Chef Boyardee

Chef Boyardee is a brand of canned pasta products sold internationally by Conagra Brands. The company was founded by Italian immigrant Hector Boiardi in Milton, Pennsylvania, U.S., in 1938.[1][2]

Chef Boyardee
Product typeCanned pasta products
OwnerConagra Brands
CountryUnited States
Introduced1938 (1938)
Websitewww.chefboyardee.com

History
The Chef Boyardee factory in Milton, Pennsylvania, as seen from across the West Branch Susquehanna River at Central Oak Heights.

After leaving his position as head chef at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, Boiardi opened a restaurant called Il Giardino d'Italia in 1924[3] at East 9th Street and Woodland Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.[4] The idea for Chef Boyardee came about when restaurant customers began asking Boiardi for his spaghetti sauce, which he began to distribute in milk bottles.[3] Four years later, in 1928, Boiardi opened a factory and moved production to Milton, Pennsylvania, where he could grow his own tomatoes and mushrooms.[2] He decided to name his product "Boy-Ar-Dee" to help Americans pronounce his name correctly.[3] The first product to be sold was a "ready-to-heat spaghetti kit" in 1928. The kit included uncooked pasta, tomato sauce, and a container of pre-grated cheese.[5]

Two Chef Boyardee Mini Bites canned pasta products

The U.S. military commissioned the company during World War II for the production of army rations, requiring the factory to run 24 hours a day.[2] At its peak, the company employed approximately 5,000 workers and produced 250,000 cans per day. After the war ended, Boiardi had to choose between selling the company or laying off everyone he had hired. He sold the company to American Home Foods in 1946 for nearly $6 million, and remained as a spokesman and consultant for the brand until 1978.[6] American Home Foods turned its food division into International Home Foods in 1996. Four years later, International Home Foods was purchased by ConAgra Foods, which continues to produce Chef Boyardee canned pastas bearing Boiardi's likeness.[7]

Products (canned or microwaveable)

Throwback recipes [8]

  • Spaghetti & Meatballs
  • Meat Lovers Pasta
  • Mini Ravioli Beef Ravioli
  • Beef Ravioli
  • Beefaroni
  • Lasagna

Spaghetti [9]

  • Spaghetti & Meatballs Can
  • Spaghetti & Meatballs Microwavable Cup
  • Jumbo Spaghetti & Meatballs Can
  • Mini Spaghetti & Meatballs Can
  • Mini Spaghetti Rings & Meatballs Can
  • Mini Spaghetti Rings & Meatballs Cup

Beefaroni [10]

  • Beefaroni Can
  • Beefaroni Microwavable Cup
  • Big Beefaroni Can

Ravioli [11]

  • Beef Ravioli Can
  • Beef Ravioli Microwavable Cup
  • Mini Ravioli Can
  • Chicken Ravioli Can
  • Cheese Ravioli In Tomato Sauce Can
  • Cheese Ravioli In Meat Sauce Microwavable Cup
  • Overstuffed Beef Ravioli Can
  • Overstuffed Italian Sausage Ravioli Can
  • Mini Beef Ravioli & Meatballs Can
  • Mini Beef Ravioli & Meatballs Microwaveable Cup
  • Mini Micro Beef Ravioli Microwaveable Cup

Lasagna [12]

  • Lasagna Can
  • Lasagna Microwavable Cup

Fun Flavors [13]

  • Pasta With Chicken And Vegetables Microwave Cup
  • Cheesy Rice Microwave Cup
  • Spaghetti In Tomato Sauce Microwave Cup
  • Pasta In Butter Sauce Microwaveable Cup
  • Pasta In Butter Sauce Can
  • SpongeBob Microwavable Cup
  • Spongebob Can
  • Paw Patrol Microwavable Cup
  • Paw Patrol Can
  • Mac & Cheese Can
  • Mac & Cheese Microwavable Cup
  • Rice With Chicken & Vegetables Cup
  • Chili Mac Can
  • Cheesy Burger Macaroni Can
  • Mini ABC's & 123'S With Meatballs Cup
  • Mini ABC's & 123'S Without Meatballs Can
  • Mini ABC's & 123'S With Meatballs Can
  • Chicken Alfredo Can
  • Mini Pasta Shells & Meatballs Can
  • Mini Pasta Shells & Meatballs Cup

Pizza & Sauces [14]

  • Cheese Pizza Maker
  • Pepperoni Pizza Maker
  • Pizza Sauce With Cheese
  • Spaghetti Sauce With Meat

Advertising

In 2018, Barbara Lippert of Advertising Age compared the 1966 Young & Rubicam ad for Beefaroni to The 400 Blows and running of the bulls. The ad features a large group of children running through Venice singing, "Hooray...for Beefaroni!" Lippert believed the ad influenced other famous commercials such as Prince Spaghetti (known for "Anthony! Anthony!") and "Hilltop" for Coca-Cola.[15]

In 2015, a class-action lawsuit was brought against the Chef Boyardee company. The lawsuit alleged false advertisement on the part of Chef Boyardee. Their product labels stated that they contained no preservatives, yet they contained citric acid. The plaintiff who filed the class-action lawsuit was demanding more than $5 million in damages.[16] The lawsuit was dismissed.

References
  1. "Quick Meals for Dinner with Chef's Canned Foods". ConAgra Foods, Inc. (Chef Boyardee). Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  2. "real". Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  3. Abraham, Lisa (29 November 2011). "Your favorite food icons: Fact or fiction?". The Tribune-Review. Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  4. "Giardino". Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  5. "Natural History of the Kitchen: Chef Boyardee – Eat Me Daily". Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  6. Kelly, Debra (2017-08-15). "The untold truth of Chef Boyardee". Mashed.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  7. "history". Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  8. "Classic Recipe Products | Chef Boyardee". chefboyardee.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  9. "Canned & Microwave Spaghetti | Chef Boyardee". chefboyardee.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  10. "Beefaroni: Macaroni & Beef Products | Chef Boyardee". chefboyardee.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  11. "Canned Beef & Cheese Ravioli | Chef Boyardee | Chef Boyardee". chefboyardee.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  12. "Canned & Microwavable Lasagna | Chef Boyardee". chefboyardee.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  13. "Mac and Cheese & Fun Flavor Products | Chef Boyardee". chefboyardee.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  14. "Pizza Kits & Canned Spaghetti Sauce | Chef Boyardee". chefboyardee.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  15. Lippert, Barbara (July 9, 2018). "The Chef Whose Beef Got Him Canned". Advertising Age. 89 (15): 32. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  16. "Chef Boyardee Maker Hit With False Advertising Class Action". Top Class Actions. 2015-09-22. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
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