Category: Mountain House

Check out our latest review of Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings on the Best Freeze Dried Food Guide website. If you’re looking for some top-rated freeze-dried food, look here.

If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, frequent traveler, or stocking up for just-in-case events, Mountain House freeze-dried food is a smart choice. It’s lightweight and compact and offers quick meals within minutes, no matter where you are.

One of the tasty offerings in the world of freeze-dried camping food is Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings. In this review, I’ll share my firsthand experience with this meal and help you decide if it’s worth adding to your camping or emergency preparedness kit.

Curious about freeze-dried food? One of its standout features is its exceptionally lightweight and compact nature, making it a must-have for weight-conscious gram-counting backpackers and a great option for everyday campers. This makes it easy to pack on multi-day backpacking trips where every ounce counts or camping excursions with a truckload of gear. But just because it’s lightweight doesn’t mean it’s lacking in nutrition or flavor. In fact, many freeze-dried meals are surprisingly tasty and filling, thanks to their high protein and nutrient content.

Another advantage of freeze-dried food is its long shelf life. Unlike fresh or even canned food, freeze-dried meals can last for years without spoiling. This makes them an ideal choice for emergency preparedness kits, where you want to have non-perishable food options on hand in case of power outages, natural disasters, or other unforeseen emergencies.

But let’s shift our focus back to the star of the show: Mountain House’s Chicken and Dumplings. Prepare to be tantalized by the combination of tender chicken, flavorful peas, carrots, and fluffy buttermilk dumplings, all bathed in a delicious creamy white gravy. Who knew freeze-dried camping food could be so tasty?

Preparing the meal is also incredibly easy. All you need is some boiling water and a few minutes of patience while it rehydrates. Once it’s ready, you simply stir it up, sit back, and enjoy.

Overall, I think Mountain House’s Chicken and Dumplings is a top-rated freeze-dried food option for anyone who wants a delicious and convenient meal on the go. Whether you’re backpacking through the wilderness, traveling cross country, heading out to the field, or preparing for an emergency, this freeze-dried meal is sure to satisfy your taste buds.

Table of Contents

• Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings Review
• Technical Details
• Ingredients
• Nutrition Facts
• How to Prepare Mountain House Meals
• Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings Pros and Cons
• Pros
• Cons
• Amazon Customer Review Quotes
• Final Thoughts in our Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings Review
• Keep a Supply of Freeze Dried Meals on Hand
• Wrapping it all Up

Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings Review

The first thing we should talk about is the taste and texture. If it doesn’t taste good, we really don’t care about anything else.

Made according to the package directions, it certainly does taste almost like the Chicken and Dumplings that Grandma made. Not bland and not spicy. Grandma didn’t like spicy.

There are good-sized pieces of savory tender chicken in a creamy white gravy with a velvety texture, giving it a rich and comforting flavor. The dumplings are light, fluffy, and tender, soaking up the gravy. There are peas and carrots throughout. It’s not too thick or too thin when made according to the preparation instructions of the back of the package.

When we purchased this Mountain House Adventure Meal from Amazon, the price was $8.49 in March 2023. As we update our review, there are well over 2200 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 stars out of a max of 5. Check it out here. Over 90% of the reviews are 4 and 5 stars. So this is an above-average product that shoppers are happy with, likely with many repeat customers like me!

Technical Details

For those of us who want to know all the technical details and specifications. These are our out-of-the-box measurements, as recorded on our inexpensive battery-powered digital kitchen scale.

• The unopened 2-serving pouch weighs 128 grams
• Dry mix weight, 105 grams
• Oxygen absorber packet weight, 5 grams
• Empty pouch weight, 18 grams
• Pouch size, 8 3/8 inches / 21.27 cm wide by 8 3/16 inches / 20.79 cm tall

In our opinion, these specifications describe the characteristics of what make the best freeze-dried camping meals. Light weight, small size, and very little package waste. They provide a convenient and efficient solution for backpackers and campers who value portability, space optimization, and environmental sustainability during their outdoor adventures.

