MRE Review - Menu 5 - Chicken with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese (2013)

[@dadjokes1159]

Nice videos man . You're the best mre review person on KZbin in my opinion.

[@tamaravandegraaf7100]

Wow, I just bingewatched all your MRE reviews over the course of just two weeks! Both you and the Boss are awesome reviewers. Looking forward to seeing more, and to getting my hands on some of those meals myself!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Tamara van de Graaf Cheers Tamara, that was quite a marathon! Many more to come.

[@gschultz9]

Hey, it's great to hear your opinion on this somewhat polarizing entree Kiwi Dude! Sounds like you rather liked it. It's definitely one of the strongest and boldest tasting MRE entrees I've ever experienced (thanks mainly to the feta apparently), and I can certainly see how it is that many don't like it at all. I on the other hand like it quite a bit. I think if I had to lodge a complaint about it it would be that I can taste it in my burps for hours afterward (sorry to conjure up a disgusting thought). It tastes great the first time (especially when well heated), but you really don't want to keep tasting it over and over again after its been ingested!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

gschultz9 Hey G! It sure is a departure from 'Chili & Mac' etc... and I'm glad they got this one across the line. Piping hot would have been better though, and I was almost tempted to bust out a Mealspec heater to give it a final boost!

[@gundog4314]

gschultz9 Yeah I can say that menu wasn't my favorite but I'd be happy after a long day of slogging on my feet with it. Rock on Seth for sending it! Cheers

[@jackredmond8192]

Hi

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Jack Redmond Hello!

[@randypalmer2331]

I have to say, the first time I saw the Rock or Something on one of your most recent videos, it almost killed me laughing. Love this series, keep it up and here's to The Boss.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

+Ray Panner Cheers. Glad you're enjoying the videos.

[@rodrigoreynoso3556]

Randy Palmer why a lot of people think it's funny I don't get why it's funny

[@geoffupton]

yea made me laugh too! i'd be supprised if anyone didnt get the "rock or something" rock! simple answer... look at the pic on the FRH! the diagram is 99% identical! its funny!

[@xdmkii]

I tried this one last week from 2010. It had a side of cornbread stuffing, the sweet was reese's pieces and the beverage was vanilla cappuccino instant powder. I liked the main entree.

[@enragedtomato31]

I'm jealous, that mre seemed delicous. Anyway, thank you for another review and for raising such a cute child.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Mauricio Boites Cheers. We really enjoyed this one.

[@enragedtomato31]

Kiwi Dude i can tell

[@ian3314]

Thank you for this and thanks Seth for the package!!!! Mr kiwi dude you are so entertaining in these videos....

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

ian3314 Cheers, and yes - thanks heaps Seth!

[@thevapemaster5594]

The large packs do have a use in place of cups for drinks or in the case of the raisins so it can be folded and saved for later

[@kendon81]

that huge raisins pack screams of the end of a run of packaging and using up the spare stock so when they order in the new design package they have no old stock in the warehouse.

[@lorijennings8]

Thanks Kiwi Dude. My husband and really enjoy watching your reviews. The day after my husband and I watched this review, a case of MREs arrived. I had to laugh when this meal was one of the items in the case. I will say, I don't particularly care for Feta. But this wasn't to bad. I think I would have preferred rice to the cornbread stuffing that came in ours.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Lori Jennings Hey Lori, great to hear you're enjoying the reviews. It's funny you mention the cornbread, as I really look forward to seeing it in MRE's (relatively rare). The Feta smell of this one (unless piping hot) can really be a turn off.

[@Nitro10142]

The bag for the lemon lime drink is big so you can mix the drink in the bag

[@richarddortch1319]

That is so crazy that it just might work.

[@geoffupton]

probably the idea if your out in the field! you aint got time to find a cup or glass (well thats what i think anyhow!)

[@WrestlingChick81]

This package was send from someone who lives close to where I live. I love seeing the US MRE's the most since I have family in the military.

