Hamburger Helper is a convenient comfort food when grocery budgets are tight. We sampled name-brand and generic versions of the classic meal kit to see which were most worthy of your hard-earned dollars.
Historically, sales of Hamburger Helper have been an unexpected barometer of the status of our economy. When more Americans start reaching for this convenient and inexpensive one-skillet meal kit, it can be indicative of tightening budgets. There are plenty of store-brand alternatives to the original, and we wanted to find out which one tasted the best for when it comes time to save money at the grocery store.
What is Hamburger Helper?
Hamburger Helper is the brand name of a budget-friendly meal kit that can be prepared quickly and easily in one skillet. The box of pasta and seasonings is meant to serve four and can stretch a pound of ground beef into a familiar comfort food meal. General Mills first created the convenience product in 1971, and it was an instant success during a time of high inflation and elevated grocery costs.
Since then, Hamburger Helper has expanded its line to include kits for tuna, chicken and pork. Similar products and gluten-free versions have emerged from competing brands and generic labels too. And, outside of the box, homemade cheeseburger macaroni skillet is a great 30-minute dinner.
Skillet Meal Kit Taste Test
For consistency in comparison, I bought the cheeseburger-style kit from each brand. I then ranked them based on flavor, texture and quality for the price.
5. Aldi Reggano Ultimate Cheeseburger Dinner Kit
While Aldi is an excellent option when shopping on a budget, its house brand Reggano Ultimate Cheeseburger Dinner Kit ranked at the bottom of our list. This kit is prepared by adding 1 pound of ground beef and 2 cups of water to the a seasoning mix packet and dried pasta. Once the meat is browned and the pasta has absorbed most of the liquid, there’s an additional cheese pouch to add just before serving. This kit sold for $2.85
Even before taking the first bite, I noticed a distinct aroma of celery seed or maybe dried dill coming from the seasoning mix. It’s possible this was intended to mimic pickles or relish on a cheeseburger, but I found the flavor unusual and off-putting. However, I did appreciate some of the suggestions on the packaging for customizing your skillet dinner by adding a 1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper and 1/2 cup of minced onion to the skillet and cooking them with the ground beef.
4. Food Club Skillet Classics Cheeseburger Macaroni
Next on our list is the generic Food Club answer to Hamburger Helper. This skillet dinner is made by combining the powdered sauce mix and elbow macaroni with 1 pound of ground beef, 1 cup of water and 2 cups of milk. At $1.29, it was the least expensive option of all the meal kits I sampled.
Ultimately, I found the flavors to be weaker than other options. Even though I followed the directions exactly, the noodles were overcooked and mushy. Of all the meal kits, this was the only one that also included microwave directions, which is always a plus when you’re cooking in a hurry.
3. Walmart Great Value Cheeseburger Dinner Kit (Gluten-Free)
Walmart’s Great Value label offers a cheeseburger dinner kit as well. I saw online that they sell a classic pasta version, however, my particular store only carried the gluten-free option. I figured this was a good opportunity to see if the one-pot meal translated well into a gluten-free dinner.
I went in with a bit of a bias, presuming the brown rice macaroni would result in a sub-par experience. I am happy to report that I was wrong! In fact, this kit was a pleasant surprise and made what were possibly the best-cooked noodles of the bunch. I didn’t miss the gluten at all. This kit sold for $3.48 and was prepared with beef, 2 cups of water, the pasta, a seasoning mix and a cheese pouch. According to the price listed online, this GF version was significantly more expensive than the classic pasta version, which retails for only $1.28.
2. Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni
The runner-up on this ranked taste-test list is the original Hamburger Helper. Retailing for $1.69, the name-brand option was not significantly more expensive than the generic ones. And of the kits that were prepared without an additional cheese pouch, the original was the best. It’s prepared with 1 pound of ground beef, 1-1/4 cups of water and 2 cups of milk.
The cheese sauce was creamy and the noodles were perfectly cooked. The box offered plenty of options for ways to customize this skillet meal into something more robust, plus a QR code that directs consumers to HamburgerHelper.com for other ideas. My favorite variation suggested stirring in chopped cooked bacon, shredded cheese and chopped fresh tomatoes. What a great way to add additional color, flavor and texture!
1. Velveeta Skillets Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac
Ranking at the top of the list is the Velveeta Skillets Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac kit. If you like Velveeta recipes in general, then this kit is probably going to be the easiest choice ever. This meal was prepared with 1 pound of ground beef, 2 cups of water, the pasta, seasoning packet and cheese sauce. The result was delightfully creamy and cheesy, with hamburger-inspired seasonings that made the meal interesting without being overpowering.
The instructions suggested customizing the dinner kit by adding chopped fresh tomatoes and shredded lettuce before serving. This would emphasize the cheeseburger elements and add a burst of color and fresh crunch to the family meal. Ringing up at $3.42, this meal kit was one of the most expensive ones I sampled, but I felt that spending the extra couple of dollars was worth it in the long run in terms of taste and texture.
