Mountain House Beef Stroganoff

Summary

I love the taste, but the ingredient list is as long as my...arm.

I don't often eat Mountain House (MH) foods because I find them to be too expensive compared to things I can make myself or buy off the grocery store shelves. Saying that, I occasionally eat this stuff on the trail when I want something VERY LIGHT and something that makes NO DIRTY DISHES. This simplicity comes with a price but when I need to simplify my cooking (no dishes) with as little weight as possible, I bite the bullet and bring Mountain House meals along. 

I hate doing dishes, I'm lazy. Eating the reconstituted meal straight from the pouch makes me happy. Sometimes I am also in a place where doing dishes is difficult where washing water is scarce so it can even be a necessity, at least that's what I tell myself.

The pouch these meals come in are extremely tough. I have been eating these meals occasionally for about ten years and I have never punctured one accidentally. When I am done eating the pouch makes a good garbage bag and seals to keep the stink inside. 

One of my issues with these meals is that the ingredient list is long, complex and may contain things that aren't especially good for me. Protein that has be hydrolyzed: digested in acid, makes me worry about how healthy this stuff is. Of course I eat glow in the dark mac n' cheese and gummi bears on the trail too so maybe I'm just picking on MH unfairly. 

The other issue is cost. I can buy a LOT more food for the price of one MH meal but it won't be as light or easy to prepare so I guess convenience has a cost.

One more thing I DO like about MH as a company is that they are headquartered here in the Pacific NW, in Albany OR. I like local when I can get it.

Taste:

I almost forgot this important category.  I love stroganoff anyway and I am not a picky eater so take this with a grain of salt, but I really like the taste of these things. I wish they were about 1.5x the size they currently are though because I get HUNGRY when I hike or climb. SERIOUSLY hungry. The idea that this pouch is 2 servings is laughable for me. In the field I could easily eat two, but I don't because that would equal the price of a dinner at a decent restaurant. I'm lazy and cheap.

I keep one or two of these meals in my desk at work and when I am starving and have no cash for a lunch off-site. This occurred the other day. Here are some of the pictures:

I can even find these at that great outdoor gear supplier: WalMart

It looks almost like real food. The sauce falls to the bottom so stir it up well before eating.

Any stroganoff near my mouth doesn't stand a chance.

Conclusion:

If you need energy, fat and protein in a light package that cooks easily with little cleanup AND you have the coin to splurge for this stuff, go for it! Not all of their meals are as yummy as this one though, so try them before you go someplace so you won't get stuck eating something you hate. 

Summary

A classic staple of any campfire.

If you have been camping, you have probably had MH foods and of those foods, I have seen the Beef Stroganoff consumed the most by me and my campmates. It is tasty, quick and easy to prepare. The MH bag can hold the water/contents pretty well with no leakage.

The only bad thing about MH and this product is the amount of sodium, it is a LOT. Apparently MH is making lower sodium products and I have found other non-MH products with lower sodium, so just be prepared for some great tasting food that isn't necessarily good for ya. 

What can I say. How many of you have had Hamburger Helpers Beef Stroganoff? Well I think this is actually better. I was wanting/needing to try out a dehydrated and pre-packaged food so I went to the local outdoor store and saw this. I knew that I liked beef stroganoff so I thought I would give it a try.

For just boiling and adding water and waiting a few minutes this stuff is pretty tasty! Just add a little black pepper [for me at least] for flavor and enjoy. I would say that if you want pre-packaged foods for your trips, this is a no-brainer!

D

This meal tastes great! Just the right amount of seasoning, and the meat/noodles taste like high-end chow.

This stuff rocks!! It's by far the best MH product I've ever had. I look forward to eating 2 servings of this at the end of a long day!! 10 in my book!

Beef stroganoff is one of the old stand-bys in the world of backpacking food. Generally at least tolerable, it's been around in some freeze-dried form or another for more than 35 years. (That's how long it's been since I first had it.)

Mountain House's Pro-Pack version of the dish is of the "cook in the pouch" variety--just add hot water, seal, let it sit the prescribed time, and eat from the pouch. Very convenient, little-to-no cleanup.

The flavor and texture of the meal is passably decent, though nothing to write home about. The bits of beef were rather chewy (something perhaps to be ameliorated by a bit longer "cooking time"), and the noodles, small and curly, were firm enough without also being tooth-testers. The food volume was about right for one person's entree. (This the opinion of a 75-kg male.) Packed volume is as small as can reasonably be expected.

Other Pro-Pack meals by MH seem to be as good or better, BTW.

These freeze-dried meals are the best of their kind that I have EVER tasted. They are lightweight to transport, made from quality ingredients and easy to make. We just had to boil the water needed, pour it into the bag and wait for a few minutes. The beef stroganoff tasted great; I would just make sure that you bring the water filter needed to have the water for the food.

Editor's Note: The reviewer represents an online retailer that carries this product and brand.