Other important details.

• Two servings per pouch
• Unopened shelf life of 30 years from the date of manufacture
• No artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, or artificial colors
• Durable, easy-to-open pouch with a zipper seal
• Product packaging is recyclable
• Cost per package is $8.49 as we update our review
• The bottom panel of the Adventure Meal pouch has bits of wit and wisdom printed on them

These other important details describe characteristics that are ideal for freeze-dried emergency food.

Ingredients

Well, the Mountain House Chicken and Dumpling freeze-dried meal has all of the ingredients Grandma would have used, and maybe a few more that she wouldn’t use. Buttermilk biscuit dumplings, chicken, and a sauce with green peas, carrots, onions, and spices. Yes, there are a few other ingredients that I didn’t list.

The Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings package shows that this meal has no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors, and no artificial colors. I am not a food scientist, all processed foods include ingredients that you don’t recognize without doing the research, including Mountain House.

Nutrition Facts

The Nutrition Facts label says a serving size is 1 cup or 64 grams of dry mix. We don’t eat half a container; we’re going to gobble it all down in one sitting.

That said, we’re looking at 600 calories, with 25 grams of fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1780 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrate, and 33 grams of protein. The label also shows there is some Vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.

A bit about the sodium content. The Nutrition Facts label says this container has 1780 mg. In a Mountain House response to a question concerning sodium, they replied, saying at one time, there was a low-sodium line of freeze-dried food offerings. However, due to low sales, they discontinued the entire product line. So is this too much sodium? Only you can decide.

I’ll say that nutrition needs vary from person to person and are dependent on activity. So this single 2-serving pouch might be fine as an entire meal for some folks. Usually, we doctor up the freeze-dried meals adding a bit of this and that.

I always recommend trying these at home several times before going out into the field or on a camping trip. In part, so you can determine if the portion size is adequate, but more importantly, know what to expect with no surprises and decide if this freeze-dried backpacking food is right for you.

How to Prepare Mountain House Meals

The package directions call for adding 1 1/3 cups (11 fl oz / 325 mL) of boiling water. I think this is spot on. The end result isn’t soupy as you can see in our images. We made this according to the preparation instructions printed on the back of the package.

However, we depart from the package directions for rehydration times. While the preparation instructions say it’s ready in 9 minutes, our method takes a little bit longer and in our opinion, produces a better result.

Here’s what we do.

Step 1, First, make sure the bottom of the pouch is fully expanded and open so there is no place for the dry mix to hide. Then carefully add the 1 1/3 cups (11 fl oz / 325mL) boiling water to the pouch.

Thoroughly stir all the way to the bottom of the pouch. Make sure everything is well mixed. Then close the zipper seal and wait patiently for 5 minutes.

Step 2, Open the pouch and give everything a good stir, getting all the way down to the bottom and at the ends of the pouch. Then close the zipper seal and wait patiently for another 5 minutes.

Step 3. Now we’re at the 10-minute mark. Open the pouch, and again, give everything a good stir, then close the zipper seal again and wait another 5 minutes.

Step 4. If you’re starving, open up the pouch and dig in. Otherwise, let it go for another couple of minutes so the chicken, dumplings, peas, carrots, and Southern-style gravy has blended and rehydrated. Your patience will be rewarded.

It’s a tradeoff between how long you reconstitute the ingredients and how hot you want the meal to be (temperature, not spice). Giving it a full 20 minutes and a couple of extra stirs maximizes the water hydrated into the dry mix. The longer you can wait, the better it will be.

Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings Pros and Cons

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons noted in our Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings review.

The price point might be an issue for some folks, so this is neither a pro nor a con. These days, food is not cheap. Consider if you took the time first to prepare the meal from quality ingredients, and then freeze dry and package it into a sturdy pouch that also doubles as a cooking vessel. It’s a bargain, in my opinion.

Pros

We believe Mountain House makes some of the best freeze-dried camping food.

• Great taste
• 30-year shelf life
• Lightweight and convenient package size
• Easy to store freeze-dried emergency food
• Highly customizable, adding extras such as hot sauce, chili flakes, spices, and even homemade dehydrated veggies
• Easy and fast to prepare
• The bottom of the pouch expands into a bowl

Cons

• Depending on your activity level, this meal may not fill you up. You’ll need to try a few at home and decide for yourself

Of course, no meal is perfect, and there are a few drawbacks to consider. At first glance, freeze-dried meals appear to be more expensive than other meal options, particularly if you’re used to cooking from scratch or buying ingredients in bulk. Freeze-dried meal options are a bargain when you consider real-world options of making meals from scratch while out in the field or in a grid-down situation.

Amazon Customer Review Quotes

With over 2200 global reviews and an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings is highly regarded by customers. Over 90% of the reviews are either 4 or 5 stars, indicating widespread satisfaction. Reviewer comments include phrases like “Tastes Great,” “Like chicken pot pie,”, “The best camp food pack I’ve ever had!,” and “Yum” emphasizing the positive flavor experience.

While there are some differing opinions on the taste, with some finding it bland and others not, the overall consensus is very positive. Similarly, the spiciness level is subjective, with varying opinions among reviewers.

One reviewer said “Doesn’t quite work,” that the dumplings never did soften up completely. Okay, our rehydration method fixes that.

Another reviewer said it was “Terrible” with no real details provided in the review other than they didn’t like the result.

To me, when the majority of product reviews are 4 and 5 stars in the 90% range, it’s proof positive that what I am considering is good stuff. The exact percentage of Amazon customers who leave product reviews is not publicly available and can vary widely depending on the product category, customer demographics, and other factors.

Pick up several today and give them a taste test. The convenience and long shelf life make it a practical choice for various situations, whether you’re camping, hiking, planning for a prolonged power outage, or simply in need of a quick and satisfying meal.

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 2200 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. Check it out here.

Final Thoughts in our Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings Review

Would I buy them again? Yes, I would, and I have many times over.

The Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings have exceeded my expectations for quality backcountry eats. It might not be Grandma-approved, but it’s pretty darned tasty.

Keep a Supply of Freeze Dried Meals on Hand

Consider keeping a supply of freeze-dried emergency food and snacks on hand. Besides making for some easy-to-make camping food, freeze-dried food is one option for building an emergency food supply that is easy to store, shelf-stable, easy to prepare, and has a long shelf life.

One of the critical components of emergency preparedness is having a reliable and sufficient food supply. Having a well-stocked emergency pantry is always a good idea.

In the event of a natural disaster or other emergency situation, having a supply of freeze-dried foods can help ensure that you have access to nutritious food when other food sources may be unavailable. Our ancestors knew this.

It’s also important to regularly rotate through all of your food supplies to ensure that you use them before they expire.

Buy several to try before committing to a bigger purchase to stock up. It’s a good investment. Testing out different freeze-dried food options before committing to a larger purchase is a smart idea to ensure that you like the taste and quality of the food. You’ll know what to expect.

Overall, having a well-stocked emergency pantry, including freeze-dried emergency food, is a wise investment in your and your family’s safety and well-being.

Wrapping it all Up

So wrapping it all up. The Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings freeze-dried Adventure Meal is a real keeper.

The unopened pouch weighs in at 4.5 ounces and has a shelf life of 30 years from the date of manufacture. The Mountain House meals are ideal for camping, hiking, traveling, emergency preparedness, or getting home late and I’m just too lazy to cook a meal option.

Be sure to check out our list of Mountain House freeze dried meals available on Amazon, where we track the daily price and product availability so you don't have to. We also link to our comprehensive Mountain House freeze dried meal reviews. We track the same for Peak Refuel freeze dried meals on Amazon, don't forget to check it out before you go.

Today we are revisiting and updating our review of an old favorite, Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries.

For campers, hikers, and preppers, the quest for nutritious, convenient, and lightweight meals can pose a real challenge. The mere thought of lugging around heavy cans or fretting over perishable foods in the field or for emergency preparations can be discouraging, often leading to inaction. Thankfully, freeze-dried food steps in as a viable solution.

We paid $5.99 each in March 2023 to restock our supply on Amazon. At that time, it had over 2400 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. So it’s clear that this is a popular product and lots of folks are very happy with it.

We’ll dive right into our updated review of Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries. This freeze dried meal belongs to the Adventure Meals series, and for those looking for larger quantities, Mountain House also offers it in #10 cans. We’ll examine its taste, convenience, ingredients, nutrition, and technical specifications, giving you a comprehensive overview of this delicious and versatile option.

So let’s get started.

Contents

• Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries
• Technical Details
• Ingredients
• Nutrition Facts
• Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Pros and Cons
• Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Preparation
• Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Taste Test
• Pros
• Cons
• Final Thoughts in our Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Review
• Keep a Supply of Freeze Dried Meals on Hand
• Wrapping it All Up

Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Review

The first question we need to answer is, does it taste good? Otherwise, we won’t spend much time on our review.

So yes, this one is a keeper, all by itself, this one is good eats.

Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries is a freeze-dried meal that caters to campers, hikers, and preppers seeking convenient and nutritious options. Priced at $5.99 per pouch in March 2023, this popular product has received over 2400 customer reviews on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 2400 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5. Check it out here.

In terms of taste, Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries is a winner. It stands on its own as a delicious meal option. The Adventure Meals series offers this freeze-dried option, which is also available in larger quantities in #10 cans. In this review, we will examine its taste, convenience, ingredients, nutrition, and technical details to provide a comprehensive overview of this versatile option.

From a nutritional perspective, the 2-serving pouch provides approximately 520 calories, 18 grams of fat, negligible cholesterol and sodium, 74 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of protein. The label also indicates the presence of Vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.

While the portion size may not be sufficient for everyone, it can be customized by adding extras such as fresh or dehydrated fruits, as well as nuts. The pros of this product include its 30-year shelf life, customizability, ease of preparation, and minimal cleanup. However, the portion size and price point may be considered cons by some individuals.

Overall, Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries is a highly recommended option for camping, hiking, traveling, and emergency preparedness. It offers great flavor and can be supplemented with additional ingredients to suit personal preferences. Having a supply of freeze-dried meals like this one is a wise investment for emergency situations or when other food sources are unavailable.

Technical Details

For those of us who want to know all the technical details and specifications. These are our out-of-the-box, off-the-shelf, weights and measurements as recorded on our inexpensive battery-powered digital kitchen scale.

• The unopened 2-serving pouch weight, 4.8 ounces or 138 grams
• Dry mix weight, 117 grams, this was a bit more of the dry mix than the 113 grams as shown in the package label
• Oxygen absorber packet weight, 5 grams
• Empty pouch weight, 15 grams

Other important details.

• Two servings per pouch
• Unopened shelf life of 30 years from the date of manufacture
• No artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors, and no artificial colors
• Requires 1/2 cup (4 ounces / 118 mL) of water for hydration

At the time of purchase, this Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Adventure Meal was $5.99 each on Amazon with over 2400 customer review ratings with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars.

It’s also available in a 20-serving number 10 can for just under $41.00.

Amazon does change its prices frequently. Bookmark our price tracking page here, we track all of the latest Mountain House freeze dried food prices on the products that we use.

Ingredients

Mountain House says they use only the highest-quality ingredients and cook their meals the old-fashion way, allowing the flavors to blend naturally. The result is home-cooked goodness, no matter where you are.

In my taste test, I agree, this is some good stuff!

The main ingredients listed on the ingredients label are granola, non-fat dry milk, and freeze dried wild blueberries. Yes, there are a few other ingredients that other similar processed foods might have. Overall, no surprises or concerns.

