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Hometown Foods
Note: Some of the exact dates could not be found, which is why some items show “unknown” for release or discontinuation dates.
Discontinued: 1986
When space fever gripped America in the early ’80s, Chef Boyardee launched into orbit with alien, robot, and flying saucer pasta shapes. These extraterrestrial “kids” battled Franco-Americans’ UFOs with Meteors for space-themed supremacy, promising a lunch that tasted “out of this world” with three cosmic varieties.
Discontinued: Late 1980s
The world’s hungriest video game character met his match in 1984. This pasta featured Pac-Man, ghosts, and power pellets in “golden chicken sauce.” It turned dinner into an arcade experience. The product was so culturally significant that the Smithsonian preserved cans until they spoiled. Perhaps history’s most expensive cleanup?
Discontinued: Unknown
These friendly sharks swam onto shelves in 1990 with sunny smiles that made them seem more like underwater buddies than predators. Great white, tiger, and hammerhead shapes could double as penguins or rockets when turned sideways. Pasta creativity knew no bounds in the ’90s.
Discontinued: 1997
Cowabunga dude! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles joined Chef Boyardee in 1991, transforming Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, and Shredder into pasta shapes. Each can included a guide to identify turtle stances, boldly claiming to be “the best tasting food since pizza - and you don’t have to call out for it!”
Discontinued: Late 1990s
Web-slinging arrived at dinner tables in 1995 with Spider-Man and web-shaped noodles “smothered in secret sauce.” Timed with the 1994 Spider-Man series, this Marvel masterpiece proved superhero appetites extended beyond fighting crime to conquering hunger.
Discontinued: 2017
This prehistoric pasta ruled the pantry for over two decades. Starting with brontosaurus, tyrannosaurus, and stegosaurus, pterodactyl later joined the herd. TV ads challenged kids to capture all four shapes on one spoonful for the ultimate win. It made every meal a Jurassic game.
Discontinued: Unknown
Before frozen pizza dominated, families could craft homemade pies with Chef Boyardee’s kit, containing canned sauce, dough mix, and questionable grated cheese. This ’70s-’80s nostalgia trip eventually lost to tastier alternatives as pizza technology got better.
Discontinued: Unknown
Chef Boyardee’s bold venture into Kraft’s territory proved that tomato sauce mastery doesn’t guarantee cheese success. Critics slammed the bland flavor and watery sauce, proving that in the mac and cheese wars, some battles are better left unfought.
Discontinued: Unknown
Wide noodles, meat, and sauce promised lasagna layers in convenient canned form. Unfortunately, reviews consistently mentioned mushy textures and missing distinct layers. This canned pasta dish was quickly discontinued due to horrible reviews.
Discontinued: Unknown
This ambitious fusion attempted to capture America’s favorite sandwich in pasta form, combining beef ravioli with cheese-flavored burger sauce. The experimental flavor profile proved too divisive for mainstream success, quietly disappearing from the increasingly crowded Chef Boyardee lineup.
Discontinued: 2020
Marshall, Rubble, and the gang made meals “paw-some” for a brief but beloved run. These heroic pups proved that even modern franchises couldn’t guarantee pasta permanence, though they later found new life in Kraft Mac & Cheese and Campbell’s soups.
Discontinued: May 2024
The most recent Chef Boyardee food discontinuation, this cream sauce catastrophe earned a dismal 3.1-star rating on Walmart’s website. Rubbery chicken, flavorless sauce, and soggy noodles created such disappointment that even picky kids refused seconds. It continues to be Chef Boyardee’s most criticized creation.
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