Chicken Helper (1985)

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

Another Helper ad. Chicken Helper these days is more like Hamburger Helper in that it's usually some sort of noodle or rice-based casserole, but back then it was a ripoff of Shake N Bake. It actually wasn't too bad. I remember it being edible. 



Of course, Hamburger Helper was the first, then Tuna Helper and Chicken Helper came along later to provide a variety of meal solutions for various types of meats. Everything was fine until a few years ago when they came out with ASIAN HELPER!!! (Cue "Maneater" by Hall & Oates.) Seriously, the first time I saw that in stores I think I stared at the box a full minute until my brain stopped screaming "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!?!" 

Remember, Vintage Ads is your number one resource for Hall & Oates, cannibalism, and innuendo! (Wait. Is that official yet?)

Comments

[gatepromise.livejournal.com]

Oh I remember this, not that bad-tasting, actually. Haven't seen anything like it in the store lately.

Just looking at that picture--what is up with the chicken leg? It looks like its feathers have been breaded over.

[bzul.livejournal.com]

..or looks like a custom-shaped hunk of sea sponge.

[teamrodent.livejournal.com]

Mmm, deep fried sponge....

[herbadness.livejournal.com]

We never got cool things like this to eat. Our neighbors did and we would finagle dinner invitations any time we could.

If we were lucky, my mother would dump some cream of something soup over it and bake it. That was on Sundays.

Otherwise, it was plain.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

When I was growing up, I got this kind of thing all too often. This and cream of something soup dumped on or mixed in with whatever. My mom couldn't cook worth a flip and she was sick a lot anyway so I started "cooking" when I was about 7 and it was a lot of easy stuff like Hamburger Helper. My dad could cook, but he usually didn't have time.

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

My mom was a pretty good cook but she wasn't into fancy stuff and we saw Shake 'n Bake on a regular basis. Also she made a lot of use of those seasoning mixes you buy in little packets in the store (for making stew, enchiladas, whatever). Fortunately it was just me and my dad and we liked all that, so it all worked out OK.

[write-light.livejournal.com]

My mom could cook but hated to, and I was the World's Pickiest Eater, so I was spared much of this. Somehow my brother and I learned to cook and turned into way better cooks and way more adventurous eaters than either parent.

[rhonan.livejournal.com]

I always preferred Placenta Helper myself. Unfortunately, since my parents weren't the Duggers, it was a very rare treat.

[write-light.livejournal.com]

THIS ONE? (http://www.graspingforobjectivity.com/2010/09/would-you-like-that-deep-fried-or-dried.html#comment-22755)

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

Ewww and ha ha!

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

Long Pig Helper is next!

[shortsweetcynic.livejournal.com]

i didn't realize chicken helper had been around so long! i just became aware of it maybe five or six years ago.