This was a weekly staple at my house growing up. My mom, bless her ❤️ worked all day and came home to 3 starving boys. She worked some magic on that stuff and if was delicious ...to this day it still has a fond place in my heart. Love you Mom!
My dad lost his job when I was 12 and for a while, my mom had to make ends meet until he went back to work. Hamburger Helper fed us all twice a week and I loved it. My mom is still amazed I love it because she associates it with such a dark time.
I grew up on hamburger helper. I don't eat it now since I've learned how to cook but I wouldn't turn my nose up to it. Same with the cheap packs of instant ramen and fried baloney sandwiches 😁
@@Wisdom-gc -- I love SPAM, still. It is amazing to me the quantity of folks who have never had it. It is also surprising how important it is to Hawaiian cuisine. I have rarely had mackerel. Salmon though? I've eaten tons of salmon croquettes, though my Mom puts way too many green onions in the batter when she makes them. Still good, but she seems to be on a mission to give me more onions than fish -- and never noticed I really don't like that. She does the same thing with tuna salad sandwiches -- check full of green onions, again they taste OK, I just have an allergic reaction to raw onions. One I didn't recognize until adulthood, upon getting hamburgers after church with my aunt, who ordered them made her way, with a huge cross-sectional slab of onion on every one. At first I thought it was the mustard, but the problem went away when I insisted upon ordering mine sans onions. My aunt was pissed, but my face and jaws didn't hurt when we got home.
Don't knock it. On Social Security, sometimes just short of being homeless, I have survived on "Hamburger Helper," and the cheapest ground beef I could get. In fact, I even used a generic off-brand of the stuff! Once in a while I'd add more cheese, or some spices, but it is what it is... glop to fill you up. Knowing Sam, I'd expect a Wagyu Beef version with imported real Cheddar and Italian noodles.
When family first come from China, I would cook 1/4 pound of ground meat and add 4 cup of rice to the hamburger helper. Add one small onion, and three mushroom. This feed family of me, Ba and Ma for two feedings^^
I agree.... Sam's somewhat out the poor people loop of society. 😆 But he is very entertaining I must say. I'd luv to try some of his food ideas ... When I can afford it. But from here? They look amazing
Lol I'm poor so we used to at least once a week when I was a kid. We would always add different seasonings to give it a bit more flavor and my mom would get a nice sear on the meat so it wasn't bad.
Oh! The STRUGGLE! And it was DINNER all the same! So I still eat it and all the foods that the various flavors were based on, from enchiladas to lasagna. GOOD STUFF!
Hell yes. Buy HH when it's on stupid sale, 15 - 20 at a time. Buy the ground beef in the tube when it's on big sale, get a couple. Divide the beef into 5 sandwich bags before you freeze it. Dinner's ready in 30 minutes or so and it doesn't break the bank.
@@irel1973 i actually prefered the flavor sometimes to my homemade version (tried making potatoes stroganoff and while ok, hamburger helper tasted better (could be i had less salt, and i was trying to reduce carbs so i had a different potato, it worked but was not that salty carby processed food i remember
That was back when SPAM was a cheap, poor person's food, and my family fried it; usually for SPAM sandwiches on toast with mayo and cheddar. It was good AF. Have you seen what they charge for it now? Apparently in the 70's it was crap, but in 2021 it seems SPAM has become a "gourmet" treat. (F-ing Yuppies)
@@zoomin131 If you where on welfare or WIC back in the day. The gov't used to send a giant block of crappy cheese to your home along with milk and bread. My mom would make mac and cheese with it and some how she got it to taste good.
I wasn't so sure about this recipe at first but once I tried it, it was a wrap! My family loved them too. These are bomb ASF! 💜 Thanks for the extra weight (I didn't need) & another Amazing recipe!
hamburger helper is so boss, because you can do what you want with it when it comes to seasoning and other applications, it is actually quite versatile! You can never knock hamburger helper :)
We got really high at a party back in high school and made some out of deer sausage we found in the fridge of whoever's house it was. It was the best Hamburger Helper I've ever had in my life! I heard later that the kid's dad wasn't too happy about it though. lol
At 62 I grew up with hamburger helper, and I still eat it today. I doctor it up a little bit but find it very easy to make for a single person. I don’t knock food, because I’m grateful to have it.
40 yrs ago the wife and I were raising five kids. I was a sous chef ,the wife was a waitress food wasn’t a priority and on the dinner menu was HH . It’s was all we could afford. So I appreciated HH and yes I always sexy it up.
"Helper" was a part of my childhood. Cost effective and filling when feeding 3 growing boys. Came back during my college years, but I learned about spices.
So many people seem amazed that you can add to boxed meals. It's okay if you can't afford amazing ingredients. Just dress up the cheap stuff a bit and you're already eating better than half of America.
I was a single working mom and Hamburger Helper, well, what can I say-my kid’s favorite cheeseburger Mac. I even did tuna helper on Friday!! Thank you Sam, now I’m going to make this for my husband and grandkids! Looks amazing 😃😃
Honestly I love hamburger helper. I had it maybe once every other week growing up. Not sure if my mom spiced it up at all, but the vast majority of boxes were tasty to me.
I'm blown away that this is still on the store shelves. Scary! In the '70s it was less expensive to use a can of cream of whatever, a bag of noodles, an onion, and ground beef (or a can of tuna) to feed a family of 6. If we had extra money, mushrooms, tomatoes, a bag of frozen veggies, sliced olives, and cheese were added along with a can of fried onions as a topping. My mom was a genius when it came to sprucing up a basic recipe. Wonderful memories of simple family meals @ the dining table with the radio or tv turned off...thanks Sam!
