MRE #19, Beef Roast with Vegetables
10 The real beef in this meal startled the entire staff. After tasting other meat meals, they’d grown accustomed to spongy substitutes. “It’s a Midwestern delight–in a bag,” was one comment. The potatoes, however, were a different story. Very pasty, they tasted like they came straight from a can. “But the thrill of real beef overcame that shortcoming.”
MRE #2, Pork Rib with New England Style Clam Chowder
9 The pork rib was so good and realistic, one taster said, “I swear I could taste bone marrow.” And the thick and creamy clam chowder looked and tasted like it was shipped from Boston. The consensus: “The clam chowder is very tasty. But you need to warm it to really enjoy it.”
MRE #12, Veggie Burger with Barbecue Sauce
8 Surprisingly yummy. Hands down the most unexpected entree in the batch. The staff approached the veggie burger like Bambi at a rifle range convention, timidly. But a taster said, “It tastes more like meat than the beef-type entrees. It has surprisingly good flavor. Definitely a meal I’d eat again.” Everyone agreed. If only all vegetarian cuisine was this good.
MRE #13, Cheese Tortellini
7 Tops the list for the Italian fare. “Smells great and is very tomatoey. It looks good, too–like a normal dish. It’s creamy, a good meal, overall.”
MRE #15, Beef Enchiladas with Picante Sauce
6 The best of the south-of-the-border entrees. “It has a spicy-Mexicany taste worth trading for. The picante sauce has kick and mixes well with the enchilada.”
MRE #10, Chili Mac
5 Get what you pay for in this meal. No false advertising here. “Just what I expected–a good-tasting chili mac. An American classic–dig in!”
MRE #3, Beef Ravioli
4 Another Italian meal in the “it’s-hard-to-mess-this-up” category. “Not a bad deal. It tastes better than Chef Boy-R-Dee. And it looks good–always a plus.”
MRE #21, Chicken Tetrazzini
3 “Looks like a school lunch.” Although the staff agreed it tasted yummy, the texture was a bit disturbing. "Sticks to teeth and gums a bit, but it’s really good.
MRE #16, Chicken with Noodles
2 An old reliable and close kissing cousin to chicken tetrazzini–and with the same disturbing problem. The taste was great, “but the consistency was kind of weird. It stuck together like cow saliva [Napoleon’s grenadiers would have loved that]. But looks were deceiving.”
MRE #8, Beef Patty with Mexican Mac & Cheese
1 The mac and cheese side dish kept this entree from falling off the list. The beef patty was unreal–as in not real. “It was kind of like a ‘Mexican Sponge Bob.’”
Best of the Worst