# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 379
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7562 "2025-07-15T13:33:54Z")
> [@Bayaker](#): > > I hate to be _that_ guy BUT - the ‘pelican’ part of _#1 Alligator Pelican_ is obviously not a pelican. It looks to me like a female mallard duck, although I see many fewer mallards than I do pelicans. It looks like a crocodile-mallard to me. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7563 "2025-07-15T15:23:19Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > What frightens me? > > The AI takeover of all things artistic and aesthetic. This. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7564 "2025-07-15T18:10:35Z")
Another vote against using AI images, not planning to vote in any poll that refers to them. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7565 "2025-07-15T18:24:38Z")
Anyway, the dogs of the _Insulae Canariae_ were probably more like this: [Perro Majorero - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perro_Majorero#/media/File:Bardina-Donna-1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7566 "2025-07-15T19:27:24Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > The AI takeover of all things artistic and aesthetic. Good point. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7567 "2025-07-16T02:28:18Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I have preferences among those spices for particular foods; but I like all of them in suitable contexts. This is largely my take, but I find that Rosemary be used slightly more widely on the _dishes I like to cook/eat_ than sage, and both more than thyme. So I voted for Rosemary, though I have both of the former in large quantities in my pantry, that I got from my MiL’s garden and put through my dehydrator. I do like thyme, but in far fewer dishes, and with a muuuuuuch lighter touch. Not challenging the AI Image based preferences of other posters, but I find the alligator-mallad far more terrifying than the pelican-faced alligator. I was recently having a laugh at the (accurate, mind you!) YT Short on [how terrifying Salties are](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dmCkXgOVBo8) and one of the terrors is their ability to hide in waterways. It looks to me the gator-duck could do a good job of that, while the Peli-gator would have it’s concealment greatly reduced. So that’s how I voted. Yes, this post is to boost views of a favorite YT channel of much yuks at the terror of everything in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7568 "2025-07-16T02:36:57Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > So I voted for Rosemary, though I have both of the former in large quantities in my pantry, I have a small bush of each. Take a spring of fresh rosemary and put it atop roast bird and/or potatoes while baking. Lovely. ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7569 "2025-07-16T17:08:55Z")
I have never heard of “hamburger helper” is it Ronald McDonald’s new assistant? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7570 "2025-07-16T17:17:42Z")
It’s a packaged food product that has spices and noodles. You are supposed to saute hamburger meat (mince for the Brits) and add… Water and the package, i think, to make an economical meal for your family. I haven’t had it in decades, and have no strong opinion about it right now. I don’t even remember if i liked it or not as a kid. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7571 "2025-07-16T17:22:31Z")
I see @puzzlegal beat me to the answer, but I’ll go ahead and post the Wikipedia link as an additional source of information since I was busy looking that up while she was posting. > **[Hamburger Helper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger_Helper)** > > Hamburger Helper is a packaged food product manufactured by Eagle Foods. As boxed, it consists of a dried carbohydrate (often pasta or rice), with powdered seasonings contained in a packet. The consumer is meant to combine the contents of the box with browned ground beef ("hamburger"), water, milk, and sometimes mayonnaise to create a complete one-dish meal. > There are also variations of the product designed for other meats, such as "Tuna Helper" and "Chicken Helper". Some of these feature other... I don’t know how widely available it is outside the US, so it wouldn’t surprise me if non-US dopers have never heard of it. I haven’t had it in decades, either, but I recall not particularly liking it the times I had it. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7572 "2025-07-16T17:23:40Z")
We ate it a fair amount when I was a kid, and I liked it, didn’t love it. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7573 "2025-07-16T17:26:05Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever had Hamburger Helper, though I’ve heard of it. I’m not sure whether that counts as not having an opinion or not. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7574 "2025-07-16T17:27:56Z")
I used to really like the Cheeseburger Macaroni flavor, but I _loved_ the Stroganoff flavor! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7575 "2025-07-16T17:29:07Z")
My wife makes Hamburger Helper for dinner every so often, though she uses ground chicken or turkey instead of ground beef. It’s not bad, especially since she usually adds a few additional spices or such, but it’ll never be mistaken for fine dining. I used to work with a woman who had previously been the brand manager on Hamburger Helper at General Mills. As she described it to me, it’s positioned as a relatively easy-to-make, relatively inexpensive, fairly fool-proof meal option for people who have a family to feed, but don’t have strong cooking skills. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7576 "2025-07-16T17:48:28Z")
