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I'm eating my way through an A case of MREs from April, 2005, and as I was pulling out this weekend's food (wife's away, I have to fend for myself), I saw a Menu 11 - Spicy Penne Pasta. That sounded like it might be good to try seeing as it was a new entree.

But when I sat down to look at the online menus to see what would be in it, I was surprised - that MRE isn't listed as being in the 2005 menus. It's not on my site and I just double-checked and it's not on the DSCP's site either. Both places say it should be "Pasta & Vegetables". But the 2006 menus show #11 as Spicy Penne Pasta.

Weird. I wonder why they started substituting the Penne Pasta for the Pasta & Vegetables. Unless they're using the same entree and just renamed it to sound better. That would be kind of like when they renamed the "Boneless Pork Chop" MRE to "Jamaican Pork Chop w/ Noodles" to make it sound more appetizing.

Oh well...I'll eat it for lunch tomorrow (Saturday) and we'll see.

Tell us how your lunch goes:

- spicy?

- or veggie?

That is weird.

I have another weird one -- maybe not weird, but interesting.

Two different people gave me some old Cinpac MREs that they felt were useless (Thank you!).

I had one the other day: a late 1990 #12 Escalloped Potatoes with Ham. Could've used more pepper -- and NO, kman, it did not keep me from being the "regular guy" that I am! The components were as expected -- the drink mix (lemon) was only okay; the brownie was hard, but edible; the applesauce was good. And it came with the standard-issue translucent white plastic spoon.

Now, I took out the other #12 from the other guy, just to check the year by sneaking a peek at the contents. This one came from the exact same time as the other one -- BUT this one had the current issue brown pastic spoon.

Other than the lists of yearly menus and improvement, has anyone ever made a chronology of the small changes to MREs over the years?

--CaptBob

Hi CaptBob. I haven't put together a chronology of all the little changes yet, but if someone else wants to, I'd be happy to post it.

As for lunch with the Spicy Penne Pasta, it was pretty darn good. These vegetarian menus are getting better and better. The real name of this entree is "Spicy Penne Pasta with Vegetable Sausage". I'll post pics and a full review later but next to the Veggie Burger MRE, this one is my second-favorite veggie-MRE.

Ahhhh....

Are you sure it wasn't "Penne with Vegetable Sausage Crumbles in Spicy Tomato Sauce"??

That's what I reviewed out of the EverSafe meals from Wornick.

It was pretty good.

------------------------------------

As for the chronology, I've already started working on something that includes not only the changes in packaging and components, but also the companies behind them (remember RAFCO? Cadillac Products? Black Beauty?).

Send me your tidbits of info, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant. (I think I'll post a new subject on the General list for this)

--CaptBob

No, it was definitely "Penne Pasta with Spicy Vegetable Sausage" (I had it a little wrong in my previous message). Check it out:



Must just be a difference between Ameriqual and Wornick's labeling.

Yep...same entree I had, just a slightly different name.

But it's interesting that this "Spicy Penne" menu has come out with your Ameriqual example and with my Wornick Eversafe example.

IMHO, this entree would be improved by the "add a little hot water to it" tip I read somewhere. It's a bit rich and "sticky" thick. Tastes darn good, though. Those "veggie sausage" pieces are small but give it a good sausage flavor.

Oh great -- now it's lunchtime on the west coast and I'm gettin' hungry.

Let's see....which....one....will....I....choose? Maybe I'll crack open one of the underwater TOTMs (the one with the busted up M&Ms, just to get rid of it).

Kman I have that one also. I went backpacking this past weekend and grabed a few mres, the same one was in my "bundle". I did not remember seeing it on the list. We did not eat it. Saving it for later.

Not that this is "Something Weird..." but since we're talking about entrees......


What do you think of the Beef Teriyaki, which was discontinued with the 2005 menu lineup?

Being that I love Italian type food I thought I would like this one. I DID NOT...

Teriyaki? Italian? Now, THAT'S weird.