New item added 04/08/2005 Chicken Tetrazzini

MREs in general have always been a mystery to those who have never tried them. They have been given a bad rap for many who hold to the old idea that military field rations are by design bland and poor tasting (started by the early forms of C and K rations). I have known for many years that this is not the case with the modern MRE rations. I first tried MREs back in the early late 1980's with the MRE version VII. At that time, the entree's and side dishes were good, but not great and they only had 12 total entree choices. The first I had tried was "Frankfurters with Beans" and as I remember, they were good.

Well now, MRE's are up to version XXV and there are 24 different entrees available, and a multitude of side dishes, beverages, snacks and condiments available for each individual MRE package. I have tried several of the MRE versions in the years between the 1980s and now, and I can say they have improved to the point that I can safely say that they are "Good Eats".

Through Ebay I have managed to get my hands on the LATEST packaged Military MREs. Unlike the Civilian packaged MRE's which I have been reviewing HERE these are the real deal, complete with everything our brave men and women in uniform have in the field. I am not going to ask how the person I got them from, came by them, I'm just glad I got a chance to try them. I have to say, aside from the 12 different main courses you get in a case like this, there is a great variety of side dishes, snacks and desserts in these.

Unlike the Civilian MRE reviews, here I will be reviewing each of these by MENU number . You see each of the Military cases, have a set series of menus. Case A has menus 1-12, and Case B has menus 12-24. The case I am reviewing here is Case B. packaged in November of 2004. I am not reviewing them in order, rather, I will be reviewing them by which menu I am most intrigued to try. They will be listed by Menu #.

This page is a work in progress, it will seem "under construction" until I finish all the reviews.

The following reviews will be added to as I have a chance to try each menu item. Check back from time to time for new reviews

Vegetable Manicotti in Tomato Sauce
Potato Sticks
Peanuts, Shelled, Roasted
Pangea World Bakery, Spiced Pound Cake
Crackers
Peanut Butter
Iced Tea Drink Mix
Diamond Crystal Brand Iodized Salt packet
Tobasco Sauce
Chewing Gum
Moist Towlette
Damp Proof Matches
Toilet Paper
Long handle brown plastic spoon
FRH heater

Beef Enchilada in Sauce
Refried Beans
Picante Sauce
Vegetable Crackers
Cheese Spread with Jalepenos
Chocolate Chip Cookie
Tasters Choice Original Blend Instant Coffee
Non Dairy Creamer
Domino Sugar
Diamond Crystal Iodized Salt
Ground Red Pepper
Chewing Gum
Moist Towlette
Damp Proof Matches
Toilet Paper
Long handle brown plastic spoon
FRH heater

Beef in Teriyaki Sauce with Vegetables
Chow Mein Noodles (dry in a separate bag, to eat with the Teryaki)
Shortbread Cookies
Wheat Snack Bread
Blackberry Jam
Beverage Powder (grape flavored)
Lipton Premium Blend Black Tea
Non Dairy Creamer
Domino Sugar packet
Diamond Crystal Brand Iodized Salt packet
Tobasco Sauce
Chewing Gum
Peanut Butter M&Ms (same as you would buy in a store, it even has a "specal offer" ad on the back)
Moist Towlette
Damp Proof Matches
Toilet Paper
Long handle brown plastic spoon
FRH heater

Chicken Tetrazzini
Vanilla Dairy Shake Powder
Kreamsicle Cookie
Crackers
Strawberry Jam
Iced Tea Drink Mix
Spiced Cider, Instant Apple Flavored Drink Mix (ooh yum)
Seasoning Blend, Salt Free
Diamond Crystal Brand Iodized Salt packet
Chewing Gum
Moist Towlette
Damp Proof Matches
Toilet Paper
Long handle brown plastic spoon
FRH heater

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 230
Calories from Fat: 35
Total Fat: 4g
Sat Fat: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 70mg
Sodium: 700mg
Total Carb: 19g
Protein: 29g
Net WT: 8 oz.