We were so poor that getting a box of Hamburger Helper seemed like a luxury to me as a kid. Then, I just had to wait on some ground beef in order to make it so be happy your parents had enough income where you never had to eat it and see it as a treat. That said, as a 42 yo former chef, I still love my own homemade Hamburger helper/cheesy chili mac which is obviously much better. I'm not grinding shortrib from scratch but everything else is. I make it once or twice a year and it always satisfies me and takes me back to my childhood and makes me think on how far I've come.
When you grow up in a household with 7 people, and your parents can't afford to buy separate ingredients to make home cooked meals every night, Hamburger Helper and bread become your saving grace. So many nights where my family would've went hungry were saved by that little box. Does it taste great? To me, it does. But then again, I'm used to the flavors (and they are definitely there).
You bet. I'm an old guy on limited income, and that box plus a pound of the cheapest hamburger have gotten me through some tough spots. Sometimes Sam is a tad bit arrogant.
Ain’t NO shame in eating nor in providing for a family. 🙋🏻♂️☝🏻 I say this as a white teacher 👨🏻🏫 who teaches at a Title 1 high school. Do what you got to do; feed whom you got to feed. We’re Americans. 💪🏻 🇺🇸 We can do this together.
I feel like you guys are coming at a guy for being able to feed his family good quality foods and having the time to cook from scratch. Sure your parents may have been poor or tired or whatever situation but hes just showing recipes within his money and cooking limits that he enjoys and I think its great thing that he has the resources to do that. Hes not being snobby saying hamburger helper isn't that good. Its not that good. He is just trying to upgrade it with technique and better ingredients. Ya'll can do whatever you need to do, hes not shitting on that, but why are you bothered that his kids have it better? His kids have it better in the cooking department than I could have dreamed of as a kid, and that makes me really happy for them, they get to learn to cook with their dad and eat well and there is nothing wrong with that. Complaining that it was all you had to eat at one point or another really just doesn't have much to do with this video. I agree that access to better food is an unequal playing field, but shading him for having access does nothing to help people who aren't as lucky. And if you think about yourself for a minute, you have probably yucked something that was important to someone else before, without meaning too and not because you're arrogant, but because you are a human. HE IS NOT COOKING THIS STUFF TO OFFEND YOU I PROMISE
As kids we we thrilled when Hamburger Helper appeared in my mother’s kitchen. There was a good shot it would be edible, as opposed to most of her food. 😂
I still make Hamburger Helper every once in a while. The thing is, you can't just make it the way the box says and be done. You need to take those few extra steps to make it better. A diced onion, a can of tomatoes, some chopped up peppers, mushrooms, garlic, cheese, whatever you think it needs. It *can* be good if you put in the effort to make it better. Example: Hamburger Helper Tomato Basil Penne. On its own? Pretty bland. But to start, form your pound of beef into a big patty and get good color on both sides before breaking it up, gives it more flavor. Add a chopped up medium red or yellow onion to the beef to soften it up as well as a clove or two of minced garlic. When it gets to the point where you need to add the hot water, add a can of diced tomatoes (or dice a few plum tomatoes yourself) as well as a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Add the hot water and cook according to the direction (it says 12 minutes, I usually cook for 11, stirring every 3 minutes). During the last stir, I like to mix in frozen chopped spinach. Once it's done, top with some parmesan/mozzarella cheese and fresh chopped basil and oregano.
In my late 50’s and my mom didn’t have much money or time to cook so yes she made hamburger helper many times. I still make a homemade version (which is much better) on those nights I don’t have much time to cook. I’m excited to try something with the leftover since I usually end up throwing them away!
I had to pause this so I could go make food. He always makes me so hungry when I watch these videos. He is over there making helper tacos. I'm I've here with my bacon cheese crisp. I need to start watching these after I've eaten.
My mother worked so I'd come home after school, do chores then cook dinner. We had all the helpers. Hamburger, tuna etc. LOL It was something someone who didn't really know how to cook could whip up with a salad for dinner to help my mother out. not great food but better than a tired mom coming home and needing to fix dinner. I always added stuff to any of them. Mushrooms or frozen peas, always a fresh onion. Extra spices. Cut my teeth on cooking with those little gems. Learned much from my fails on it too.
Had this a bunch growing up, my wife and I fed it to our kids when we were young and just starting out. We would doctor it up with extra seasoning and some onions, the final touch, as this was cheeseburger hamburger helper, was to add some ketchup on top after serving.
One of the first meals I cooked for my kids when I separated from my wife , I didn't have large skillet, had to run back to store and get another pan , it was disgusting and the kids gobbled it up... they were young 8 and 3 ... later they did tell me it wasn't good ... I have become a better cook since then , thank you you tube , pinterest , and Campbell's cook books ...
My wife and I ate the hell out of this shit when we were first married! It was because we were broke AF and starving. Also ate a shit ton of Ditty Moore Beef Stew! We survived but please don't ever make me go back there!
About two weeks ago, I decided to try Dinty Moore Beef Stew again, it's been many years since I've had it. I was totally shocked, it was actually quite good!
I've been cooking and BBQ a long time . I absolutely love cooking and creating new recipes. I just wanted to say I love your Videos, you inspire me even more I want to thank you for that. So thank you .
