MRE stands for Meal, Ready-to-Eat, and are self-contained field rations that are used by military, campers, hunters, and anyone looking for a quick meal. These meals have a long shelf life and do not require refrigeration, cooking, or even the use of utensils, making them ideal for use in a variety of conditions.
MREs typically contain an entree, a side dish, crackers or bread, dessert, a spread (such as peanut butter or cheese), a beverage powder, and sometimes a accessory pack that includes utensils, matches, and hot sauce. The contents of MREs are packaged in a durable, waterproof, and easily transportable pouch, making them easy to carry and store.
While MREs were originally developed for military use, they are now widely used by civilian campers, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts as well as by disaster relief organizations and other groups that need to provide food in emergency or remote settings.
MREs are designed to provide the necessary nutrients and energy for those consuming them, but they are generally not considered to be gourmet food and are known for their long shelf life and durable packaging more so than their taste.
For more info on MREs, check out our MRE guide here.
Table of Contents
- Mountain House Chicken Fajita Bowl
- Mountain House Beef Stroganoff
- Mountain House Pasta Primavera
- Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef
- Mountain House Homestyle Turkey Dinner
Mountain House is one of the most popular MRE companies and has been routinely contracted out to make meals for military forces including US Special Forces. They really grew during the Vietnam war when the US military put in a request for food that tasted better and lasted longer. Since then, Mountain House has really expanded into the consumer market as well. Their MRE’s are probably one of the easiest to source and they are quality. Here are our favorites.
Mountain House Chicken Fajita Bowl
My favorite MRE meal, ever. If I had to live off MREs for the rest of my life, I would make them all chicken fajita bowls. You get chicken, rice, peppers, black beans, corn and onions which all combined with the seasoning are perfection. The texture is exactly as it should be, and since it’s just one big bowl it’s easy to prep. All you have to do is add boiling water into the bag and wait 10 minutes.
Mountain House Beef Stroganoff
Probably the closest MRE that comes down to the real meal. This is a delicious feeling meal combined with the pasta, beef and mushrooms you would expect in a beef stroganoff. I love the creamy sauce that puts the whole thing together nicely. Preparation is easy, open the pouch, add hot water, wait 10 minutes and eat it right from the bag!
Mountain House Pasta Primavera
If you love pasta primavera, you will love it in this MRE. There are tons of chunks of zucchini, spiral macaroni and a good variety of different vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and more. The sauce is cheesy as it should be and the additional seasoning consists of garlic, turmeric and parmesan.
Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef
A bit of a mix of everything with this one but it delivers in flavour. You get a spicy chili combined with macaroni and delicious beef. The sauce has a great consistency too it and the chili seasoning gives it the kick you would expect from chili. You do not require any additional cooking tools with this one as all you do is add boiling water to the pouch.
Mountain House Homestyle Turkey Dinner
If you wanted a turkey dinner on the go, this is as close as it’s going to get. This MRE combines everything you would expect from a turkey dinner in an MRE. It includes turkey, carrots, celery, green beans, stuffing and more. It’s not going to be the perfect turkey dinner but it’ll come close. Honestly short of the cranberry sauce it’s missing, it’s pretty spot on.
Bon appetite!
Ben