First off, I must tell you about a curiosity. All the previous entrees I have tried, either in this military packaged case or the civilian packages case, have been labeled with "Packaged exclusively for SOPAKCO packaging Mullins, SC". Well this entree is packaged by a 3rd party, "Ameriqual Foods" in Indiana. This item has been one of my favorites over the years, its been around a while. I would guess that SOPACKO never made it, but was tasked to include it in their case, so they just get it from Ameriqual.

Now, that said.... As I mentioned above, this has always been one of my favorite MRE entrees over the years. Here is why: It tastes GREAT without having to heat it. In fact, I never even try to heat it. Now traditional tetrazzini is usually made like a casserole, but I find that when its cold (as it is in an MRE) it is very much like a more complicated chicken salad. This tetrazzini has white meat chicken, spaghetti, cream, cheddar cheese, mushroom and pimentos as well as some spice which I am not able to recognize. I didn't know this dish had mushroom in it till just now, I never noticed before. Funny considering I usually HATE mushroom, but I guess in this combination I like it :) Good Eats ladies and gentlemen.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 280
Total Fat: 10g
Sat Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 70mg
Sodium: 1250mg
Total Carb: 19g
Protein: 27g
Net WT: 8 oz.

This "Teriyaki" entree's sauce is not what I would consider a true teriyaki, but it is similar in flavor. From what I could tell, it has Beef, Onion and Broccoli, but I wasn't entirely sure what the vegetables were. It was satisfactory but would have been much better if the beef slices had less fat and gristle. Many people like fat in their beef but I don't. This MRE menu also came with Crispy Chow Mein Noodles, that when added to the Beef Teriyaki, made it more rounded out. The soft veggies and beef mixed with crunchy noodles, made for a much more pleasing texture than the entree by itself. I did not try this entree cold, as I wanted to try out the FRH heater, which can't be used if the entree has been opened.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 130
Calories From Fat: 45
Total Fat: 5g
Sat Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 110mg
Total Carb: 16g
Protein: 3g
Net WT: 1oz.

These are just your average Asian style crunchy chow mein noodles, nothing more nothing less. I assume this was included in this menu specifically to go with the Asian main course, since you can't really package cooked white rice.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 168
Calories From Fat: 103
Total Fat: 11g
Sat Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 177mg
Total Carb: 17g
Protein: 2g
Net WT: 1oz.

These are a tasty little snack when you've got munchies. They are basically the same as the french fried potato sticks you buy in cans at the store. Cruchy and salty. As close to junk food as I think you can get in an MRE. (So far.. I haven't seen all the snacks available yet)

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 180
Total Fat: 5g
Sat Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 330mg
Total Carb: 25g
Protien: 3g
Net WT: 2 oz.

The packaging this bread comes in (vacuum packed) makes you think this is nothing more than a single slice of bread. When you open it though, you find that it is an individually baked piece of bread, shaped like a slice from a standard loaf. Basically... its covered entirely by "crust". So if your one of those that never eats your crust, you probably wont like this :) It does taste like normal wheat bread though. Nothing fantastic. Because of the way this bread is baked, the "soft" inside isn't really soft like a normal piece of bread. A normal loaf's interior is soft because of the space that it has for the bread to rise... this bread does not have that luxury. You could call it "unleavan" bread. Alone, I cant say I would eat this unless I had to, but with a topping such as jelly or peanut butter it would be good.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 180
Calories from Fat: 50
Total Fat: 5g
Sat Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 85mg
Total Carb: 28g
Protein: 4g
Net WT: 1.33 oz.

These aren't exactly saltines, but they are similar. They are a much denser cracker, more like a cross between butter crackers and saltines. You get 2 crackers that each can be broken into 4 squares, but they rarely "break on the lines". I really like these crackers, as long as you have some condiment, jelly, jam or peanut butter.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 210
Calories from Fat: 90
Total Fat: 10g
Sat Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 470mg
Total Carb: 28g
Protein: 3g
Net WT: 1.5 oz.

These little babys rocked. Just like bakery shortbread cookies. You get a good portion too. I only wish that the MRE came with a fresh glass of milk to drink with these.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 170
Calories from Fat:120
Total Fat: 14g
Sat Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 130mg
Total Carb: 7g
Protein: 7g
Net WT: 28g

I'm normally a fan of peanuts, but these just didn't impress me. They ARE roasted peanuts of course, but they just didn't taste right. They were a little bland, not enough salt maybe. I mean, they are a good source for protein in a small package, but I didn't finish the bag. I'm sure if I were really hungry I would have though.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 70
Total Fat: 0g
Sat Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Total Carb: 17g
Protein: 1g
Net WT: 1 oz.