No word of a lie, my wife told me “we’re having Hamburger Helper for dinner tonight but if you want something better, go for it.” So I turned straight to Sam The Cooking Guy and this video had dropped literally 5 minutes earlier!! I’m pretty sure the universe wants us to have Samburger Helper Tacos for dinner.
Made this last night used velvetta cheese cavatappi pasta and sliced cherry tomatoes instead of the box. Didn't have Chipotle peppers for broth so used dried chocolate bhutlahs and Chipotle hot sauce instead. Came out awesome. Genius recipe Sam keep em coming
Growing up in a house hold with very limited resources, Hamburger Helper was often on the menu. However, we had to use ground turkey or chicken we got in a frozen tube. I can still taste the cardboard paste that was my childhood.
I'm convinced anything over 85 degrees that goes in Sam's mouth elicits a freak out hot moment! Love the videos and the recipe ideas! You must go through an insane amount of paper towel rolls per week.
I have a house of 8 sometimes 10 and hamburger helper is a cheep way to feed us all on fixed budget but I always fix it up way better. These are our next step for sure. Thanks for all your hard work Sam.
My wife loves bland food and used to love it when I made HH. Since I've been watching your show and cooking better things, I think she's coming around. Only took 20+ years of marriage.
We had Hamburger Helper as kids growing up in the 60's & 70's a few times. It was a cheap meal and a time saving convenience for my Mom. But it took at least 3 boxes to feed 9 kids. 😆 It was okay, but I knew it could be better. We used to "doctor" the Hamburger Helper with sautéed veggies and more cheese. My dad was really the chef in our family. I learned to cook from scratch watching him. It's the only way for me. When I had kids (5) of my own, I made my own version of Hamburger Helper, but I used ground turkey or chicken. Now we are empty nesters. But I'm glad I saw this video. I'm inspired to make this for dinner tonight... it's been awhile. 😋
True story: someone who fixed Helper for me once thought she could sub almond milk for the regular milk... unfortunately she used vanilla almond milk so it came out like someone melted some Häagen-Dazs into a plate of mac and cheese...
I made that mistake once but with plain Kraft Mac n cheese. It was so weird, and took me longer than I’d like to admit to figure out what the problem was.
On days where my dad didn't really wanna make something for dinner(my mom doesn't cook) we would have some version of a helper usually hamburger or tuna and some bread with butter and pb. I'm thankful i learned how to cook early on in life and its something i genuinely enjoy because food is better when you actually make it yourself.
"And what's more important at mealtimes? Taste, or getting some crap on the table." I realize he was joking, but as someone who knew actual starvation (As in not eating for days at a time as a child) it still ticks me off when people joke about food. The important thing is getting safe food in your belly that you can keep there. Anything past that is great, but not necessary.
@@darylc2799 The hell does youtube have to do with starvation? Or are you going to say if some kid has a phone/computer/console they have food money? Because if you think that you have a lot to learn about how stupid parents can be.
@@darylc2799 you think poor kids don't come across youtube? at a friends/family member's house? or even at school? it's not even about being offensive it's about being mindful of each other and considerate. People who have a lot/enough tend to not even think of those who have little. Like your point in saying they wouldn't be on youtube. It happens.
Had it when I was a college student in 1975. Came form India, so in the second batch, I spiced it up with green chillies, cumin, cardamom. Did not have fresh cilantro back then on the Ann Arbor campus.
Whilst we didn't have Hamburger Helper in the UK, we had very similar comfort foods being in a low income house with 3 brothers and a single parent! Still go back to eat it when I want something quick and it never gets old for me.
@@DannyBokma my husband is a commercial fisherman. He’s out at sea right now catching your seafood. It was just a joke homie. He knows I will rewatch with his ass.
Hamburger helper's an easy base to start with. Add some onion or garlic, some hot peppers. Or the stroganoff one and green pepper + onion for a imitation philly. Just easy if you're tired.
@Dyanosis There is something vaguely insulting about what you said. Like parents who used boxed meals are somehow lesser than other parents. Sometimes you just don't want to come home after working a long day and have to cook dinner. Sometimes I make pasta with homemade sauce. Sometimes I use Ragu. It depends on how tired I am after work.
@@PatriaFranco Sometimes it is. This is the struggle if every working mother. The ideal image of a mother is one who always cooks fresh meals and sews and reads bedtime stories. Reality isn't always like that. There is real guilt for mothers who work and aren't able to be that ideal for their children. I've felt it myself when I wasn't getting up early and making a hot breakfast for my son every day. I felt it when I didn't help with school work enough because I didn't feel like doing more work after work. It's the struggle of wanting to take time for yourself and feeling guilty every time you do. Not to dump all this on you, but it's just context.
I don't recall every really having it much when I was younger but I definitely made when I moved out on my on. The Philly cheesesteak flavored one is actually pretty decent
They're all fairly decent if you keep a few basic spices on hand and know how to doctor them. Mostly, they need a tiny touch more salt, some pepper, and some garlic and/or onion powder. Simple stuff.
2:24 My mother never made it.. it wasn't till I lived by myself, experiencing my own "struggle" that hamburger helper was considered a Good meal that week... not lying one bit! it was usually something simple or takeout that I would eat... refused to eat cup o noodles! lol
I actually made tacos out of the Taco Flavored Hamburger Helper, I even grilled the corn tortillas on the eye of an electric stove, and added sour cream. They were awesome, I made them in 1995. Me and the Ex were a young couple who both just got out of the Army and had no job 1 child and one on the way.
