What's your favorite MRE experience?

CH (MAJ) William Beaver — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:12:18 -0400

Everyone has a story about 'that time when I had that MRE.' What is your most memorable moment with an MRE? Any particular way you consume the contents - such as adding coffee tubes to the pudding , or pouring the phony grounds of caffeine directly onto your tongue? What about using the heating element and bag as a 'fun diversion ?' Ever mixed all the little packets together, that come in the clear plastic packet, and consume as a 'hangover' remedy ?

Response by SFC Stephen King made Apr 29 at 2015 2:19 PM

SFC Stephen King — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:19:33 -0400

MRE The first time someone gave me a demostration on how to make the "Ranger cookie"

I learned this one from some and SGT when I was in NTC. It's called a "Ranger Cookie." Camping is the best venue for this particular recipe, as you'll see below.

Required items:

1 cocoa beverage powder packet
1 used cardboard box from an entree or side dish
1 packet sugar
1 packet creamer
1 MRE Heater (unless you can light a fire, matches included in old MRE's)

Instructions:

1. Open the cocoa beverage powder, sugar and creamer packets.
2. Pour the sugar and creamer into the cocoa packet and mix together thoroughly.
3. Then, fold the cocoa beverage powder packet at the open end several times so the mixture will not escape.
4. Place the folded packet all the way down into the cardboard box.
5. Very carefully (for obvious reasons), place the cardboard box into the glowing embers at the bottom of the campfire.
6. Let cook for 2-3 minutes (In Heater or Fire).
7. Remove item from the fire. Peel away the packet and you will have a fully cooked, hard, chocolaty Ranger Cookie.

Important! It does not take long for this to cook - any longer than 2 to 3 minutes and you'll have a charcoal briquet for a Ranger Cookie.

Bon appetit!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 2:19 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:19:36 -0400

Always was, and always will be.....the Pork with Rice in BBQ Sauce. MRE Meal #1. First MRE that didnt make me nauseous right upon opening

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 2:21 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:21:47 -0400

When I dont have to eat that cat food!

Response by MSG Morgan Fiszel, CPCM, CFCM made Apr 29 at 2015 2:25 PM

MSG Morgan Fiszel, CPCM, CFCM — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:25:30 -0400

I really miss some of the old school ones, like corned beef hash! I'm pretty sure ham slice was created for aliens.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Apr 29 at 2015 2:27 PM

SFC Stephen King — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:27:16 -0400

The matches in the MRE's are also a bug repellant. My Drill Sergeant told us about this , At a meal bite off the tips of 2-4 match heads and swallow with water - kind of like little pills. The chemicals in the match heads come out in your sweat and the bugs don't like it. I always found that the bugs pretty much left me alone when I was doing this - even when others were complaining about the bugs/mosquitos/etc. Whenever I didnt eat the match heads I would get various bug bites.

So I don't recommend this as it has been proven false.

But Drill Sergeant said....:)

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 2:32 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:32:53 -0400

My BCT plt I always go the tuna MRE, thank god for the milkshake is all I have to say

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 29 at 2015 2:32 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:32:19 -0400

I regarded the beer patty as dehydrated cat turds.

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Apr 29 at 2015 2:39 PM

1LT Nick Kidwell — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:39:53 -0400

Chili Mac and Jalapeno cheese. Nuff said.

Then there was the time at BCT when we were told that DS was going to do a HWI right after a field exercise, so everyone dumped their MRE coffee into the "Amnesty Box."

Apparently DS didn't care about coffee, because afterwards, he just put the box in the bay garbage can and left...at which point I promptly collected up all the packets.

Good times.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Apr 29 at 2015 2:47 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:47:40 -0400

Brink back the Frankfurters and the dehydrated patties!!!

Response by CPT Bob Moore made Apr 29 at 2015 2:53 PM

CPT Bob Moore — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:53:32 -0400

I always tried to trade to get whatever I didn't have to make a simple PB&J

Crackers, peanut butter, grape jelly.

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Apr 29 at 2015 3:12 PM

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 15:12:19 -0400

That center item looks disturbingly like a condom ...

