Chef Boyardee – The Man With a Plan for a Can

Chef Boyardee Statue – Milton, Pennsylvania

Every American kid who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s probably had more than their fair share of curious meatlumps and squishy sketties from a can courtesy of this dude. The man with the can – Chef Boyardee.

As an adult, the idea of eating spaghetti or any kind of pasta from a can holds zero appeal for me. I’m doubly grossed out by the thought of some sort of meat being involved in there as well. But, the guy was clearly on to something. It’s been nearly 100 years since the canned pasta was introduced and it’s still going strong.

You can find a statue of the good chef outside of the ConAgra offices in the town of Milton. Snapping a quick selfie with the bronze is a fun roadside stop.

chef boyardee statue in milton pennsylvania

Chef Boyardee was a real dude!

Most people probably think Chef Boyardee was just a marketing character. But no, Hector Boiardi was a real man with a plan and not just a can.

chef boyardee statue in milton pennsylvania

Visit Chef Boyardee

A bronze statue of the good chef’s likeness stands outside of Con Agra Foods in Milton, Pennsylvania.

Visit the statue:
30 Marr St., Milton, PA
Google Maps

First Commercial – 1953

In this YouTube video you can enjoy Hector Boiardi’s lovely lyrical accent as he discusses feeding your family on a budget.

I’m going to be a bit controversial here but I think Hector was our first celeb sex symbol chef. That accent… [swoon] He’s so persuasive I’m finding myself wanting to feed my family for only 15¢ a meal.

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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4 Responses

  1. Bob B says:

    My parents were Old World German immigrants who did not believe in prepackaged meals, especially in a can. My brothers and I were introduced to Chef Boyardee, Swanson’s, et al by friends’ parents. It was a guilty pleasure we did not tell our parents about. Thanks for stirring a long dormant memory. Bob

  2. RichardM says:

    The only time we got to have canned spaghetti was when we went camping. Later, while doing geology field work, I was introduced to Chef Boyardee spaghetti (without meatballs) cold out of the can. It had to be without meatballs. Just cheese and sauce…

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