[@Bill23799]

I think you are supposed to use some of that Electrolyte powder to top off the battery in your Hummer or MRAP vehicle. Thanks KiwiDude and boss for all the fun videos.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Bill23799 Cheers mate.

[@TenRingGaming]

"Coffee Type III" I wonder what the differences are between this and Type I and Type II

[@brandonfrost9549]

Glad to see you back, Kiwi Dude!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Brandon Frost Good to be back!

[@AdmiralPreparedness]

I've got this main entree in my long term food storage right up front for camping trips and the occasional day trip up the local hills. They never last in storage while up front. We consume them. The energy bars are really hard to find so we buy civilian versions. Cheers.

[@goodi2shooz]

I live in what is considered the raisin capital of the world even though I have never seen awesome looking raisins as that those were beautiful! great video as always the boss is adorable!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

goodi2shooz Cheers. I've always been wary of MRE raisins since discovering the joy of 'osmotic'. Happily, these were delicious!

[@tylersheets6073]

Just an FYI, I don't know if it has been said already but there is another notch on the FRH to make for easier opening after heating. It is about halfway down the bag. Cheers

[@angelacalhoun4940]

You are awesome and so is the boss!

[@wilkjames35]

You need to crush the heater and fold the top over to cook it right........it looks alot better when its hot and tastes better too. The meal looked way too lukewarm for me

[@tammypingel1400]

Once again a great review! made me laugh at end, getting the boss giggling lol

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Tammy Pingel Thanks. We had a ball filming this one :-)

[@Jaybird196]

Ah, the chicken and tomato with feta. Or, as I like to think of it, the fetid chicken with tomatoes ;) . I'll be saving this video for later, tonight :) .

[@williamcattrell4191]

The first strike bar is similar to the soldier fuels in some of the other US rations

[@koukogakusha]

Great Vid again!! This is a very cool MRE, it seems to show a pragmatic shift to variety. Nothing beats home-cooked, but at least something interesting is worth a go. Thanks to Seth for sending this to you for review! Ranting aside: The Boss reactions are golden,,, as are your commentary on feta.. Looking foward to next vid! -k/M

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Karnack Cheers mate & cheers Seth!

[@mumzly1]

I was wondering when you were gonna post another video

[@Anna-gp1mi]

I'm thinking maybe the pouch is large so you can drink the lemon lime stuff even when you don't have a cup c: EDIT: as for the raisons, maybe so you can store them for later?

[@judelee4321]

Looks like my hiking trip's dinner has a new plan already! Sure would wanna try this!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Jude Lee Perfect for hiking!

[@Qotastic]

Just curious, do you have a preference between the plain and the veggie crackers flavor-wise? And what about The Boss? Does she share your preference?

[@spenceroutdoors]

Great video and it cheered me u.and congrats on 30k

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Spencer Hineman Thanks Spencer!

[@chase0734]

Completely unrelated, I live right next to the city of Smyrna, GA. They get Google Fiber but I don't. It makes me sad....

[@ShaDOWDoG667]

Hello fellow Georgian.

[@ARTSIEBECCA]

I love how you interact with Crystal you can tell she has a ball with you and loves you alot. Not to mention she is so darn cute.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

ARTSIEBECCA Thanks. We have a ball making these videos together.

[@LeanneZackowski]

I'm not a fan of feta so I would pass on this one. However, the meal would be more complete if they added a rice package (like the ones in the Japanese meals) to be used for the Chicken with Tomato and Feta Cheese. Once a again great review KiwiDude :)

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

***** Hey Leanne, yes - a side of rice would have gone down nicely, especially to soak up some of that juice.

[@Zephieish]

Pumper dumper

[@bellaxfatal]