The ingredients list backs up the claim that there are no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, and no preservatives; none are listed. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list ingredients on their product labels, with a few exceptions for very small packages or products with only one ingredient. The ingredient list must be printed in descending order by weight, with the ingredient present in the greatest amount listed first.

My own disclaimer, I am a camper, hiker, informed consumer, and someone who wants to be prepared for those inevitable situations that will happen without modern conveniences. I am not a food scientist or someone who understands the ins and outs of processing food from field to table.

Nutrition Facts

The Nutrition Facts label says a serving size is 2/3 of a cup or 57 grams of dry mix. Mixed with water, you get a single serving of 1/2 cup. This is a 2-serving pouch, so you’ll end up with 1 cup by volume, more or less.

That said, for the entire pouch we’re looking at 520 calories, with 18 grams of fat, almost no cholesterol, 20 milligrams, almost no sodium, 120 mg, 74 grams of carbohydrate, 8 grams fiber, and 15 grams of protein. The label also shows there is some Vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.

I’ll say that nutrition needs vary from person to person and are dependent on activity. So this single 2-serving pouch might be fine as an entire meal for some folks. Each time I have had one of these, I felt the quantity of food wasn’t enough, in other words, I was still hungry, 1 cup of food isn’t much, even with all the morning coffee consumed.

I always recommend trying these at home before going out into the field. In part, so you can determine if the portion size is adequate. Imagine you starting on a long hike, or you are in an emergency situation and expending a lot of energy. If you were trying this one for the very first time, well you might be looking around for something more to eat. Unlike a lot of folks, I am a breakfast person and prefer substantial eats.

Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Preparation

This one is easy enough. The preparation instructions say to add 1/2 cup (4 ounces / 118 mL) of cold water. I prefer hot water.

With this meal, you don’t need to be exact on the water measurement. A bit more or less doesn’t change the texture much.

Just stir to mix and dig in.

Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Taste Test

This stuff tastes good. Because I usually let this hydrate in hot water while making the morning coffee, the granola softens a bit in texture. It’s not mushy, just a softer granola.

The blueberries are good, you can definitely test them.

The one complaint I have, I would like to see more. Maybe another serving.

You can easily supplement fresh or freeze dried fruit. Strawberries are good. Adding walnuts and cashews are winners. The snack pack sizes are ideal.

I give it a 5-star rating. It’s a keeper that we have purchased many times over and keep in our emergency food pantry.

Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Pros and Cons

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons noted in our Mountain House granola review.

The price point might be an issue for some folks, so this is neither a pro nor a con. These days, food is not cheap.

Consider if you took the time first to prepare the meal from quality ingredients, and then freeze dry and package it into a sturdy pouch that also doubles as a cooking vessel. It’s a bargain, in my opinion.

When we purchased this Mountain House Adventure Meal from Amazon, the price was $5.99 in March 2023. As we update our review, there are well over 2,400 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.7. Check it out here. Over 90% of the reviews are 4 and 5 stars. So this is a popular product that folks are happy with, likely with many repeat customers like me!

Many of the top reviewers say the Mountain House freeze dried granola is ideal for emergency rations, surprisingly good, not cheap, but reliable, and yum, yum, yum, with an occasional “good stuff” added here and there for emphasis.

Pros

• 30-year shelf life from the date of manufacture
• Highly customizable for adding extras
• Mountain House Granola can be made with either hot or cold water
• Easy and fast to prepare
• The bottom of the pouch expands into a bowl
• Almost no cleanup

In my experience, Mountain House meals may have a tad bit more dry mix. maybe just a few grams more than the weight shown on the package label. Very rarely, is there less than what is shown on the package label.

To be fair, I don’t weigh every single meal. I’ll weigh them when we are writing or updating a review.