This was a weekly staple at my house growing up. My mom, bless her ❤️ worked all day and came home to 3 starving boys. She worked some magic on that stuff and if was delicious ...to this day it still has a fond place in my heart. Love you Mom!
My dad lost his job when I was 12 and for a while, my mom had to make ends meet until he went back to work. Hamburger Helper fed us all twice a week and I loved it. My mom is still amazed I love it because she associates it with such a dark time.
Respect
So nostalgic
I think it isn't so bad. Looks not bad for me, and with some spices.
Almost anyone poor has certainly eaten lots of this. I grew up on this and Tuna Helper.
Kids don't care about seasoning. They're just hungry.
Tuna helper nostalgia
Fucking facts that's my mom best dish😂😂🐢
Thanks it took years to suppress tuna helper nightmares 😀
Not all poor lol
"This is really bland". Both immediately dive in for more. LOL
I love Hamburger Helper. Reminds me of growing up and I still eat it to this day.
Hamburger helper. This was the go to week night meal when I was a kid.
Yeah. Same here. Along with Rice-A-Roni and other boxed treats like Macaroni & Cheese. I really like pasta dishes.
yes no doubt!
Indeed it was.
@@kaylew108 -- The very definition of _'food'_ during my youth. Some would be nice now, in fact...
Hi ❤️
I grew up on hamburger helper. I don't eat it now since I've learned how to cook but I wouldn't turn my nose up to it. Same with the cheap packs of instant ramen and fried baloney sandwiches 😁
Spam for a family of 6. Mackerel patties. Which i still make.
Fried baloney sandwiches? Oh, yeah.
@@lauriegelinas257 hell yes!
I've got ramen in the pantry right now. I've also got a few boxes of HH. Every once in a while, struggle food is good.
@@Wisdom-gc -- I love SPAM, still. It is amazing to me the quantity of folks who have never had it. It is also surprising how important it is to Hawaiian cuisine.
I have rarely had mackerel. Salmon though? I've eaten tons of salmon croquettes, though my Mom puts way too many green onions in the batter when she makes them. Still good, but she seems to be on a mission to give me more onions than fish -- and never noticed I really don't like that. She does the same thing with tuna salad sandwiches -- check full of green onions, again they taste OK, I just have an allergic reaction to raw onions. One I didn't recognize until adulthood, upon getting hamburgers after church with my aunt, who ordered them made her way, with a huge cross-sectional slab of onion on every one. At first I thought it was the mustard, but the problem went away when I insisted upon ordering mine sans onions. My aunt was pissed, but my face and jaws didn't hurt when we got home.
Don't knock it. On Social Security, sometimes just short of being homeless, I have survived on "Hamburger Helper," and the cheapest ground beef I could get. In fact, I even used a generic off-brand of the stuff! Once in a while I'd add more cheese, or some spices, but it is what it is... glop to fill you up. Knowing Sam, I'd expect a Wagyu Beef version with imported real Cheddar and Italian noodles.
When family first come from China, I would cook 1/4 pound of ground meat and add 4 cup of rice to the hamburger helper. Add one small onion, and three mushroom. This feed family of me, Ba and Ma for two feedings^^
I agree.... Sam's somewhat out the poor people loop of society. 😆
But he is very entertaining I must say.
I'd luv to try some of his food ideas ... When I can afford it. But from here? They look amazing
My mother made this when I was a kid and I still make it but I always "doctor" it up with onions and mushrooms and maybe fresh cheese if I have it.
And tomatoes:)
I've always doctored it up. I've made it lots of times.
Hey man, we grew up on hamburger helper. Single mom working a full time nursing job with 7 kids, thee struggle was REAL!
And now your a successful pothead youtuber 😂😂 you’ve come a long way
@@thomasfitzherbert2982 called out
You fed your kids cancer LMAO
Out of 7 kids you’d think one would learn to cook.
@JKD 616 Amen!! The struggle is only understood by those who have been and are now in the muck of it.
I'll tell you what...Hamburger Helper is amazing in a cast iron skillet over the camp fire.
Oh I bet especially if it's super cold out 👍
When your hungry AF
After a couple of joints....
Well, everything tastes better that way.
Especially when said camp fire also involves smoking week and tequila shot.
Lol I'm poor so we used to at least once a week when I was a kid. We would always add different seasonings to give it a bit more flavor and my mom would get a nice sear on the meat so it wasn't bad.
Ate growing up, still do every once in a great while just for nostalgia.
Hamburger Helper is family style struggle food, had it all the time as a kid
They don't no the struggle. Lol I'll eat that shit now if I had to
Oh! The STRUGGLE! And it was DINNER all the same! So I still eat it and all the foods that the various flavors were based on, from enchiladas to lasagna. GOOD STUFF!
Hell yes. Buy HH when it's on stupid sale, 15 - 20 at a time. Buy the ground beef in the tube when it's on big sale, get a couple. Divide the beef into 5 sandwich bags before you freeze it. Dinner's ready in 30 minutes or so and it doesn't break the bank.
Same here. We had it all the time but we were poor lol.
@@irel1973 i actually prefered the flavor sometimes to my homemade version (tried making potatoes stroganoff and while ok, hamburger helper tasted better (could be i had less salt, and i was trying to reduce carbs so i had a different potato, it worked but was not that salty carby processed food i remember
I guarantee everyone I know has had HH, ChiliMac, Kraft Mac, Tuna Helper.... times were tough for most in the 70’s
And government cheese
@@michaelszarzynski8698 Ahhh... Government cheese quesadillas on a hot plate in a dorm room, the good old days.