Great review as always! I'm surprised they managed to actually keep the look of a chicken breast. But, I'm not a fan of feta cheese, so I don't think I'd like this MRE. And, as always, I love Crystal's review, too! My 10 year old daughter just started watching your reviews with me, and she loves you two! Guess what she wanted for her birthday!!! Some MRE's. How freaking funny is that?! Good for me though, because when I buy a couple, guess who gets to share in the fun. The only thing I'm worried about is that the ones they have on Amazon, you can't really pick which ones you want, and I'm scared that this is one of the menus I'll be sent. Keep up the good work, my friend!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

bellaxfatal Cheers! Yes, they did a great job on the chicken here. It'd be awesome to see more menus using that same piece of chicken. 11 secret herbs and spices anyone? Great to hear you and little one are getting into MRE's. Let me know how your first experience goes. As a rule of thumb, try to shoot for two years or newer, and if you want my personal opinion - steer clear of Pork Sausage with Gravy. Crystal says "Hi" :-)

[@leathery420]

The lemon lime drink package is really big to accommodate all those electrolytes.

[@FelisDestructicus]

oh nice! New video to enjoy.

[@jehovahsfitness3151]

Snackdubbbz legit food review

[@danielmckenzie6896]

The energy drink packets are big for the reason of mixing the drink in the pouch. Because in the field the troops do not carry cups.

[@wassi5560]

great another review!

[@chloeponyslover]

Love your videos keep up the good work☺️x

[@rockyraab8290]

The infectious laugh says it all, eh, mate? You and Crystal are clearly in the "like it" camp of this meal - as am I, by the way. You are very right that it is MUCH better when piping hot versus lukewarm. I've had one each way, and the difference is huge. Sadly for those of us who like it, is has been phased out as of the 2015 menu list.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Rocky Raab Hi Rocky, we certainly did! I was almost tempted to bust out a Mealspec heater to finish it off. It's a shame they've deleted this menu. I hope the chicken surfaces in some other form.

[@endlrls]

Holy boss attack on the Chicken there! lol... nice vid... keep up the great content!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Derek Wroblewski Thanks. It was hard to get a word in for a moment there. She loved that chicken!

[@endlrls]

Too funny! Keep up the great video's, mate!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Derek Wroblewski Cheers.

[@notremorse]

yay a new upload

[@tx_diablo]

That looks like the best MRE out of all the other MRE

[@AdrielSjahfiedin]

So the creamer is a power substance then when contact with the water, it becomes a liquid form of creamer?

[@jchiliw]

Adriel Sjahfiedin It's non-dairy creamer (CoffeeMate)main ingredient is vegetable oil. It mixes with hot liquid but not very well with cold liquids.

[@AdrielSjahfiedin]

So it is like powder.

[@jchiliw]

Yes it is a powder.

[@AdrielSjahfiedin]

Ok thx

[@irelandoverviews3639]

In Ireland we don't look at the back, we just look and see what it is, and if we want it we eat it!!

[@user-cg9fe4zq8p]

I should be folding the laundry but instead I'm here

[@TheBoldImperator]

This is definitely one of the better MREs, probably the best I've ever had. Thick pieces of chicken (in mine, it was a whole slab of breast meat), feta cheese, First Strike Bar. I even liked the osmotic cranberries.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

TheBoldImperator I'm with you there. The chicken holds up great and it's hard to believe it came from a retort pouch.

[@nicksueldo9269]

Kiwi Dude i love all your videos!!! :D

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Nicksueldo sueldo Cheers!

[@Starwind87]

I always thought the most amusing part about eating an MRE is you get all this stuff to warm it and make beverages and etc... Yet any time you're eating an MRE you're either stateside and have like 5-10 minutes to scarf it all down, or you're in country and you've field stripped it all down to fit as many as possible into your pack. Then you just munch on the snacky stuff whenever you take a break while you're on the move and never bother taking the heaters or beverage powders with you.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Starwind87 I guess it all makes perfect sense in the comfort of the lab/kitchen when they're designing these things, but as you say - not really in practice.

