Hector Boiardi (1898–1985), better known as "Chef Boyardee" was an Italian chef who became famous for his eponymous franchise of food products.

His cooking skill became notable when he opened his first restaurant, Il Giardino d'Italia, in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1940s. Patrons asked for multiple servings of his spaghetti sauce, which he would give to the customers in old milk bottles. Demand grew, so much so, in fact, that he had to employ the use of a tiny factory to keep up with orders. It was at this time that he set his sights on selling his product nationally, first priding his spaghetti products on being cheap and thus a good meal choice to serve to the entire family. Boiardi was quite proud of his Italian heritage. He sold his products under Chef Boy-Ar-Dee, allowing his American customers to pronounce his name perfectly.

Later, he sold his franchise to American Home Foods (which, in turn, became affiliated with ConAgra Foods, Inc.), and helped them make new Italian food products for the American market until his death. His likeness can still be seen on Chef Boyardee brand products.

In the last two decades, rumors have abounded that Chef Boyardee was not a real person, but merely a fictional icon created to sell foodstuffs. This stems from the fact that he was less active toward his death; he appeared in many of his company's television commercials for his brand in the 1950s and 1960s.

A cartoon version of Chef Boyardee appears in the company's more recent television commercials.

One of the jingles associated with his products was "Good cookin', that's Chef Boy-Ar-Dee."