A Handy History of Hamburger Helper

Tom Blank of Weird History described the nostalgic history behind Hamburger Helper, which also included Lefty, the company’s iconic white-gloved ambassador. Blank further explained that the original product used too many dishes, so Betty Crocker developed a single skillet meal (just add meat) to help families stretch their limited budget as far as possible regarding dinner. The company introduced Lefty to the world when the product started to fall in popularity.

Weird History Food is serving you up some delicious nostalgia with the history of Hamburger Helper. If you remember this creepy little mascot finger-tipping across your TV set, you’ll remember Hamburger Helper was a way cash-strapped American families looked for ways to stretch their meals further than ever before. Let’s take a look back at this classic boxed food product.