[@Ljandthesundancekid]

Try sticking the cheese spread in the box with the frh along side the coffee. In my opinion it makes it a little tastier;)

[@Kelsmith2]

Hey wow. Coincidently I had this meal just the other day while on a long mountain bike ride. This menu is actually one of my favorites. Though mine was from 2012 where they included a cornbread stuffing side dish in place of the m&m's. The stuffing does a much better job of soaking up all those chicken and cheese juices and seems to go with the meal a bit better in my experience. In a video when I believe it was gshultz reviewed this menu, he said that people had described the smell and taste of the chicken as slightly vomit-like. I can kind of see what they mean as the feta does have a sort of similar smell. Overall though great review!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Kelly Smith Cheers. Somebody mentioned in the comments that the older ones had cornbread. I can't imagine why they would delete such a perfect accompaniment. I would have gladly swapped the raisins. As for the smell, yep - Gschultz was bang on with the vomit comment (as you found out!). Fortunately, it tastes a LOT better than it looks.

[@davericker5110]

I had an MRE the other day that had a separate FRH for the hot beverage, there was not a side in this pack either. was spicy penne pasts from 2012. weird if you ask me

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Dave ricker Two FRH's in one pack? Wow. I haven't seen that before. I wonder if they made a packaging error?

[@christiansarao1]

Nice video mate!

[@xxstuntingbeastxx5392]

Keep up the good ration reviews :)

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

XxStunting BeastxX Cheers.

[@Bladefreek]

Have you ever put the cheese spread in the heat pack to soften it?

[@tammerialewis9971]

Love your "rock or something"

[@nickpaschentis5284]

The main meal is basically greek food(feta for example) but we use to eat it with rise or macaroni. And remember,greek food is always tasty.

[@bigtrajik1]

Great review keep it up homie

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

bigtrajik1 Cheers mate. Hope you're well.

[@MultiMagnum62]

Great job as always Dude !! I definitely enjoy the reviews. P.S. , The boss is A sweetheart, as you already know !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, Peace, Magnum, John.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

MultiMagnum62 Cheers John, hope you're well mate.

[@frylock44]

Hands down my favorite mre.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

frylock44 I was really impressed with the amount and consistency of the chicken.

[@stevekillgore7509]

Do any ANZAC rations use emu or kangaroo ?

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

+Steve Killgore Not that I'm aware of :-)

[@ogbobbye]

When will the Boss do a review and than feed the leftovers to you kind sir lol I really enjoy your reviews BTW

[@otk999]

Just had one of these on my hike today. Some minor menu variations: grape instead of lemon-lime flavour drink, cranberries instead of raisins, apple and cinnamon First Strike bar instead of chocolate and, er, corn bread stuffing instead of... M&Ms it would seem.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

otk999 Lol.. Cornbread substituting the M&M's. That's an odd swap!

[@TheBigstunna12]

Question. I have one of these MREs now. Will I have the same things inside? (First strike bar, same drink, etc) or will it be different?

[@steventrosiek2623]

Very nice canteen. Where did you buy it? Thanks.

[@Ancsocska87]

Im in love with The Boss! :)

[@nicholasgeil6978]

First comment on this Great Video :D

[@michaeld8975]

On the bright side if you had given her a lil bigger chunk of the Firststrike she could've moved a couch for you. On the other hand I wouldn't want her in Quality Control because she seems to not mind anything. I have often wondered how the Greeks came up with feta cheese idea, abd Why? You know?

[@benswinton5841]

Good

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Mooky Mann Lol...She did do a sterling job helping me clean afterwards, so perhaps some First Strike energy at play. The Boss is pretty adventurous with her food, but on the rare occasion that she says she doesn't like something - you know it's really bad.

[@jehovahsfitness3151]

Isnt this the type of mre idubbbz ate on a bad unboxing?

[@Solaaris1]

In that a new camera mate, very nice quality!

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

KainTLA Cheers. It's the same camera, but I did buy a photographic soft box lighting thingy (basically a couple of big lights on a pole with a diffuser) to throw some more light on the situation. Hopefully it improves the quality a bit.