Hamburger Helper tastes great because it is chock full of (for me) addictive and unhealthy ingredients. Not sure I can say I like or love something I avoid like arsenic. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7577 "2025-07-16T18:16:47Z")
It’s been ages since I’ve had Hamburger Helper (and/or Tuna Helper), but I recall it being “meh” at best. I mean, I’ll eat it if that’s what’s being offered because I’d rather just go with something that’s right there in front of me than cook, but I’m not going to take the initiative and ask for it. If I were called upon to prepare something with it, I would definitely be looking around for something extra to add in, to flavor it up a bit better. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7578 "2025-07-16T19:29:11Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > We ate it a fair amount when I was a kid, and I liked it, didn’t love it. Yep, same here. IIRC during the meat shortage, Ralphs? came out with a hamburger with 40% soy and 60% meat, and Hamburger Helper was good with that. > [@Misnomer](#): > > I used to really like the Cheeseburger Macaroni flavor, but I _loved_ the Stroganoff flavor! Yeah, the Stroganoff was quite good. > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Hamburger Helper tastes great because it is chock full of (for me) addictive and unhealthy ingredients. _Enriched wheat pasta, Modified whey, Corn starch, Salt, Enriched wheat flour, Dried ricotta cheese, Sugar, Tomato powder, Onion powder, Hydrolyzed corn protein, Natural flavour, Lactic acid, Garlic powder, High monounsaturated vegetable oil (Canola, Sunflower and/or Soybean), Calcium lactate, Citric acid, Maltodextrin…_ Salt? ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7579 "2025-07-16T19:38:30Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > My wife makes Hamburger Helper for dinner every so often, though she uses ground chicken or turkey instead of ground beef. It’s not bad, especially since she usually adds a few additional spices or such, but it’ll never be mistaken for fine dining. > > I used to work with a woman who had previously been the brand manager on Hamburger Helper at General Mills. As she described it to me, it’s positioned as a relatively easy-to-make, relatively inexpensive, fairly fool-proof meal option for people who have a family to feed, but don’t have strong cooking skills. I gotta cook the meat either way. I gotta boil water & cook the noodles either way. How different is it than making my own pasta with meat sauce, whether I open a jar of red, white, or brown sauce; except whatever I’m cooking has more flavor & less salt it in. \* Sorry the (time) cost/benefit just isn’t there for me to make my own sauce from scratch typically. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7580 "2025-07-16T20:31:02Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I gotta cook the meat either way. I gotta boil water & cook the noodles either way. How different is it than making my own pasta with meat sauce, whether I open a jar of red, white, or brown sauce; except whatever I’m cooking has more flavor & less salt it in. What you describe would use one or two pots, as well as the skillet to brown the meat, and (probably) having several pots going at once (one for the pasta, one for the sauce + meat). One of Hamburger Helper’s selling points is that it’s a one-skillet meal, with very simple instructions. The classic HH recipes have a set of directions which amount to: 1. Brown a pound of ground meat in a skillet 2. Drain the fat from the skillet 3. Add [xx] ounces of water, the noodles, and the powdered sauce packet to the skillet (where the meat is still sitting), and stir 4. Simmer for [yy] minutes, stirring occasionally But, if you feel that the meal you describe making isn’t materially different, for you, from HH, as far as ease of preparation, then you aren’t the target audience for it. (I won’t argue the point that what you make is better-tasting; that likely goes without saying.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7581 "2025-07-16T20:47:50Z")
I actually had my first helping of HH in ages about 3 weeks ago. I have 2 more I’ve stocked up on, dunno when I’ll cook them-for me it’s 2 full meals’ worth. Chose “other” for the marriage poll, as my folks’ was pretty dysfunctional all told. My mother almost walked away on their wedding day, note. While they were never outright abusive towards myself and my sister, their constant screaming matches weren’t exactly fun-and her bedroom was next to theirs, while mine was on the other side of the house, so she got the worst of it (something which has come up in recent therapy of hers, note). When he cheated on her 25 years in (and was caught, as in he had been with various floozies well before then), it almost ended thangs, but they somehow managed to patch it up. They both drank a lot, and it’s a miracle my physician father never got a DUI (that I am aware of-I once spied his red vintage Porsche in a ditch one morning on my way to work) and/or lost his medical license. So, while he definitely _depended_ on her more than she did on him, very hard to say who loved the other the most, given the overall dysfunction. On the other hand, there were plenty of good times to be had too, LOL stories and adventures (that she loved to regale us with) and fancy trips to exotic places. She did cry a ton after he passed in his sleep early one morning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=378) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=380)