MRE Remake
It’s been over 25 years since I opened up an MRE. I thought it would be fun to open one and see if I could recreate it… and make it better.
The MRE – Meals Ready to Eat – are deployed with troops or personnel who will not have access to fresh food, water, or a kitchen. MREs are designed to keep a hungry man full, and everyone who has eaten these has their favorites. Today, I’m going to remake the Beef patty with Pepper jack cheese and au gratin ‘taters.
Now, I’m not making fun of these – MREs are feeding Americans during some of their roughest days, and we’re thankful that they are doing it so well. I ordered a variety pack off of Amazon and we’re going to cowboy this up!
We appreciate you sharing our recipes with your friends and family!
Unboxing the Beef Patty/Au Gratin Potato MRE
Y’alls comments led me to pick the Beef Patty w/pepper jack cheese and au gratin potato Mre. We opened it up, and here are the contents:
- 1 package of Peanut M&Ms
- 1 package of Au Gratin Potatoes
- Fat Free Mayonnaise
- Barbecue Sauce
- Beverage Base – Orange Type (mix with water)
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookie
- Chiclets
- Freeze Dried Coffee
- Cheese Spread with Bacon
- Tortillas
- Beef Patty
Well, once we unboxed the contents of the meal, we can see how someone might put dinner together with nothing but some hot water and one of these MREs.
MRE Remake
Fortunately for us, we’ve already remade some of these ingredients. I highly recommend you check out our recipe for Homemade Tortillas with Bacon Grease if you’re making an MRE of your own.
Au Gratin Potatoes
Start by slicing up a russet potato. You can leave the skins on or peel them, as is your preference. Either way, slice them thin. Dice up a yellow onion, and head over to the fire.
Melt bacon grease and butter in a cast iron skillet. When the fat starts to sizzle, add the ‘taters and onions. Add Original Seasoning and cover with a lid. You want every potato to get a butter bath, and cook until they’re fork soft.
Cheese Sauce
To save time on clean up, remove the ‘taters from the skillet and let it sit for about 5 minutes to cool off. We’ll use the skillet to make the cheese sauce.
Tip: Don’t worry about wiping out the skillet, the onions, butter, and bacon grease are only going to add to the flavor of the cheese sauce.
Add half of the Velveeta and the cream into the skillet, and stir over medium low heat until smooth. Stir constantly to avoid scorching.
When the cheese is melted, add the ‘taters. Keep warm until it’s time to serve.
Jalapeno Hamburger Steak
In a medium mixing bowl, mix up the beef, onion, grated jalapeno, and Original Seasoning. Form into two patties, and grill over medium high. When the internal temperature is 170, you’re ready to go.
It’s Time to Eat!
Serve the beef patty, tortilla, and au gratin potatoes with real bacon bits. I recommend you try out Shannon’s cranberry cookies or our Snickerdoodles for dessert.
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Jalapeno Hamburger Steak with Au Gratin Potatoes – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion diced divided
- 4 russet potatoes peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease
- 1 16 ounce block Velveeta cheese cubed
- 1 16 ounce carton heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ lbs ground chuck 80/20 blend
- 1 jalapeno grated
- Bacon bits for topping
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and the bacon grease over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet. Add the potatoes. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in half of the diced onions. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and continue cooking, about 5 minutes, or until fork tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and place the potatoes in a large bowl, cover and keep warm.
- Return to the skillet, after it has cooled slightly, and add the Velveeta. Place over medium heat, stirring until the cheese begins to melt. Stir in the cream. Continue cooking and stirring until the cheese is smooth and melted, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the potatoes into the cheese until coated. Cover and keep warm.
- In a medium bowl, combine the meat and remaining onion and jalapeno. Evenly form the meat into 6 patties.
- In a large cast iron skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Place the patties in the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature is 160 to 165 degrees F.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with the bacon bits, plate and serve warm.
Cranberry Coconut Cookies – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh cranberries
- 1/2 heaping cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. with the oven rack in the middle.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the cranberries, coconut, egg, orange zest, and almond extract.
- Slowly mix the flour mixture into the wet mixture until combined.
- Lightly flour your hands and form the dough into the size of golf balls. Place on an un-greased baking sheet about 1 inch apart and press down lightly in the middle of each ball to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are light golden brown. Be careful not to over bake to keep the cookies soft. Remove from the sheet and let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving