year of production.

Related: 84 Best Cast Iron Skillet Recipes

Hamburger Helper Flavors Ranked Worst To Best

Wondering which box you should reach for on your next grocery run? Here are fifteen varieties ranked to help you decide which one to add to your cart.

15. Hamburger Helper Ranch and Bacon

Most of the time I would agree that ranch and bacon make everything better, but not in this case. Combing ranch with ground beef just doesn't make sense in my head. However, the Helper experts suggest making it with one pound of cubed chicken instead and THAT sounds delicious! Especially when you add in their suggested toppings of sliced avocado and shredded pepper jack cheese.

Related: 14 Ranch Recipes For Those Who Can't Get Enough

14. Hamburger Helper Cheesy Ranch Burger

I didn't intend to include two ranch varieties at the bottom of this list, but alas, here they are. This one differs from the last in the shape of the pasta and the use of yellow cheese (I assume cheddar?). However, when reading the "Ingredients needed" I had to hit the brakes. In addition to the normal meat, water and milk this also calls for mayonnaise. Now I love mayo, but the thought of it here doesn't sound appetizing. The directions say sour cream can be swapped, and while that sounds much more appetizing, I just can't past the thought of mayonnaise flavor out of my head. 

13. Hamburger Helper Lasagna

This is one Hamburger Helper flavor most of us have had, or at least recognize from the store shelves. As one Amazon reviewer said, "For a boxed meal it's pretty good, especially when you want the flavors of lasagna without cooking for two hours." I 100% agree with that sentiment, and even give extra credit for the tiny lasagna-shaped noodles. However, the couple of times I have made this, the noodles never cooked evenly, some coming out with a little extra crunch while others were mushy. But if you're looking for lasagna flavor without the work, definitely give this one a try!

12. Hamburger Helper Stroganoff

A classic flavor most of us had as kids, this flavor tries very hard to imitate homemade beef stroganoff. A creamy sauce combined with ground beef or frozen meatballs and noodles makes the perfect comfort food. I love the suggestion of adding some mushrooms and a dollop of sour cream at the end since they are staples in my stroganoff recipe. Unfortunately, one Viewpoint.com user feels like the powers that be changed the recipe and neither the flavor nor texture are as good as they once were, mentioning that the sauce tends to separate now and doesn't thicken as well as it used to.

11. Hamburger Helper Four Cheese Lasagna

Yes, another lasagna flavor, but supposedly with a more cheese flavor. I love the meat swap suggestion right on the front of the box to use sausage instead of ground beef. Ground Italian sausage, mild or hot, could add some flavor, which according to one Walmart.com reviewer, this flavor desperately needs, while another says it is so tasty it's the only Helper flavor she will eat. Again, I think if you are looking for lasagna flavor (some say it is more of a pizza flavor), but need supper on the table in under thirty minutes, this is a great solution. Oh, and I want to try what another Walmart shopper suggested: making the recipe as is and then using it as a stuffing for baked bell peppers!

10. Hamburger Helper Potatoes Stroganoff

This OG flavor must be tasty to survive all these years, right? I won't argue with popularity and longevity, but any time a boxed food uses dehydrated potatoes, I have the worst luck with them. I can never get them tender, and yes I follow the directions! Plus, this seems more like a side dish to me, and I'm not the only one. Two users on influenster.com agree saying it wasn't filling at all and would work better as a side than a main dish. Luckily, the folks creating recipes over at Helper's website have a solution. They suggest using fully cooked, frozen meatballs in place of the hamburger, which sounds much more satisfying to me!

Related: 25 Best Crock Pot Meatball Recipes

9. Hamburger Helper Cheesy Enchilada

The first on our list to include rice as the starch, this can make Mexican night a breeze! Made with real cheese and Mexican-inspired spices, it can be enjoyed as is, or take it up a notch by adding some black beans and salsa. Serve it with warm flour tortillas and dinner is done. Online reviewers are split on this flavor. One reviewer over on Kroger's website complains this variety has no flavor and suggests adding a taco seasoning packet to help. But then another says her family loves it as a stuffed pepper filling, so I guess to each their own.

8. Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells

This Italian-inspired flavor is a quick way to make shells with sauce. This one also comes with a suggestion of swapping the ground beef for sausage, which would definitely enhance the Italian flavors. A commenter on Review Stream says this is her favorite flavor of all time and suggests adding veggies to the mix to make a more balanced meal for kids. She also states she can get four portions out of one box for her family, but I tell you from experience if you have big eaters like I do, you'll want to buy two boxes, which I do every time Hamburger Helper is on my grocery list!

7. Hamburger Helper Tomato Basil Penne

This flavor keeps the Italian-inspired theme going. You might notice the penne is smaller than you're used to, but that's pretty common in boxed meals. The smaller pasta helps it cook more quickly for the one-pan meal. Once again, the recipe gurus at Helper have ideas on how to make this one even better by stirring in fresh spinach and Parmesan right before serving. Now that sounds delicious to me! Can't find it on the store shelves? You're not alone, Amazon seems to be about the only place to buy this one nowadays. But nobody seems to mind since it gets rave reviews for its basil-forward flavor, comparing it to a really tasty spaghetti but with short-cut pasta instead.

6. Hamburger Helper Three Cheese

How did this simple variety land so high on the list? Simple. I'm a busy mom with kids who aren't picky eaters, but know so many who aren't as lucky. Meat. Cheese. Pasta. That trio screams kid-friendly to me. Plus the noodles are cut extra short, making it perfect for little hands. Switch it up by using ground turkey or chicken instead and add in some veggies too.

Vel Dogg's Kitchen on YouTube reminds us of a few important tips when he prepared the Three Cheese. Remember to drain the ground beef after browning if necessary, let your milk come to room temperature if possible before adding it, and always let Hamburger Helper sit for a few minutes to thicken up before serving. Many people complain about it being too watery, which suggests that most people are skipping that last step.

5. Hamburger Helper Crunchy Taco

Another Mexican-inspired rice variety, this one seems to be the favorite of many HH lovers—mostly because of the crunchy topping. They love adding things like Rotel, cilantro or salsa to really make it their own. This variety has also inspired many homemade copycat recipes as well because it's beloved, but sometimes hard to find. An Amazon reviewer says it's her family's favorite quick supper, the kids always eat it and as an added bonus, the leftovers taste great too. You have to love getting double duty out of one budget-friendly box.

Related: 65 Best-Ever Taco Recipes For Easy Dinner Ideas

4. Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni

I think for most of us, this is a flavor we remember from our childhood—a big plate of pasta that tasted like a juicy cheeseburger. At our house, we love to top this with shredded lettuce, diced onion and pickles and more shredded cheese to really play up the cheeseburger effect. The Helper experts also recommend swapping out the ground beef for some sliced hot dogs. Now that sounds like a kid's dream come true! A review on influenster.com also suggests adding a can of diced tomatoes or Rotel for a little heat.

3. Hamburger Helper Chili Macaroni

Who can resist a great chili mac? This retro comfort food never gets old. This Helper comes with a great spice flavor, without the heat, which is great for people like me who are scovel wimps. However, an Amazon reviewer suggests adding some Tabasco and/or chopped jalapeñoes if you're looking for more heat. If you are looking for a meat-free meal, the ground beef can be swapped out for black or pinto beans or plant-based ground meat.

2. Hamburger Helper Bacon Cheeseburger

If the cheeseburger variety is a huge favorite among the masses, how could it possibly get better? Add bacon of course! However, Amazon users say the bacon flavor tastes very processed, similar to that of bacon bits. Maybe adding some chopped crispy bacon would help that. Either way, this one continues to be a favorite in our house and many others too.

1. Hamburger Helper Deluxe Philly Cheesesteak

When it was time to rank all of these Hamburger Helper flavors, I immediately knew which one would sit at the top of the list. Why? This one is near and dear to my heart. When my college freshman came home for spring break last month and gave me his list of requested meals, this was one. He was craving mom's home cooking, but also some things from when he was growing up. This creamy pasta tastes super close to the sandwich we all love. I made it as is, but next time I'm going to add some sauteed onions and green peppers too.

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