Oh, boy (or uh-oh, if you hate Hamburger Helper-type mixes!) - here comes a new quick and easy dinner: Tuna Helper's "Tuna Melt." You'll find the 8-ounce box at Smith's for $1.99.
Nihla Lake (married, two children at home): "This must be `Betty Crocker Month' in `Testing Land.' Four of the six products in our testing bag are Betty Crocker! Maybe we'll feel like sending Betty packing at the end of the month!"Betty's first offering is a dreaded `Helper' - Tuna Helper, to be specific. We subbed chunk canned chicken for the tuna, and it wasn't bad it all. The mild, flavorful cheddar cheese topping and sauce were a delightful accompaniment to the chicken. We enjoyed! OK, Betty, bring on the next one."
Edyth Jensen (married, one daughter and two grandkids at home): "If you like `Mac 'n' Cheese' you will probably enjoy trying the Tuna Melt. It is plenty cheesy. The tuna adds a different slant on the mac and cheese, but the little ones ate it and thought it was great. It will be good to have on the shelf for a quick-fix dinner or lunch."
Don Russell (married, five children at home, ages 6-16): "This was the first time this decade we'd had the `luxury' of dining on Tuna Helper. What did we think? This version was rather runny and lacked any pizazz. Adding another can of tuna and some type of vegetable would give more life and color to this dish. If you don't mind a `boxed' meal once in awhile, I think you can do better than this one."
Linda C. Tingey (single mother, two teenage boys at home): "With a few variations, this was not bad at all. I made and served this to my married kids who were moving. It was quick to prepare, and they all enjoyed it. I added potato chip crumbs on top, and that gave it a little extra flavor. Considering it's a pre-packaged mix, it wasn't too bad and good for a meal in a pinch. I'm still a make-it-from scratch person, but I will add this to the few Hamburger Helpers I'll buy."
Rich Firmage (married, four children, oldest 12 years old): "I can think of only two types of food I will not even try. One of them is Tuna Helper.
"My kids opened the box and ate the noodles without them being cooked. They liked them. I didn't touch any of it and never will!"
Bill Allred (single): "I have only one thing to say to the newspaper-reading, grocery-buying public: `Please! For pity's sake, stop buying Tuna Helper! Stop buying Hamburger Helper! There is nothing good in any of these products.' I've never tested a one of the so-called `helper' products that was worth the time or effort to prepare. This one was high in fat and bland. Yechhh!"
Conclusion: While "it's not bad at all" is faint praise, that's about all this Tuna Helper could round up from our testers. Rich wouldn't even cook the stuff; Bill's ready to stage a protest. If you're in a huge hurry sometime and need a quick meal to get you through an emergency situation, Tuna Melt might save the day.