A hearty MRE that would be welcome in the fall or winter. This lentil stew with potatoes and ham from MRE Star was a tasty meal–although there was a noticeable aftertaste from the main entree and the instant coffee was an absolute flop.
The Verdict
Pros
- Oatmeal cookies were fresh and delicious.
The raisins were probably my favorite aspect.
The stew was hearty and satisfying overall.
- Deep Rich Instant coffee was terrible.
The crackers were relatively bland.
The mild aftertaste of the stew was slightly off putting.
Technical Details
Meal Name
- Menu 8: Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Ham
- Case of 12 ($109.95 US | $100.06 Euro)
Individual MRE ($9.16 US | $8.33 Euro)
- MRE Star
- 12.5” x 8” x 2.5” (in.)
31.7 x 20.3 x 6.3 (cm)
- 507 gram
1 lb 2 oz
- 4/16/2023
This is my first ever MRE review so I’m pretty excited to bring this to you. I bought a case of MRE Star a couple months back so I figured it was time to finally review an MRE. I don’t typically eat a lot of stew and lentils but this MRE was pretty good.
The oatmeal cookies and the nut mix was a welcomed treat. I really thought the orange beverage was going to be funky but it actually turned out pretty good. The coffee was a real disappointment that I’ll describe further below.
The Flameless Ration Heater (FRH) was quick and effective at heating up the stew to a very palatable temperature. Not too hot or cold. Overall, I feel quite satisfied with this MRE as there was only minor issues.
MRE Inventory
Here are the full contents of this MRE:
- Main Entree: Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Ham
Side #1: Crackers
Side #2: Nut & Raisin Mix
Spread: N/A
Beverage: Orange Power Stick Beverage
Dessert: Oatmeal Cookies
Flameless Ration Heater (FRH)
Granulated Sugar
Salt & Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper
Sysco Moist Towelette
Deep Rich Instant Coffee
Non-Dairy Creamer
Napkin
Spoon
Smarties (½ roll)
Here is the nutritional breakdown of this MRE:
Packaging Integrity
As far as packaging, there were zero concerns. The outside packaging housing the entire MRE was intact and the pull seal was good. The main entree and sides were sealed properly. The packaging was legible and there was no bulging. This makes sense given how new this MRE was packaged. I believe it was packaged this year 2020’.
Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Ham
I let the Flameless Ration Heather (FRH) heat it for about 10 minutes or so. The FRH definitely had remaining heat to give when I removed the main entree from the cardboard pouch.
When I poured the stew on the tray, visually it was unimpressive and didn’t look very inviting. But, what am I to expect from a stew?
I took my first bite and I was pleasantly surprised by a well flavored, slightly salty ham with bits of soft lentils and potato. The taste of the stew was nice and really reminded me of the fall. I bet this MRE would be great for preppers in the north country or troops deployed in cold environments. It’s a very hearty main entree.
I spread some of the stew on top of the plain cracker and that was a tasty combination. The cracker crunch really added an extra tasty and new texture element the stew lacked.
Towards the end of the stew, I decided to add the salt, black and red pepper from the accessory pack. I think i’ll do that in the future from the beginning. The spices added another layer of flavor that was really nice. Particularly if you you like a little kick.
Another incidental finding I noticed was the best by date on the main entree was 4/1/23 while the MRE packaging best by date was 4/16/23. It does make a little sense; however, because the entire MRE is probably not packaged the same day the stew was cooked and packaged.
The last aspect I noticed about the main was the unusual and very slightly off putting aftertaste. I’ve not eaten a ton of MREs but this experience seems to be nearly universal regarding aftertaste. It’s likely a taste from the preservatives or leached from the bag but it’s definitely noticeable.
Crackers
There’s not a lot to report about the crackers. Visually, they looked like a normal, light white and yellowish cracker. The smell was very mild like an off brand saltine cracker you’d find at the dollar store.
The texture was a soft crunch that easily crumbled. I wish there was salt slightly drizzled on the top. That would have definitely helped the flavor along.
The highlight of the cracker was spreading the stew on top and eating them that way. It reminds me of combined saltine crackers with chili during the winter. Delicious!
Nut & Raisin Mix
The mix was one of my favorite parts of this MRE. The smell was beautiful when you open the package. It was rich and inviting with nutty and raisin aromas.
The peanuts and sunflower seeds were fresh and the raisins were juicy-delicious. I really like trail mix in general so this was a treat.
Orange Power Stick Beverage
When I opened the package, the orange beverage had an instant familiarity with childhood and medicine. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until it hit me. Do you know those immune booster Vitamin C packs in the pharmacy? You take them to boost your immune system to help treat or prevent a cold. That’s exactly what it smelled like.
Initially, I was concerned that this beverage would taste like a pharmaceutical. I was pleasantly surprised however because the orange flavor ended up being pretty good. It was a simple, slightly orange flavored drink. In this case, the taste was much better than the smell.
Coffee with Cream and Sugar
The coffee, cream, and sugar combination was the biggest disappointment in the MRE. I opted to keep it cold instead of heating it up. I like cold or iced coffee.
After all the contents finally dissolved, the “coffee” itself was nearly tasteless. You have to hunt for a flavor as you’re drinking it. When you find the flavor, the instant coffee tastes very poor and it’s moderately off putting. You might as well just drink plain water.
Perhaps it will taste better heated up so I’ll do that next time. I suspect I’ll be running into that brand of instant coffee again as there isn’t much variety so far in the MRE star accessory packs.
Dessert: Oatmeal Cookies
The oatmeal cookies were another highlight in this MRE Star Review. When I opened the package and took a big sniff, I was immediately bombarded with a strong and sweet oatmeal smell. It was immediately inviting.
I took the cookies out and they were almost perfectly cooked. I say nearly because I prefer cookies slightly soft whereas these cookies were on the drier and crunchier side. However, they probably keep them drier for preservation purposes so I can’t fault the manufacturer.
The taste was absolutely delicious despite the slight crunchiness. I highly recommend these cookies.
Accessory Packet
The accessory packet was pretty standard. I discussed the flavorless instant coffee issues above. Otherwise, there is little to report regarding the accessory packet.
Flameless Ration Heater
The FRH was quite effective. There was an instant chemical reaction when I added the water. I think the science behind these heaters is impressive.
The main entree was adequately heated from the flameless ration heater; and in fact, we had heat left over. I know it sounds strange but I really like the smell of the heater during the chemical reaction. Is that weird?
Anyway, thanks for taking the time and checking out my review. I really enjoy breaking down and understanding the nitty gritty about MREs. I've really been enjoying this community so far! Thanks folks!
Source: https://easymre.com/mre-star-review-len ... am-menu-8/
I have 24 mre’s from 2007 just waiting to be eaten. I also bought a german mess kit. All I need are some forks and knives and I’m good but I’m waiting till the antique stores around me open for that.