Cons

• Depending on your activity level, this meal may not fill you up. You’ll need to try a few of these and decide for yourself, don’t wait until you’re out in the field and have one for the very first time
• The Mountain House Nutrition Label shows that a single serving size is 1/2 cup as prepared, or for the entire pouch, 1 cup prepared

Neither pro nor con, the bottom panel of the Adventure Meal pouch has bits of wit and wisdom printed on them, check it out. This particular Mountain House meal had a John Muir inspirational quote, “Of All The Paths You Take in Life, Make Sure a Few of Them Are Dirt.” Though I couldn’t find where this one came from referencing his published or unpublished works. If you know, leave a comment below.

Final Thoughts in our Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries Review

Would I buy them again? Yes, I would, and I have many times over for my camping and preparedness supplies.

The Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries has exceeded my expectations for taste and texture. It is darned tasty whether it’s made with hot, warm, or cold water.

As with most, maybe all, Mountain House freeze dried meals, they are highly customizable and this one is no exception. Consider adding fresh, dehydrated, or freeze dried fruit to the mix. Optionally, adding nuts, walnut pieces, pecans, peanuts, and cashews are favorite additions. You can find them in small snack pack sizes.

Keep a Supply of Freeze Dried Meals on Hand

Consider keeping a supply of freeze dried food and snacks on hand, such as this Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries that we reviewed today. Besides making for some easy-to-make camping food, freeze-dried food is one option for building an emergency food supply that is shelf-stable, easy to prepare, and has a long shelf life.

One of the critical components of emergency preparedness is having a reliable and sufficient food supply. Having a well-stocked emergency pantry is always a good idea. In the event of a natural disaster or other emergency situation, having a supply of freeze-dried foods can help ensure that you have access to nutritious food when other food sources may be unavailable.

It’s also important to regularly rotate through all of your food supplies to ensure that you use them before they expire.

Buy a few to try out before committing to a bigger purchase to stock up. It’s a good investment. Taste testing and trying out different freeze-dried foods before committing to a larger purchase is a smart idea to ensure that you like the taste and quality of the food.

Overall, having a well-stocked emergency pantry, including freeze-dried foods, is a wise investment in your and your family’s safety and well-being in the event of an emergency.

Wrapping it All Up

So wrapping it all up. The Mountain House Granola freeze dried Adventure Meal is a keeper. It has great flavor and there are plenty of options to bulk it up.

The unopened pouch weighs in at 4.8 ounces, or 138 grams, and has a shelf life of 30 years from the date of manufacture. Our particular meal was purchased in March 2023, and the best-by date was August 2052, a mere 29 1/2 years from now.

The Mountain House meals are ideal for camping, hiking, traveling, emergency preparedness, or getting home late meal options.

Once opened, Mountain House recommends using the dry contents within one week for best results and taste. This goes for the Adventure Meal pouches like we looked at today, and the larger 20-serving number 10 can.

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries #10 Can. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 325 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5. Check it out here.

The nutrition facts label shows that a serving size is 2/3 cup of the dry mix, or 1/2 cup prepared. There are 2 servings in the pouch, so you’ll get about 1 cup prepared according to the preparation instructions.

This meal can be prepared with either hot or cold water. We prefer hot water, boiling enough to mix into the pouch and the remainder for coffee.

Be sure to check out our list of Mountain House freeze dried meals available on Amazon, where we track the daily price and product availability so you don't have to. We also link to our comprehensive Mountain House freeze dried meal reviews. We track the same for Peak Refuel freeze dried meals on Amazon, don't forget to check it out before you go.

Today at the Best Freeze Dried Food Guide website we’re doing a Mountain House Pad Thai review.

Mountain House freeze-dried food is a game-changer for anyone who loves the outdoors, traveling, or wants to be prepared for emergencies. It’s a lightweight and compact option that can provide hot and nutritious meals in just a few minutes, no matter where you are.

And one of the tasty offerings in the world of freeze-dried meals is Mountain House’s Pad Thai with Chicken. In this review, I’ll share my firsthand experience with this meal and help you decide if it’s worth adding to your camping or emergency preparedness kit.

