Do you consider Hamburger Helper cooking? (ingredients, healthy, Indian, bread)

[allieoxenfree]

I am wondering what all you cooks out there think about this.

Now, I looove to cook, and I make a lot of things from scratch when I do prepare a meal. I'm not against substituting certain ingredients or having pasta sauce from a can versus homemade. To me, it's still cooking.

What makes my eyes roll into the back of my head is when I see certain friends (actually acquaintances is a better word) on Facebook, most are wives and mothers, introduce their dinner like it's some type of gourmet meal. In reality, it's Hamburger Helper, canned corn and then a slice of bread with butter. Then they act like they have been slaving over the stove all evening and write comments like, "It's TOUGH to come home and cook dinner after a long day, but I did it!" and "Being a full-time wife and mommy means preparing a home cooked meal every night! <3" then they post a picture of the Hamburger Helper box and I'm like, "….?" I'm not against HH, Kraft Mac n Cheese or any of that stuff, but I would never try to pass it off as home cooking (nor would I ever serve it to a man I was trying to keep, hah).

My mom is active within her church and is in charge of meal planning. She always asks members to pitch in with the prep and cooking whenever they plan potlucks or huge community meals. She makes sure to ask for people that cook a lot at home and from scratch. Mom's main complaint is that she will always end up with women who boasted how well they can cook but can barely chop onions and garlic, peel potatoes or season once they get into the church kitchen. Of course once she investigates it's learned that they mostly "cook" from boxes or just add water.

So do YOU consider Hamburger Helper or things of a similar nature, cooking? I don't mean occasionally not using fresh vegetables or adding a can of creamed soup to something, etc. For example, I may make homemade chili, salad, and make my pecan pie from scratch but will make my cornbread from a mix. I am speaking of people that only make meals from boxes and cans.

[mainebrokerman]

if I turn on a burner, then its cooking

in one sense, whatever we may eat is considered "food" and half the world eats insects

my point is what someone considers food and what I consider food may be different, just like what you consider cooking and what someone else considers cooking

I get the message you wrote, but I also think its a bit judgemental

years ago as a poor young man working two jobs (on a fishing boat and in a slaughterhouse) I would have loved some hamburger helper when I got home, instead, I had many nights of ramen noodles or just an apple or potato


your frame of reference is different from others, that doesn't make them wrong,,

[nmnita]

Sure it is cooking but that doesn't mean quality cooking. I think stuff like hamburger helper comes in handy for those really busy days, especially when we are thinking family with mom and dad both working. I personally have never fixed it, have had it a couple of times. Though I am a 90% cook from scratch lady, I think stuff out of a box is fine once in a rare while. Even for those who use boxed meals most of the time: throw in a salad or fresh veggie and they will have a somewhat healthy and balanced meal.

[Threestep2]

It is their way of doing things. They may not be interested in cooking. We have friends who cook with lots of enthusiasm, very good ingredients and not always much success. If they are friends why do you not invite yourself and bring dinner for all to enjoy?

[apexgds]

Originally Posted by allieoxenfree

Then they act like they have been slaving over the stove all evening and write comments like, "It's TOUGH to come home and cook dinner after a long day, but I did it!" and "Being a full-time wife and mommy means preparing a home cooked meal every night! <3" then they post a picture of the Hamburger Helper box and I'm like, "….?"

It sounds to me like your friend was making a joke and you didn't get it.

[gentlearts]

It is cooking. It's just bad cooking.

[Pansori]

Hamburger Helper just doesn't taste as good as it did than when I was a kid growing up in the 80s.

[momtothree]

A lot of people don't like to cook. So they try to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. They also think if they prepare/doctor up a boxed/packet/canned meal, then it's a home cooked meal. Let them think it, what harm does it do to you?

I personally don't like it but it doesn't bother me at all. Only if they are in my house and trying to add a packet to my meal then I get testy. lol (MOM!)

[sskink]

There's two things going on in the OP's post. First is the Hamburger Helper. Is it "cooking"? Why not. I don't use it, but I do use bottled simmer sauces for Indian, jarred curry pastes for Thai, and other "cheats" even though I'm perfectly capable of making things from scratch, which I may do on a weekend, but usually not a weeknight. The food is still very edible in either case, although I don't take the same level of pride of accomplishment when using the cheats.

The second thing is the church cooking. It would be annoying to have volunteers who don't know which end of a peeler to use. The only thing I'd suggest is that mom comes out and states the jobs folks would be volunteering for - someone to clean and peel vegetables, someone to chop onions and potatoes, someone to follow a recipe, etc. etc.

[Nodpete]

If you consider Hamburger Helper cooking, then Spam is a gourmet food !