That was back when SPAM was a cheap, poor person's food, and my family fried it; usually for SPAM sandwiches on toast with mayo and cheddar. It was good AF. Have you seen what they charge for it now? Apparently in the 70's it was crap, but in 2021 it seems SPAM has become a "gourmet" treat. (F-ing Yuppies)
@@michaelszarzynski8698 the fuck is government cheese?!
@@zoomin131 If you where on welfare or WIC back in the day. The gov't used to send a giant block of crappy cheese to your home along with milk and bread. My mom would make mac and cheese with it and some how she got it to taste good.
Whenever my dad made HH, he almost never followed the instructions. He free balled it every time. It was great seeing all the ways he made it.
I wasn't so sure about this recipe at first but once I tried it, it was a wrap! My family loved them too. These are bomb ASF! 💜 Thanks for the extra weight (I didn't need) & another Amazing recipe!
"It's boring af!" Takes a second bite. Say what you want but hamburger helper's got my family through in between paychecks.
😂 he’s not shaming that. He made it more flavorful in an extremely affordable way
hamburger helper is so boss, because you can do what you want with it when it comes to seasoning and other applications, it is actually quite versatile! You can never knock hamburger helper :)
Amen!
Big facts. I grew up on this
People forget, Hamburger Helper was originally invented as a "side dish", not as an entire meal replacement. But over the years it became that.
I grew up in the 80's, eating Hamburger Helper. You really just need to get creative with the seasoning.
👨🏻🍳 Any one of these: Tobasco, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, Ranch seasoning, minced chipotle peppers, celery salt, turmeric, Herbs de Provence, Sriracha, habanero sauce, fresh basil, parmesan cheese... 🤔
Add a little salsa to the cheesy hamburger option...not horrible
We got really high at a party back in high school and made some out of deer sausage we found in the fridge of whoever's house it was. It was the best Hamburger Helper I've ever had in my life! I heard later that the kid's dad wasn't too happy about it though. lol
At 62 I grew up with hamburger helper, and I still eat it today. I doctor it up a little bit but find it very easy to make for a single person. I don’t knock food, because I’m grateful to have it.
40 yrs ago the wife and I were raising five kids. I was a sous chef ,the wife was a waitress food wasn’t a priority and on the dinner menu was HH . It’s was all we could afford. So I appreciated HH and yes I always sexy it up.
"Helper" was a part of my childhood. Cost effective and filling when feeding 3 growing boys. Came back during my college years, but I learned about spices.
attacking my hamburger helper? You've gone too far. You take the beef stroganoff, add crispy thick cut bacon and cheese.
Doctoring them up with basic stuff from the fridge and spice rack is the best part.
@@a2ndopynyn extra sour cream, some seasoning, bangin.
Fritos added to anything makes it better!
Beef Stroganoff is really good :)
So many people seem amazed that you can add to boxed meals. It's okay if you can't afford amazing ingredients. Just dress up the cheap stuff a bit and you're already eating better than half of America.
I was a single working mom and Hamburger Helper, well, what can I say-my kid’s favorite cheeseburger Mac. I even did tuna helper on Friday!! Thank you Sam, now I’m going to make this for my husband and grandkids! Looks amazing 😃😃
Honestly I love hamburger helper. I had it maybe once every other week growing up. Not sure if my mom spiced it up at all, but the vast majority of boxes were tasty to me.
Have to admit, the Hamburger Helper Stroganoff is still so nostalgic for me. But my mom always added sour cream
I’ll try it
I freaking love hamburger helper, the beef stroganoff slaps
every one of them slap
Best one, only one that’s actually good.
now imagine making it from scratch...
@@mitchellapple9184 They used to have a Cheesy Ranch that was awesome but I haven't seen it in the store in a while.
I'm blown away that this is still on the store shelves. Scary! In the '70s it was less expensive to use a can of cream of whatever, a bag of noodles, an onion, and ground beef (or a can of tuna) to feed a family of 6. If we had extra money, mushrooms, tomatoes, a bag of frozen veggies, sliced olives, and cheese were added along with a can of fried onions as a topping. My mom was a genius when it came to sprucing up a basic recipe. Wonderful memories of simple family meals @ the dining table with the radio or tv turned off...thanks Sam!
We were so poor that getting a box of Hamburger Helper seemed like a luxury to me as a kid. Then, I just had to wait on some ground beef in order to make it so be happy your parents had enough income where you never had to eat it and see it as a treat.
That said, as a 42 yo former chef, I still love my own homemade Hamburger helper/cheesy chili mac which is obviously much better. I'm not grinding shortrib from scratch but everything else is. I make it once or twice a year and it always satisfies me and takes me back to my childhood and makes me think on how far I've come.
I'm old enough to be a "Latch-Key" kid from the 80's, so this what I had at least twice a week, since I was on my own for dinner after school.
When you grow up in a household with 7 people, and your parents can't afford to buy separate ingredients to make home cooked meals every night, Hamburger Helper and bread become your saving grace. So many nights where my family would've went hungry were saved by that little box. Does it taste great? To me, it does. But then again, I'm used to the flavors (and they are definitely there).
Same here, limited funds growing up, mom knew how to stretch a dollar
You bet. I'm an old guy on limited income, and that box plus a pound of the cheapest hamburger have gotten me through some tough spots. Sometimes Sam is a tad bit arrogant.
