wrote on May 4^th, 2004 at 6:25pm:

Has anyone tried the dehydrated hamburger they have at Wal-mart.   Maybe it has been there for a while but I assume it is new within the last year.  Does it work good for say tacos, spaghetti, and hamburger helper?  I assume it will, definately simplifies dehydrating your meat.  Has anyone compared the taste of meat you have personally dehydrated to what is bought in the stores, is there much difference?

What Walmart has is not dehydrated hamburger.  It is foil packed, pre-cooked burger.  I believe it weighs 12 oz. but is equvilant to 1 lb of uncooked hamburger.

I have tried it but only in Hamburger Helper meals.  I think it is fine.  Certainly not as good as fresh hamburger, but about on par with dehydrated.

It is disgusting looking as it comes out of the packet.  It looks like canned dog food.  But I dump it in a pot and then follow the Hamburger Helper directions as if I had just finished browning the hamburger.  You do need to break it up some as it heats up.  The end results is fine.

A large group of us (40) were on the Upper Iowa River (in Iowa) a week or so ago.  We had a potluck Saturday night.  I made up some Hamburger Helper using the foil packet hamburger.  It wasn't meant as a surprize but as an opportunity for folks to try it.  People ate it.  It didn't earn any praises until folks found out what it was made from then they thought it was pretty good considering.

So if you want to save the hassle of dehydrating burger, this is a good alternative.  remember though, once you open the package you need to use it all up.  It is esentially canned meat and you'd have to refrigerate what you don't use once it is opened.

BTW, if you want spaghetti on a trip, IMHO Hamburger Helper Spaghetti is the best.  A one pot meal.  No paste to add.  Comes out great.