There Are Way More Varieties Of Hamburger Helper Than You Might Think

From a wide assortment of canned soups and canned fish to fully prepared grocery store rotisserie chickens, markets provide endless products that make dinner all the easier for the public. Many of these items deserve hype for their convenience and sometimes surprisingly delicious taste, but a brand that earns recognition simply for the long-time comfort and versatility it has brought customers is especially worth mentioning. That would be Hamburger Helper.

Hamburger Helper was established in 1971 by General Mills, and since then, it has provided consumers with budget-friendly, boxed mealtime solutions with a variety of seasonings for either rice or pasta. What also makes Hamburger Helper iconic is its ease of preparation. It's known for its easy-to-follow, one-pan recipes. You can cook the protein, carbs, and the provided herbs and spices all in one skillet or pot.

The brand came out with five original flavors to start, some of which are still just as popular today as when they were first launched. These include Beef Noodle, Hash, Rice Oriental, Potato Stroganoff, and Chili Tomato. But there are way more other flavors than you might realize. In the decades that have passed since Hamburger Helper's founding, it now has an offering of 40 total products on its website. Some commonly find themselves on grocery store shelves and people's dining tables, whereas others don't get nearly as much time in the limelight.

Hamburger Helper's original flavors may have come out in 1971, but it wasn't long after that the company began releasing other varieties. Most people have likely heard of popular Hamburger Helper flavors, such as the creamy, Italian-style Three Cheese or the iconic Cheeseburger Macaroni that arrived in 1973. Though they're what you'll usually find consistently stocked at your local Walmart or ShopRite, these are not the only ones available.

As is done on its website, Hamburger Helper's many flavors can generally be divided into seven categories: beef, tuna, chicken, cheese, dairy, tomato, and international. This opens up a generous selection of other flavors. And some of these are more interesting than you may imagine. Look at its Crunchy Taco as an example. It's not common knowledge that Hamburger Helper does more than pasta boxes; it does rice, too. And a good amount of it at that, considering the brand carries a Chicken Fried Rice and Cheesy Enchilada.

And let's not forget the brand's five variations of Tuna Helper, which became available in 1972. From Tuna Creamy Broccoli and Tetrazzini to Tuna Fettuccine Alfredo, General Mills didn't skimp out on its fish-based options. Nor did it neglect to make alternatives to each of their classic flavors. While it already has Lasagna and Beef Pasta, there's also Four Cheese Lasagna and Cheesy Beef Pasta. Hamburger Helper has done this with a majority of its products, offering spins on a particular flavor by making it "cheesy" or "deluxe."