I got to try this great stuff on the MRE Crackers. As good as any Smuckers Jam you would buy in the store. I swear It even had seeds, but I cant be sure, I ate it too fast to notice.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 70
Total Fat: 0g
Sat Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Total Carb: 17g
Protein: 0g
Net WT: 1 oz.

I love Blackberry Jam, I really do. While this isnt as good as the really expensive blackberry jam you might buy at those quaint little cheese, sausage, jam and jelly shops in Wisconsin, it is still a great topping. It DID have blackberry seed and rind still present in the jam. Very good, Thumbs up.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 260
Calories from fat: 170
Total Fat: 19g
Sat Fat: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 220mg
Total Carb: 9g
Protein: 13g
Net WT: 1.5 oz.

Some may think peanut butter is peanut butter. Well I dont believe that, and I DO have preferred brands of peanut butter. Those two brands being Skippy and Jiff. Any other brands of peanut butter suck, either too oily, or too dry. Well I eqaute this MRE peanut butter with that of Skippy. Goes GREAT with the crackers, but I'd even eat it by itself right out of the package. Also, check out the Nutrition Info, its a great source of quick protein.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 470 (Wow)
Calories from fat: 180g
Total Fat:19
Sat Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 260mg
Total Carb: 56g
Sugars: 51g
Protein: 17g
Net WT: 3.5oz

Way back in my wee childhood, my family was not as well off as would have been nice. So I've had my fill of government dehydrated milk. You would think that would have turned me off of this "Dairyshake Powder". But really, you can do some good stuff with dehydrated dairy product. So I gave it a chance. The directions tell you to tear off the top of the bag, pour 6 oz of cold water into the bag, fold it over to seal it, then shake it for 1 minute.

So I do it, and as I'm doing it I notice one of the other items included in this menu, a Kreamsicle Cookie. I thought... hmm, these things would go good together. So I finish shaking the thing, then I think to myself "how the heck do you drink this without making a mess of yourself?" I mean drinking out of the pouch is bound to make a mess. So I spoon it, not too easy, as its a little thin, but it works.

Conclusion? Its OK, its not a McDonalds shake, but its ok. And no gastro intestinal distress one might expect. The instructions DO say to drink the shake within an hour of mixing though.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 130
Total Fat: 0g
Sat Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 0mg
Total Carb: 32g
Protein: 0g
Net WT: 34g
Vitamin C: 35% RDA

This beverage item is very similar to HiC orange drink. The directions for mixing the drink are:

Dissolve the contents of the 34 gram envelope into 12 ounces (1/2 canteen cup) of cold water. Allow water JUST chemically purified to stand 30 minutes before adding beverage powder.

This is a very tasty beverage as long as you make sure its mixed well. Without mixing it well, the drink can be a little powdery. It tasted better when mixed with cool or cold water than it does with warm water.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 130
Total Fat: 0g
Sat Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 0mg
Total Carb: 32g
Protein: 0g
Net WT: 34g
Vitamin C: 35% RDA

This is exactly the same as the Orange Beverage Powder listed above, except it tastes like grape... oh the advances of modern science :)

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 60
Total Fat: 0g
Sat Fat: 0g
Sodium: 0mg
Total Carb: 15g
Sugars: 15g
Protien: 0g
Net WT: 16g

Unlike the Fruit Beverage Powders that use 12 oz. of water, this only needs 6oz. It makes your average Lemon flavored Iced Tea, tastes good, kinda sweet. Works best with COLD water.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 300
Calories from fat: 120
Total Fat: 13g
Sat Fat: 3g
Sodium: 260mg
Total Carb: 40g
Sugars: 21g
Protien: 4g
Net WT: 71g

This is a rather tasty treat, but it crumbles terribly under the slightest handling. The main flavors in the cake consists of Cinnamon. It definitely sits heavy in your stomach, and you'll want to have some water to wash it down.