Response by MAJ Bob Mayer made Apr 29 at 2015 4:26 PM

MAJ Bob Mayer — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 16:26:54 -0400

I was part of the unit that field tested MRE's way back when. 1/12 Cav at Fort Hood. We rolled out to the field for a couple of weeks and literally had to stop in the middle of whatever we were doing and eat. Then fill out forms.

I don't think they took the feedback very seriously. I preferred Lurps or however it's spelled. Of course, some of us remember C-Rations.

Response by SPC Carl K. made Apr 29 at 2015 4:45 PM

SPC Carl K. — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 16:45:18 -0400

I was always considered the weird guy in whatever unit I was in, because it didn't matter what flavor of MRE it was, I loved them. I think only recently have I found one I didn't care for (yes, I still eat them occasionally), but overall, they are all great, in my opinion.

A bonus for me was while I was in, I had (and still do somewhat) a phobia about using porta-potties for more than standing. I could always count on the MREs to clog me up so I wouldn't have to go while we were in the field. Of course, once I was back at the barracks afterward, or later, my house, Look Out!

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Apr 29 at 2015 5:32 PM

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 17:32:35 -0400

C-Rations were pretty much uneatable unless "blended" with other boxes. The folks at Tabasco used to send over cases and that was the magic ingredient about 99% of the time.
Is that still the deal?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 5:36 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 17:36:42 -0400

Sir,
I believe it is an oxymoron to say favorite and MRE in the same sentence.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 8:17 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 20:17:07 -0400

#1 Chili and Whatever the chicken noodles was

Response by SPC Neil Hood made Apr 29 at 2015 8:36 PM

SPC Neil Hood — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 20:36:06 -0400

Jalepēno cheese on the vegetable crackers!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 9:03 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 21:03:39 -0400

Corn beef and hash with grape jelly, warmed with crushed crackers and hot sauce. That's a meal.

Response by MSgt Rob Weston made Apr 29 at 2015 11:34 PM

MSgt Rob Weston — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 23:34:14 -0400

Result of a good MRE...

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 12:07 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 00:07:18 -0400

I actually kind of miss the Jumbalaya and cajun rice with beans and sausage. I thought they were some of the better ones out there.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 6:29 AM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 06:29:10 -0400

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Apr 30 at 2015 9:17 AM

SGT Bryon Sergent — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 09:17:10 -0400

I have 2. Chicken and rice and Chick al King. need cheese and hot sauce for the both of them.

Response by SSG(P) D. Wright Downs made Apr 30 at 2015 11:19 AM

SSG(P) D. Wright Downs — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 11:19:07 -0400

After C-Rations, MREs were a real novelty. I took the leftovers and made soup for those on night guard duty. There were so many calories in a pouch, we females on separate rats usually made one last all day and still had leftovers. I was Cold War in Germany and we were the experimental take or leave them era. Missed heating the C's on the manifold.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 6:47 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 18:47:33 -0400

Once when I was at the range (a long time ago in AIT), we poured all the little packets into a bag, added some water and got someone to drink it after daring him. The concoction was tabasco sauce, creamer, salt, sugar, instant coffee, red pepper flakes, and apple cider mix.

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Jun 13 at 2015 4:51 PM

SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA — Sat, 13 Jun 2015 16:51:19 -0400

Sugar and salt packets go into the fruity drink mixes (if I am lucky enough to get two of these, they get combined, no matter what).

Creamer packets are added to granola or milkshakes.

If you have the time, it's worth it to construct the intended 'bacon cheeseburger' out of the beef patty MRE.

Response by Maj John Bell made Aug 16 at 2020 7:51 PM

Maj John Bell — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 19:51:12 -0400

Hitting the garbage can with one from 30ft. Just joking.... I liked the Gorilla Cookies. The freeze dried Pork Patty and Beef Patty were a fate worse than death. I guess Beef Stew or Diced Beef with Gravy were my "favorites."

Response by MSgt Don VandeBogert made Aug 16 at 2020 10:51 PM

MSgt Don VandeBogert — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 22:51:31 -0400

Beef stew, chicken stew, and cheese tortellini were my favorites.

Once got tricked in to eating something that looked like breakfast sausages. There were disgusting.