2002 Meatloaf with Gravy MRE Review

[SentientTootsieRoll]

Here's a 2002 Meatloaf with Gravy MRE I had a few days ago. Let's get right to the pictures!

I really didn't know what to expect given I don't recall eating this one as a kid and I haven't had it in recent times because it's no longer produced. After preparing everything, the meatloaf was the first thing I wanted to try. It tasted just like you'd expect any cafeteria style meatloaf to taste like. It was a bit on the salty side and the meat was very soft. The brown gravy complimented it very well. The mashed potatoes were also salty and had a small hint of butter taste. All that to say I really enjoyed this! I decided to mix the gravy and potatoes and that went very nicely together. The meatloaf and potatoes began to cool off quickly (the FRH did its job, but it took a while to heat it up and it didn't get that hot to began with) so I wanted to finish it before it got cold.

Then I went after the toaster pastry. It was still fine, I just wish I had a way to put it into a toaster at the time. I suppose it would have been wiser to put it into the FRH, but was there really any room left after having both of the retort pouches in there? Not really. But it's such a minute issue that I didn't really care. The Tootsie Rolls held up very well, they were chewy, chocolaty and delicious all at the same time! Can anyone argue with that?

The crackers were just about as standard as you can get. Unfortunately, in the early 1990s or maybe late 1980s, MRE crackers really become generic, boring and bland. Before that, they were commonly baked to perfection and even had salt during first few years of production. The grape jelly really went nice with them and it's an item you can still expect in a new 2018 MRE. I do wish MREs came with apple butter or orange marmalade. That would instantly make up for all the disappointment the crackers have become.

I mixed the cocoa powder with cold water again. As I've said in previous reviews, the cocoa from this time period simply wasn't very good. But when I add cold water, it tastes considerably better. I also just realized that I didn't open the accessory packet in this review. I ordinarily set that aside unless I'm in need of coffee, but I figured it was probably crystallized anyway.

[Mpitt]

Another nice Review. Are these potatoes similar to the current mashed potatoes with garlic? I'm a big potato fan and I like most MRE items but for some reason, I just do not like the Mashed potatoes with Garlic in current MREs. There's an ambiguous sulfury flavor present even though I don't eat sulfur on a regular basis, that is the best way I can describe the flavor (maybe it's the oxidative stabilizers). I'm curious if the older ones are similar or if they taste better.

[SentientTootsieRoll]

Thanks! It's so hard to go wrong with potatoes, even if it's just an empty starch that provides little in the way of nutrients. My favorite method to prepare them? Grab a cast iron skillet, pour some extra virgin olive oil in it, wait a few minutes for it to heat up and pour some chopped, fresh brown potatoes on there and fry them for about 15-20 minutes. Add salt, pepper (before or after frying) and enjoy!

It's been a while since I've had the newer mashed potatoes but I thought these were noticeably different. Have you noticed how the newer ones taste like that instant mashed potato mix you can buy at the store? This was much different than that. Overall, I thought it tasted a little better and more like real mashed potatoes. And I didn't notice any garlic in it either. I also don't think I've ever noticed a sulfur taste in any MRE potatoes I've eaten.

[Teddydogno1]

The potatoes in your 2002 version of this menu sure look and sound better than the ones in my 2006 version!


Rob

[michel2827]

Thanks for the review. Looks nice. Never tried this MRE before. Think i have to try it because i like mashed potatoes so much. For me mashed potatoes have to be done with some milk, a little bit butter and some nutmeg spice. Yummy

[BTemple]

Here's a 2002 Meatloaf with Gravy MRE I had a few days ago. Let's get right to the pictures!

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I really didn't know what to expect given I don't recall eating this one as a kid and I haven't had it in recent times because it's no longer produced. After preparing everything, the meatloaf was the first thing I wanted to try. It tasted just like you'd expect any cafeteria style meatloaf to taste like. It was a bit on the salty side and the meat was very soft. The brown gravy complimented it very well. The mashed potatoes were also salty and had a small hint of butter taste. All that to say I really enjoyed this! I decided to mix the gravy and potatoes and that went very nicely together. The meatloaf and potatoes began to cool off quickly (the FRH did its job, but it took a while to heat it up and it didn't get that hot to began with) so I wanted to finish it before it got cold.

Then I went after the toaster pastry. It was still fine, I just wish I had a way to put it into a toaster at the time. I suppose it would have been wiser to put it into the FRH, but was there really any room left after having both of the retort pouches in there? Not really. But it's such a minute issue that I didn't really care. The Tootsie Rolls held up very well, they were chewy, chocolaty and delicious all at the same time! Can anyone argue with that?

The crackers were just about as standard as you can get. Unfortunately, in the early 1990s or maybe late 1980s, MRE crackers really become generic, boring and bland. Before that, they were commonly baked to perfection and even had salt during first few years of production. The grape jelly really went nice with them and it's an item you can still expect in a new 2018 MRE. I do wish MREs came with apple butter or orange marmalade. That would instantly make up for all the disappointment the crackers have become.

I mixed the cocoa powder with cold water again. As I've said in previous reviews, the cocoa from this time period simply wasn't very good. But when I add cold water, it tastes considerably better. I also just realized that I didn't open the accessory packet in this review. I ordinarily set that aside unless I'm in need of coffee, but I figured it was probably crystallized anyway.

This certainly looks similar to the Canadian IMP that had meatloaf and onion sauce as the main, and I know they were still making it not too long ago.... 2013 at least.