The original celebrity chef might be Chef Hector Boiardi—also known as Chef Boyardee. (He really did look like the label.) Chef Boiardi was born to create great food, and worked in Italian restaurants before he started the company that made Beefaroni famous. The original recipes for his Ravioli, Beefaroni and Lasagna all had good, simple ingredients, and Chef Boyardee is making ’em again!

What’s in the Throwback Chef Boyardee Ravioli, Beefaroni and Lasagna?

The funky vintage-styled “throwback recipes” are made with California tomatoes, Angus beef and real Romano cheese. Each meal can be heated in minutes to bring back the Chef Boyardee taste you remember:

  • Ravioli: Fluffy ground beef-stuffed pasta pockets, smothered in hearty Italian-style tomato sauce, seasoned with Romano cheese
  • Beefaroni: The classic Boyardee elbow macaroni from your childhood with ground beef, hearty Italian-style tomato sauce and Romano cheese
  • Lasagna: Classic wavy lasagna noodles with a savory, gooey, Bolognese-style meat sauce, generously layered with Romano cheese

You can buy Chef Boyardee throwback recipes at most grocery stores, including Walmart and Amazon Fresh, plus regional chains like Hannaford and Hy-Vee. But lots of places appear to be sold out for now—it looks like everyone is craving that ravioli! (Psst: You can get the lasagna by the case on Amazon!)

For a weeknight recipe that doesn’t require much work, try these easy Italian dinners.

Meet the Real Chef Boiardi

Hector Boiardi was an apprentice chef when he was only 11 years old. He came to America in 1914, and worked at New York’s famed Plaza Hotel and eventually became head chef. He even catered the wedding of Edith and Woodrow Wilson in 1915.

The “Chef Boiardi Food Company” started in 1928 with a pre-packaged spaghetti dinner that included a canister of grated parmesan cheese, a box of spaghetti and a large jar of spaghetti sauce. (It’s surprisingly easy to make your own canned spaghetti sauce.) He changed the name of the company to “Boy-Ar-Dee” so American customers would have no problem pronouncing it. The rest is history!

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