On a show where you’re more likely to see chefs fretting over their soubise (a French onion sauce), garnishing their dishes with bottarga (a dried roe sac), or debating whether or not to cut away the pope’s nose on a chicken (the flap at the bird’s tail end), the last thing you expect to see on an episode of “The Bear” is the familiar red box that holds Hamburger Helper. Thankfully, The Bear restaurant isn’t in dire enough straits by Season 4, Episode 4 to be relying on the box filled with noodles and seasoning. But it is what the restaurant’s chef de cuisine, Sydney (played by Ayo Edebiri), uses to prepare a meal for T.J., her cousin Chantal’s tween daughter. Sydney, however, uses a few extra ingredients that give the resulting dish a little more culinary flair.
The first ingredient she adds is tomato paste, which, Sydney explains to T.J., is to “deepen the flavors and make it taste basically like it did not come out of a box.” Sydney seems to prefer tomato paste in a tube, which has a thicker consistency and less salt than canned. Beyond a close-up of some seasoning and macaroni in a pan, it’s unclear which of Hamburger Helper’s many flavors Sydney selected during her quick shopping trip. All of Hamburger Helper’s varieties feature a blend of spices and pasta and are meant to be prepared with ground beef.
A boost of umami with fresh cheese
Sydney gives the dish some extra umami flavor by adding in fresh cheese, which Sydney shows T.J. how to grate. When T.J. adds it to the pan, the Culinary Institute of America-trained chef encourages her to “stir and make sure everything is incorporated.” Although Sydney does pick up some panko when she and T.J. are shopping earlier in the episode, we never see whether or not she adds that to the dish as well. If you wanted to amp up the flavor on your own, you could add a can of Rotel diced tomatoes, which are spiced with green chilis.
Although the addition of the tomato paste and cheese, however, seems to be enough for T.J., Chantal has her own suggestion. After asking Sydney to bring her a bowl of the Hamburger Helper, she adds quickly, “Bring the hot sauce, too.”
Hamburger Helper seems to serve as much more than a meal enhancer in this episode. Sydney is helping T.J. out by giving her a few quick tips on cooking, but also by helping her address a problem with her friends. It also may have helped Sydney out as well. Sydney and the rest of The Bear restaurant staff are still reeling from — spoiler alert! — a bad review in “The Chicago Tribune,” but she seems heartened when T.J. hugs her and says, “You’re a good cook, and not just because you’re better than my mom.”
