MRE Monday (Week 2) - Menu 8: Meatballs in Marinara Sauce (Genuine, 2015)

Hello Again,

What a mashup of a meal! Manufactured by Ameriqual Packaging.

Now, I know this is a favorite meal of many, but I always have a healthy dose of skepticism. Everyone's tastes are different and I might've been the odd girl out who just didn't have the same love for this meal that everyone else had. Luckily, though, that wasn't the case here.

First Thing's First - The Date:

This MRE actually has the date code, unlike my last meal, in the standard area (on the outside of the bag). This meal was packaged on the the 33rd day of 2015 (5033), meaning February 2nd 2015. A young MRE.

The Components:

What's Included:

• White Wheat Snack Bread
• Cheese Spread with Jalapenos 
• Beef Snack
• Lemon Lime Beverage Base Powder
• Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
• Potatoes Au Gratin
• Trans Fat Free Vanilla Pound Cake
• Hot Beverage Bag
• Flameless Ration Heater
• Spoon
• Accessory Packet C (Coffee, Non-Dairy Creamer, Splenda, Chewing Gum, Moist Towelette, Toilet Paper)

Cheese Spread with Jalapenos:

I'm not going over the bread again because I'm sure it'll get boring hearing me say, "The bread tastes like bread." However, I've never had the cheese spread, let alone the jalapeno cheese one. It was salty and has that all-American processed cheese product flavor (creamy but with an unnatural tang). The jalapeno added a subtle heat that works well with the cheese and reminds me of nachos. The peanut butter on the bread is my favorite, but I can see how some would be into this combo more.

Beef Snack:

This is pretty much just beef jerky. It's salty, chewy, and has a bit of a chemically smell. It also has a bit of a tomato-like flavor, despite tomatoes not being mentioned in the ingredients (umm....okay...). I'll be honest, I didn't finish this thing. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good enough for me to take more than a couple of small bites.

Lemon-Lime Beverage Base Powder:

Alien Green!!!

This neon green drink turned out way better than the lemonade, probably due to there actually being sugar in this mix (I have a problem, help me). It is comparable to the lemon lime flavor of a flat sprite, just much milder. I really liked it and the drink was gone before the food was. 

Meatballs in Marinara Sauce:

These mushy spheres of beef, chicken, and textured vegetable protein tasted...good. They were flavorful, better than the canned stuff, and like actual meatballs without any chemical tastes or smells. If you can get past the texture (I sure could), you can really taste all the seasonings of garlic and onion. They needed nothing extra. Even the marinara sauce tasted fresh and well seasoned with out being salty. A great main course.

Potatoes Au Gratin:

And now, time for the only appropriate side to go with meatballs....SPAGHETTI Potatoes Au Gratin? Okay, this was the moment when i really felt that whoever designed these meals just through this one together.  But, I must confess, it went pretty well together. These potatoes were soft, creamy, and cheese (like box mac and cheese) and that complemented the tangy, garlic-onion flavored tomato sauce. Don't get me wrong, I do wish this were a pasta dish, but this side was comfortable replacement.

Coffee:

I'm probably not going to be mentioning the coffees often in these reviews because it's pretty standard stuff, but I'll say a quick something about it since it was my first time drinking it. This is just watered down coffee. That all. I guess I "cheated" by adding an extra Splenda to it, but I don't think anyone here will mind.

Vanilla Pond Cake:

A soft, fluffy, sweet dessert. You could taste the slight taste of vanilla.My only complaint was the chemically aftertaste that comes from the preservatives. But, not bad.

Overall Rating: 8/10

This meal was surprising in every way. Surprising combo, surprising flavors, and surprisingly good. I would cut out the beef snack and trade the cheese spread for peanut butter, but other than that, I really have no big complaints. I can see why this meal has become a favorite to so many. I think its may be one of mine too.

Thanks for Reading,
Maggie