Make an MRE?! Me?!

I recently joined a group of military food bloggers called HouseHold6 Cooking Club. Each month the members take on a new cooking challenge. This month? Create a concept MRE. The conversation deciding on my concept went something like this:

Me: Okay, I know MRE stands for Meals Ready to Eat but what are they really?
Husband: Really bad food. Like 2,000 plus calories of bad.
Me: Care to explain more?
Husband: *pulls up this website* See this meal was awful. Now this meal wasn't all that bad. I remember only trying to trade certain parts of that meal.
Me: So you've had these?
Husband: Yep. 4 years ago in training. Oh, and once since then because my old squadron commander thought it was a good idea to invite us all to an event and make us eat MREs instead of real food.
Me: So what would your ideal MRE have in it?
Husband: Something very simple. As soon as the government attempts one beyond the basics it goes downhill.
Me: Like? Oh, and I don't have to worry about how it would be dried or vacuum packed.
Husband: Meatloaf. That last kind you made. *pause* They sell them at the commissary. Want to try one tomorrow? It's amazing what all the government can do to what was probably once a descent meal.
Me: Uhhhh....no.

So my concept MRE will be mini meatloaves because my husband recommended it. I think it's the perfect size and shape to work well. I like this particular recipe myself because it has the basic ideal meatloaf taste without all the grease others I've tried have. As a side I'm going with smash potatoes, though my husband says they already do mashed potatoes. I think smashed is a bit better since keeps the good for you skins. I'd pair it with bread and butter to follow their format (though I'm pretty sure butter wouldn't keep lol). In trying to think of a dessert, I ran across a yummy snickerdoodle muffin recipe. I've made it and found it to be fantastic! Plenty sweet without being over the top sweet. And I have no doubt that it would be much more popular than their pound cake.

Main course - mini meatloaves
Side dish - smashed potatoes
Cracker/bread - bread slice
Spread - herbed butter
Dessert - Snickerdoodle muffins

Mini Meatloaves - original recipe by Tonya Swope

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well. Divide the mixture into muffin tins - makes about 8.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Muffins - original recipe by Heather Christo
1 cup Butter, Softened
1 cup Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2-¼ cups Flour
¾ teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
¾ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
½ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Sour Cream
¼ cups Buttermilk
FOR THE TOPPING:
⅔ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.

Use scooper and plop a scoop of batter into the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Gently roll the batter in the sugar and cinnamon. Place the ball into the muffin liner.

When you have completed all of the muffins, sprinkle the leftover cinnamon sugar onto the tops of all of the muffins.

Bake the muffins at 350ºF for about 15-18 minutes or until they are golden on top and just baked through.

Smashed Potatoes (for 2)
2 medium to large baking potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1/4-1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper



Cut potatoes into chunks. Add to a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Drain. Add butter, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Smash with a potato masher or a fork.