[@Solaaris1]

Kiwi Dude Massive difference mate, Really sharp now!

[@austinwilliams67]

Nice vids kept up the good work

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Annette Williams Cheers Annette.

[@nancysmith9844]

Placing more than one item in the heater pack prevents it from reaching the heat level it's designed for.

[@EconoChallenge]

Ya. I gave it a 10 out of 10 myself.

[@PartOfTheGame]

US guys love Aussies and Nzer's. XD they're like the childhood friends playing in the sandbox.

[@aljr357]

Are the first strike bars similar to an eatmore candy bar.

[@Black1Wolf2]

I am curious to try an MRE, I am quite curious by nature, but am unable to locate a decent retailer in the Central European area. Anyone know one that delivers to Austria?

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Noir Wolf Have you tried checking out eBay? There's usually quite a few. Not sure on the shipping to Austria, but I've had no problems getting them shipped way down here to New Zealand.

[@Black1Wolf2]

Kiwi Dude I'd like to avoid Paypal and use stuff like Skrill or Sofort because of much more tolerable transfer fees. I have already located via Ebay quite a few offerings but they're either bulk or somewhat dodgy (price either too high or too low for what's on offer)... I don't really trust someone selling a 24h MRE for 9 euros...

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Noir Wolf Unfortunately, It's always a lottery purchasing rations on the civilian market. I hope you find a good deal soon. Let me know how you get on.

[@Black1Wolf2]

Kiwi Dude Thanks for the reply and the advice dude and sure I will let you know. Thanks again :).

[@sebastianglowacki1695]

Always surprised to see a lack of pepper in US MREs. Is that normal?

[@TCFan30]

They replace it with Tabasco instead.

[@grungelovr5798]

Congrats mate, your daughter is very beautiful.

[@maleahisabel3014]

My class did a activity with mres and I had this one and dang it's tasty it comes out like soup

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Maleah Yap A lot of people don't like this menu, but I agree with you - it's delicious.

[@jdniedner]

Maybe heat up your cheese spread one time? If it's hard cheese spread it might make it easy to spread, maybe tastier? Wouldnt be anything in the FRH

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

jdniedner I always forget to heat the cheese spread. I think part of me wants to see it 'au naturale' as it can vary so much in consistency.

[@madmacstx]

Really cool stuff just one question? Can you do a tutorial on reading the dates, haven't figured out my dates and I think mine are older than 2012.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

madmacstx gschultz9 put together a great video on understanding MRE date codes. I'll link it in here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6u9lJach99qfrs

[@madmacstx]

I thought it was like that watching your videos but thanks for the link. I cheeped out and got some individual entree pouch son eBay and I can check out the date thank you

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

madmacstx Great stuff. Let me know what you think of the entrees.

[@Zoito-99]

What happened to the new Swedish MRE?

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Saw You Joe It's up in the cupboard waiting for review. I'm really looking forward to it. Shouldn't be too far away.

[@themrenerd7384]

Kiwi Dude why is your second channel gone?

[@Sticky745]

Great vid as always! I also though the chicken feta was overly salty..

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

stickyfingaz745 Thanks. I found it needed just a pinch more to suit my taste.

[@haggardfalcone]

The boss reminds me of my niece at her age. Bags of personality. Just wait until she becomes a teenager, lol.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Covjitsuka Lol... She has two younger sisters and they'll all be teenagers together for one year. Yikes.

[@variares1114]

Why don't they sell this stuff in stores?

[@variares1114]

Really?

[@gmodman_h]

Peter Nguyen they do make civilian mres

[@tuckerton296]

Peter Nguyen Govt surplus stores exist.

[@Starwind87]

Peter Nguyen The other dude was wrong - they're not government property. Obviously the ones the Armed forces bought are, but they're purchased from a civilian company, not made by the government. You can generally buy them at certain stores around military bases that sell personal gear for guys in the service or at surplus stores. You can also buy them on the internet - amazon sells tons of them. The things last almost forever, so any leftover stock of menu items the military doesn't use anymore (they rotate most of the menu items around yearly to keep them from getting too samey) will be sold off to whoever wants them.