Ain’t NO shame in eating nor in providing for a family. 🙋🏻♂️☝🏻 I say this as a white teacher 👨🏻🏫 who teaches at a Title 1 high school. Do what you got to do; feed whom you got to feed. We’re Americans. 💪🏻 🇺🇸 We can do this together.
I feel like you guys are coming at a guy for being able to feed his family good quality foods and having the time to cook from scratch. Sure your parents may have been poor or tired or whatever situation but hes just showing recipes within his money and cooking limits that he enjoys and I think its great thing that he has the resources to do that. Hes not being snobby saying hamburger helper isn't that good. Its not that good. He is just trying to upgrade it with technique and better ingredients. Ya'll can do whatever you need to do, hes not shitting on that, but why are you bothered that his kids have it better? His kids have it better in the cooking department than I could have dreamed of as a kid, and that makes me really happy for them, they get to learn to cook with their dad and eat well and there is nothing wrong with that. Complaining that it was all you had to eat at one point or another really just doesn't have much to do with this video. I agree that access to better food is an unequal playing field, but shading him for having access does nothing to help people who aren't as lucky. And if you think about yourself for a minute, you have probably yucked something that was important to someone else before, without meaning too and not because you're arrogant, but because you are a human. HE IS NOT COOKING THIS STUFF TO OFFEND YOU I PROMISE
@@anniehackett4910 Geez!
Sam I’m glad I found about your channel you’ve inspired me to start cooking for my family at age 14 such an inspiration 😀
As kids we we thrilled when Hamburger Helper appeared in my mother’s kitchen. There was a good shot it would be edible, as opposed to most of her food. 😂
yyeesss it was always gone! ❤️
I still make Hamburger Helper every once in a while. The thing is, you can't just make it the way the box says and be done. You need to take those few extra steps to make it better. A diced onion, a can of tomatoes, some chopped up peppers, mushrooms, garlic, cheese, whatever you think it needs. It *can* be good if you put in the effort to make it better.
Example: Hamburger Helper Tomato Basil Penne. On its own? Pretty bland. But to start, form your pound of beef into a big patty and get good color on both sides before breaking it up, gives it more flavor. Add a chopped up medium red or yellow onion to the beef to soften it up as well as a clove or two of minced garlic. When it gets to the point where you need to add the hot water, add a can of diced tomatoes (or dice a few plum tomatoes yourself) as well as a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Add the hot water and cook according to the direction (it says 12 minutes, I usually cook for 11, stirring every 3 minutes). During the last stir, I like to mix in frozen chopped spinach. Once it's done, top with some parmesan/mozzarella cheese and fresh chopped basil and oregano.
And some sautéed mushrooms too. 🤔👨🏻🍳
Wow! Thank you for that post!
@@rumrnr78 No problem. And honestly, even just a diced onion and a clove or two of garlic makes it a good deal better.
“Permission for a spoon drop moment?” Oh I love Chancey lol
My first thought when he said was what a fucking tool
Y’all are some dicks.. lol not you original commenter.
@@neosyndrome8931 AGREED, Neo x1,000!
As I'm 57, I've had this before, however, my mother, added onions, garlic, herbs and mushroom soup. And I and my brother loved it...
In my late 50’s and my mom didn’t have much money or time to cook so yes she made hamburger helper many times. I still make a homemade version (which is much better) on those nights I don’t have much time to cook. I’m excited to try something with the leftover since I usually end up throwing them away!
Same here!!! Keep the good stuff coming Sam.
Oh, yeah!! Hamburger helper for the win!!
Chance is my favorite character when is he gonna get his own story arc
Omg! As a kid of the 70’s, we ate this a lot. Also, as a kid, it was easy for me to make and got me cooking.
I grew up less than wealthy eating hamburger helper and loved it as immigrants from Ireland. And I love mom and dad for it.
Thank you, Sam. You and your team truly are an inspiration.
This is exactly what I needed in my feed. Thank you. Everyone is going insane right now. Why can't we just share some food?
I had to pause this so I could go make food. He always makes me so hungry when I watch these videos. He is over there making helper tacos. I'm I've here with my bacon cheese crisp. I need to start watching these after I've eaten.
I spent the whole episode defending hamburger helper in my head lol
They implied that they didn’t season the meat at all then wondered why it tasted bland 😂
90% of people don't season their meat for hamburger helper
doesn't Hamburger Helper contain seasoning?
@@Stu5727, yep, Sodium phosphate.
Hamburger helper is my go to drunk food. I season the hell out of that beef with everything I can find in my cabinet lol
That’s what I’m say I don’t think I’ve made anything like this without jazzing it up
You have to do "Shake n Bake". Get one of the boys to do the part of, "And I helped".
Agree... Shake n Bake next!!!
My mother worked so I'd come home after school, do chores then cook dinner. We had all the helpers. Hamburger, tuna etc. LOL It was something someone who didn't really know how to cook could whip up with a salad for dinner to help my mother out. not great food but better than a tired mom coming home and needing to fix dinner. I always added stuff to any of them. Mushrooms or frozen peas, always a fresh onion. Extra spices. Cut my teeth on cooking with those little gems. Learned much from my fails on it too.
Had this a bunch growing up, my wife and I fed it to our kids when we were young and just starting out. We would doctor it up with extra seasoning and some onions, the final touch, as this was cheeseburger hamburger helper, was to add some ketchup on top after serving.