So, what makes freeze-dried food so special? First and foremost, it’s incredibly lightweight and compact. This makes it easy to pack and carry on multi-day backpacking trips or camping excursions where every ounce counts. But just because it’s lightweight doesn’t mean it’s lacking in nutrition or flavor. In fact, many freeze-dried meals are surprisingly tasty and filling, thanks to their high protein and nutrient content.

Another advantage of freeze-dried food is its long shelf life. Unlike fresh or even canned food, freeze-dried meals can last for years without spoiling. This makes them an ideal choice for emergency preparedness kits, where you want to have non-perishable food options on hand in case of power outages, natural disasters, or other emergencies.

But let’s get back to the main event: Mountain House’s Pad Thai with Chicken. The rice noodles, chicken, garlic, carrots, and bell peppers are all blended together in a deliciously sweet and savory sauce.

Preparing the meal is also incredibly easy. All you need is some boiling water and a few minutes of patience while it rehydrates. Once it’s ready, you simply stir it up and enjoy.

Of course, no meal is perfect, and there are a few drawbacks to consider. For one, freeze-dried meals can be more expensive than other options, particularly if you’re used to cooking from scratch or buying ingredients in bulk.

Overall, I think Mountain House’s Pad Thai with Chicken is an excellent option for anyone who wants a delicious and convenient meal on the go. Whether you’re backpacking through the wilderness, traveling cross country, or preparing for an emergency, this freeze-dried meal is sure to satisfy your taste buds.

Contents

• Mountain House Pad Thai Review
• Technical Details
• Ingredients
• Nutrition Facts
• Mountain House Pad Thai Pros and Cons
• Pros
• Cons
• Amazon Customer Review Quotes
• Keep a Supply of Freeze Dried Meals on Hand
• Wrapping it all Up

Mountain House Pad Thai Review

The first thing we should talk about is the taste and texture. If it doesn’t taste good, we really don’t care about anything else.

Made according to the package directions, it certainly does taste almost like the Pad Thai from the local eatery, it just doesn’t have fresh crushed peanuts. If you want it to taste exactly like Pad Thai, add some chopped peanuts. It’s not bland, it’s not soupy. It’s darned tasty.

The package directions call for adding 1 1/3 cups of boiling water. I think this is spot on.

We depart from the package directions for hydration times. Longer is better. While the preparation instructions say it’s ready in 9 minutes, our method takes a little bit longer but has better results.

Here’s what we do.

• Step 1, Carefully add the 1 1/3 cups (11 fl oz / 325mL) boiling water to the pouch. Thoroughly stir, all the way to the bottom and at the of the pouch. Then close the zipper seal and wait 5 minutes.
• Step 2, Open the pouch, give everything a good stir, getting all the way down to the bottom and ends of the pouch. Then close the zipper seal and wait another 5 minutes.
• Step 3. Now we’re at the 10-minute mark. Open the pouch, give everything a good stir, then close the zipper seal again and wait another 5 minutes.
• Step 4. If you’re starving, open up the pouch and dig in. Otherwise, let it go for another couple of minutes so everything can evenly hydrate. Your patience will be rewarded.

It’s a tradeoff between how well you reconstitute it and how hot you want it to be (temperature, not spice). Giving it a full 20 minutes really gets the water absorbed into the noodles and chicken all the way. The longer you can wait, the better it will taste.

Technical Details

For those of us who want to know all the technical details and specifications. These are our out-of-the-box measurements, as recorded on our inexpensive battery-powered digital kitchen scale.

• The unopened 2-serving pouch weighs 133 grams
• Dry mix weight, 110 grams
• Oxygen absorber packet weight, 5 grams
• Empty pouch weight, 18 grams

Other important details.