[@Starwind87]

Peter Nguyen Should've included it in my first reply, but you can even buy entire cases of them for relatively cheap. Give or take $65-75 for a full box of 12. They're designed that if you have to you can live off of a single MRE per day even in a combat situation, but generally you'd need to eat about two of them to intake a "normal" amount of calories. www.amazon.com/Genuine-Military-Surplus-Ready-Meals/dp/B00JFC8VQ4/ref=pd_sim_469_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FW2R720TN8E10KEEDHD

[@Szkirka98]

What's a good MRE to try out first? Any recommendations

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Chris Eazzy As a broad comment, every U.S. MRE with 'Beef' in the title I've really enjoyed so far.

[@PsyDin_]

You could have just put the cheese in with the FRH if you wanted it more runny.

[@Gyur3mgy0]

Hi Kiwi Dude greets from Hungary. I have a question because i wanna try out really badly 1 menu - after watching your pack openings the Shredded beef with bbq sauce(Menu Nr.2)which was in my opinion the best and this one what i wanna get or atleast i try to get but don't know from where. As i read some hungarian sites there are some hungarian ration packs...but they are lightyears away from any other country's ration. Any idea from where can i get one for a good price or should i try to get one from the HUN auction sites. Can't wait for your new videos

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Snowcrescent Greetings from New Zealand. I'd recommend checking out eBay for French 24hr RCIR rations. If that proves uneconomical, it might be worth searching for an 'MRE Case' as it's really the only cost-effective way to obtain U.S. MRE's internationally.

[@AwkwardMaster]

Why is it written in both french and english?

[@maybeiam3367]

I wish they sold MREs at stores, at reasonable pries of course, I'm sure they'd be poplar. Way better than that frozen crap that you need a microwave for and you can take it anywhere.

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

Alex xeon With the right marketing, I'm sure they'd be a hit too. Perfect for gas stations etc..

[@maybeiam3367]

Kiwi Dude and the price for the military and peepers would come down too, and I'd finally have an option for portable lunches.

[@flamingballzonice]

I'm a bit confused about a mre I just got in the mail. I've bought a total of 5 so far, and this is the only one without a date code. Does that mean anything, like it didnt pass qc, or it isn't authentic or anything like that? It's a meal #15, Mexican Style Chicken Stew, so anywhere between a 2012-15. Any help would be deeply appreciated. Thanks!

[@sad4whatttt]

It might be hidden very well

[@TwistedNinja7474]

Best way to eat this MRE is to heat up the cheese, finely crush the veggie crackers, then mix them both into the entree pouch.

[@d4v3tm]

finally a meal that does not require you to overfill it to be a soup :D

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

d4v3tm Lol!

[@mumzly1]

Hey Kiwi, I wanted to ask you if you ever had the Halal chicken stew? Is it any good? . A friend of mine gave me a couple of mre's WOO!(Brisket, sausage and cream gravy, roast beef and the halal chicken). I was wonder if you had any thoughts on the chicken?

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

mumzly1 I don't think I've had the Halal Chicken Stew yet, so let me know what you think :-)

[@mumzly1]

Yeah definitely will do

[@KiwiDudeMRE]

mumzly1 Cheers.

[@zacharyreid8796]

That one is really good i ate it last Friday

[@watermelloncarey4015]

Where do u buy them from ??

[@Conraildan]

Careful feeding your kids mre's , they are hire in iron and will plug them up lol

[@collinpoth7346]

Would you say that this is the closest you can get to a genuine US Mre? I've been looking around and cant decide which one i should get that would best replicate one of their meals.

[@smashstuff300]

These are genuine U.S. MRE's, so I presume you couldn't really get more real then the real things

[@jakerossino4594]

What do you do when your done the video with all the food.

[@geoffupton]

more than likely scoff whats left lol