One of the first meals I cooked for my kids when I separated from my wife , I didn't have large skillet, had to run back to store and get another pan , it was disgusting and the kids gobbled it up... they were young 8 and 3 ... later they did tell me it wasn't good ... I have become a better cook since then , thank you you tube , pinterest , and Campbell's cook books ...
My wife and I ate the hell out of this shit when we were first married! It was because we were broke AF and starving. Also ate a shit ton of Ditty Moore Beef Stew! We survived but please don't ever make me go back there!
About two weeks ago, I decided to try Dinty Moore Beef Stew again, it's been many years since I've had it. I was totally shocked, it was actually quite good!
How about Raman noodles, and peanut butter and crackers.
I still love Dinty Moore but I cook white rice as a bed.
Hi i like ❤️
Grew up on this stuff loved when momma made it
I've been cooking and BBQ a long time . I absolutely love cooking and creating new recipes. I just wanted to say I love your Videos, you inspire me even more I want to thank you for that. So thank you .
No word of a lie, my wife told me “we’re having Hamburger Helper for dinner tonight but if you want something better, go for it.” So I turned straight to Sam The Cooking Guy and this video had dropped literally 5 minutes earlier!! I’m pretty sure the universe wants us to have Samburger Helper Tacos for dinner.
This episode in my house is called "Fuckin around in the kitchen with poor purchase choices from the grocery store" I LOVE IT !
Made this last night used velvetta cheese cavatappi pasta and sliced cherry tomatoes instead of the box. Didn't have Chipotle peppers for broth so used dried chocolate bhutlahs and Chipotle hot sauce instead. Came out awesome. Genius recipe Sam keep em coming
Growing up in a house hold with very limited resources, Hamburger Helper was often on the menu. However, we had to use ground turkey or chicken we got in a frozen tube. I can still taste the cardboard paste that was my childhood.
It was a meal when you grew up in a house hold that didn't have much. It was the quick meal that keep us from being hungry.
I watched this and realized my childhood was a culinary lie! Loved the intro also had me rolling 😂
I'm convinced anything over 85 degrees that goes in Sam's mouth elicits a freak out hot moment! Love the videos and the recipe ideas! You must go through an insane amount of paper towel rolls per week.
I have a house of 8 sometimes 10 and hamburger helper is a cheep way to feed us all on fixed budget but I always fix it up way better. These are our next step for sure. Thanks for all your hard work Sam.
"I don't know why they call it hamburger helper, it does just fine by itself " - cousin Eddie.
This is one of my fav movies National Lampoon Vacation
You beat me to it.
The cheese packet is harder to get into than the Capitol building.
🙋🏻♂️🙆🏻♂️🙅🏻♂️ I kinda think this is a little bit too soon. 🤦🏻♂️👃🏻🔨
@@matthewjay660 yes too soon
Good one
😂😂😂
Not saying much
My wife loves bland food and used to love it when I made HH. Since I've been watching your show and cooking better things, I think she's coming around. Only took 20+ years of marriage.
I always love your creations!! I thought I was the only one who wiped my mouth with the whole roll!!!!
Ive learned to "tweek" it now that Im older. Seasoning and Onions, different cheeses.
Hamburger helper was “gormet” for me in college. Height of my undergrad cooking abilities
We had Hamburger Helper as kids growing up in the 60's & 70's a few times. It was a cheap meal and a time saving convenience for my Mom. But it took at least 3 boxes to feed 9 kids. 😆 It was okay, but I knew it could be better. We used to "doctor" the Hamburger Helper with sautéed veggies and more cheese. My dad was really the chef in our family. I learned to cook from scratch watching him. It's the only way for me.
When I had kids (5) of my own, I made my own version of Hamburger Helper, but I used ground turkey or chicken.
Now we are empty nesters. But I'm glad I saw this video. I'm inspired to make this for dinner tonight... it's been awhile. 😋
I still to this day put hella cheese and hot sauce in my hamburger helper. I'm not afraid to say I still eat said product
What’s your favorite flavor?
@@scottmcwave9479 the lasagna, cheeseburger mac and stroganoff
Same here
True story: someone who fixed Helper for me once thought she could sub almond milk for the regular milk... unfortunately she used vanilla almond milk so it came out like someone melted some Häagen-Dazs into a plate of mac and cheese...
Almond milk is nasty
Vanilla almond milk is even worse
Ewww
I made that mistake once but with plain Kraft Mac n cheese. It was so weird, and took me longer than I’d like to admit to figure out what the problem was.
This makes me sad lol
Sam’s outdoor kitchen sparks my envy!
I lived off of this stuff for years when I was single and didn't know how to cook until Sam came along
I grew up eating hamburger helper and always wondered how could it be better
We didn’t know any better. Always a good thing when child exceeds parent. I am convinced that I am the best cook in my family.
"Okay, it's in there. You figure out how to eat it"
every taco chef ever.
Had lots of HH growing up. We really enjoyed it! Ha, who knew....
On days where my dad didn't really wanna make something for dinner(my mom doesn't cook) we would have some version of a helper usually hamburger or tuna and some bread with butter and pb. I'm thankful i learned how to cook early on in life and its something i genuinely enjoy because food is better when you actually make it yourself.
I'm only 30 seconds into the video and I already can't wait to make this!
"And what's more important at mealtimes? Taste, or getting some crap on the table."
I realize he was joking, but as someone who knew actual starvation (As in not eating for days at a time as a child) it still ticks me off when people joke about food. The important thing is getting safe food in your belly that you can keep there. Anything past that is great, but not necessary.
If you are able to watch youtube you are able to eat...so those that would be offended would never know...
@@darylc2799 The hell does youtube have to do with starvation? Or are you going to say if some kid has a phone/computer/console they have food money? Because if you think that you have a lot to learn about how stupid parents can be.
You must be really soft if that joke offends you
@@Jacc13 nah you're just insensitive and that inability/unwillingness to empathize with someone is sad.
@@darylc2799 you think poor kids don't come across youtube? at a friends/family member's house? or even at school? it's not even about being offensive it's about being mindful of each other and considerate. People who have a lot/enough tend to not even think of those who have little. Like your point in saying they wouldn't be on youtube. It happens.
Why is nobody mentioning the fact that he wipes his face with the whole roll of paper towels ? 😂
It’s one of his signature moves... and I love it!
Are you new here?
He almost always does!😂
Had it when I was a college student in 1975. Came form India, so in the second batch, I spiced it up with green chillies, cumin, cardamom. Did not have fresh cilantro back then on the Ann Arbor campus.
Bro HH hits, just have to doc it up with some seasoning....and hot sauce!!! 🔥
Exactly!
@Dyanosis "hits/slaps" shit is the the samething, don't be that guy playboy!!!
this channel should be named SAM THE MUNCHIES GUY, everything he makes was thought while being high for sure.
I concur
"What's for dinner?" in the background was perfect
Whilst we didn't have Hamburger Helper in the UK, we had very similar comfort foods being in a low income house with 3 brothers and a single parent! Still go back to eat it when I want something quick and it never gets old for me.
My husband is gonna be pissed I watched this without him. Lmao.
You snooze you lose babe.
Auch, hope my wife will never get this cold / harsh.
Make him really mad, tell him other men are watching it with you 😉😬🤘🏼
@@DannyBokma my husband is a commercial fisherman. He’s out at sea right now catching your seafood. It was just a joke homie. He knows I will rewatch with his ass.
Looks good but I’m most impressed with the saving of the tortilla.
Have to say I love old-school black-and-white Sam.
Hamburger Helper and Tuna Helper was definitely a staple growing up at my divorced dad's apartment.
Sams version of mixing one cup, is mixing in enough to fill a pitcher
Literally every RUclips chef. "A tablespoon of garlic powder" (Puts in a quarter cup)
You can’t tell me that you weren’t smoking something when you thought about hamburger helper in a burrito
when you grew up on hamburger helper, it honestly isn’t as bad as they say it is. Its a middle class and poor mans meal!❤️
Hamburger helper's an easy base to start with. Add some onion or garlic, some hot peppers. Or the stroganoff one and green pepper + onion for a imitation philly. Just easy if you're tired.
I can't get over him wiping his mouth with a whole roll of paper towels
I look for it now in every episode.
Yep. Its not official until he does
You are new here i see
Idk why but I thought chance was one of Sam’s sons.
They didn’t grow up how others did. They always had money growing up therefore they had full course meals for breakfast lunch and dinner
Facts cheep food can be prepared very well
@Dyanosis There is something vaguely insulting about what you said. Like parents who used boxed meals are somehow lesser than other parents. Sometimes you just don't want to come home after working a long day and have to cook dinner. Sometimes I make pasta with homemade sauce. Sometimes I use Ragu. It depends on how tired I am after work.
Money can definitely have an effect on how you eat. Sometimes you can't afford fresh food so you rely on boxes and cans.
@@angiee1603 it’s not that serious man
@@PatriaFranco Sometimes it is. This is the struggle if every working mother. The ideal image of a mother is one who always cooks fresh meals and sews and reads bedtime stories. Reality isn't always like that. There is real guilt for mothers who work and aren't able to be that ideal for their children. I've felt it myself when I wasn't getting up early and making a hot breakfast for my son every day. I felt it when I didn't help with school work enough because I didn't feel like doing more work after work. It's the struggle of wanting to take time for yourself and feeling guilty every time you do. Not to dump all this on you, but it's just context.
Its a known fact in the hood you add your own seasoning to HH base packaging.
Made this tonight, Turned out Amazing!! Thanks @Sam The Cooking Guy !!! Family Loved it.
I don't recall every really having it much when I was younger but I definitely made when I moved out on my on. The Philly cheesesteak flavored one is actually pretty decent
They're all fairly decent if you keep a few basic spices on hand and know how to doctor them. Mostly, they need a tiny touch more salt, some pepper, and some garlic and/or onion powder. Simple stuff.
I guarantee Sam was still wearing sandals while in the suit!!!
And he probably wasn't even wearing pants!
2:24 My mother never made it.. it wasn't till I lived by myself, experiencing my own "struggle" that hamburger helper was considered a Good meal that week... not lying one bit! it was usually something simple or takeout that I would eat... refused to eat cup o noodles! lol
I actually made tacos out of the Taco Flavored Hamburger Helper, I even grilled the corn tortillas on the eye of an electric stove, and added sour cream. They were awesome, I made them in 1995. Me and the Ex were a young couple who both just got out of the Army and had no job 1 child and one on the way.
“Oh Shit son what is this?” 😂 😂
True story, one time my ex-wife, may just “helper” She forgot to put the meat in
lol
Hey, she was on a diet, maybe... 😉
I understand why she’s an “X”....
Ironically she's "helpless" in the kitchen
Good thing she's your ex now