hamburger helper

plural hamburger helpers

1. countableuncountableAlternative letter-case form of Hamburger Helper.

   In many cases the diminished seventh chord is the in-between, the hamburger helper of ascending harmonic movement.

   2003, Alan de Mause, Mel Bay's Complete Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Book, page 120

   4 more examples

   Barter is basically a marketing tool. It is the "hamburger helper" of business. It stretches cash while bringing in new customers [...]

   1995 November 29, Canada Computer Paper Inc., The Computer Paper, page 43

   “I ordered lumber for a new one,” Hopper told her while she handed him a bowl of last night’s reheated hamburger helper.

   2016, Crystal Kei, We're Gonna Have to Hide the Body

   It’s a good opportunity to try new dishes, and Bill is very appreciative of some real food in the apartment that isn’t a microwaveable meal or hamburger helper.

   2019, cheekaspbrak, Run While You Still Can

   UNE is also very smartly made, polished, captivating, and cohesive, with no perceptible cinematic hamburger helper; there are no wasted words.

   2025 May 26, The New America, The New America 2012-Current, page 43

alternative hamburger helper

1. USA boxed, one-pot meal product consisting of dried pasta, rice, or potatoes and a packet of powdered seasonings; to prepare it, home cooks combine the dry ingredients with browned ground beef ("hamburger") and water or milk.

alternative hamburger helper

1. uncountablecookingAny quick, one-pan meal made by combining ground beef, a starch (like pasta or rice), and a seasoned sauce; applies to generic store-brand versions or recipes made completely from scratch.

   “I ordered lumber for a new one,” Hopper told her while she handed him a bowl of last night’s reheated hamburger helper.

   2016, Crystal Kei, We're Gonna Have to Hide the Body

   1 more example

   It’s a good opportunity to try new dishes, and Bill is very appreciative of some real food in the apartment that isn’t a microwaveable meal or hamburger helper.

   2019, cheekaspbrak, Run While You Still Can

2. broadlyfigurativelyuncountableAnything that extends, enhances, or bulks up a limited resource.

   In many cases the diminished seventh chord is the in-between, the hamburger helper of ascending harmonic movement.

   2003, Alan de Mause, Mel Bay's Complete Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Book, page 120

   2 more examples

   Barter is basically a marketing tool. It is the "hamburger helper" of business. It stretches cash while bringing in new customers [...]

   1995 November 29, Canada Computer Paper Inc., The Computer Paper, page 43

   UNE is also very smartly made, polished, captivating, and cohesive, with no perceptible cinematic hamburger helper; there are no wasted words.

   2025 May 26, The New America, The New America 2012-Current, page 43