• Two servings per pouch
• Unopened shelf life of 30 years from the date of manufacture
• Gluten-free, no artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, or artificial colors
• Durable, easy-to-open pouch with a zipper seal
• Product packaging is recyclable

Ingredients

Well, the Mountain House Pad Thai with Chicken freeze dried meal has all of the ingredients you would expect to find.

Rice noodles, chicken, a bit of sugar, garlic, red bell peppers, oyster sauce, carrots, green beans, tamari soy sauce, toasted sesame oil tamarind extract, sambal oelek sauce, green onions, and fish sauce. Yes, there are a few others I didn’t list.

The Mountain House Pad Thai product package says this meal has no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and is gluten-free.

To back that up, the ingredients list shows that there are no artificial colors, artificial flavors, or preservatives; none are listed. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list ingredients on their product labels, with a few exceptions for very small packages or products with only one ingredient. The ingredient list must be printed in descending order by weight, with the ingredient present in the greatest amount listed first.

Nutrition Facts

The Nutrition Facts label says a serving size is 1 1/4 cups or 55 grams of dry mix. Well, we’re not going to eat half a pouch and save the rest for later. More on that in a bit.

That said, we’re looking at 490 calories, with 14 grams of fat, almost no cholesterol, 40 milligrams, 1120 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of carbohydrate, and 20 grams of protein. The label also shows there is some calcium, iron, and potassium.

A bit about the sodium content. The Nutrition Facts label says this container has 1120 mg. In a Mountain House response to a question concerning sodium, they replied, saying at one time, there was a low-sodium line of freeze dried food offerings. However, due to low sales, they discontinued the entire product line. So is this too much sodium? Only you can decide.

I’ll say that nutrition needs vary from person to person and are dependent on activity. So this single 2-serving pouch might be fine as an entire meal for some folks. Each time I have had one of these, I felt the quantity of food wasn’t enough, in other words, I was still hungry.

I always recommend trying these at home first before going out into the field. In part, so you can determine if the portion size is adequate. Imagine you finished a long hike, or you are in an emergency situation and expending a lot of energy. If you were trying this one for the very first time, well you might be looking around for something more to eat.

Pad Thai in a restaurant usually has crushed peanuts. So bring some with you to help round this out. Optionally, add in some home-dehydrated veggies, rice, or maybe a neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil, to bulk this up a bit and add more calories.

Mountain House Pad Thai Pros and Cons

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons noted in our Mountain House Pad Thai review.

The price point might be an issue for some folks, so this is neither a pro nor a con. These days, food is not cheap. Consider if you took the time first to prepare the meal from quality ingredients, and then freeze dry and package it into a sturdy pouch that also doubles as a cooking vessel. It’s a bargain, in my opinion.

When we purchased this Mountain House Adventure Meal from Amazon, the price was $10.95 in December 2022. As we update our review, there are well over 900 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.6. Check it out here. Over 90% of the reviews are 4 and 5 stars. So this is a popular product that folks are happy with, likely with many repeat customers like me!

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Pad Thai with Chicken. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 900 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. Check it out here.

Pros

• Great Pad Thai taste
• 30-year shelf life
• Highly customizable, adding extras such as peanuts, homemade dehydrated veggies, rice, hot sauce, chili flakes, or other spices
• Easy and fast to prepare
• The bottom of the pouch expands into a bowl

Cons

• Depending on your activity level, this meal may not fill you up. You’ll need to try a few and decide for yourself
• The Mountain House Nutrition Label shows that a serving size is 1 1/4 cups of dry mix, but does not show what the as-prepared serving size might be

Of course, no meal is perfect, and there are a few drawbacks to consider. At first glance, freeze dried meals appear to be more expensive than other options, particularly if you’re used to cooking from scratch or buying ingredients in bulk. Read our trade-off analysis here. Freeze dried meal options are a bargain when you consider real world options.

Okay, maybe the last con, isn’t really a con? If prepared according to the instructions, how much Pad Thai is in that pouch?

Neither pro nor con, the bottom panel of the Adventure Meal pouch has bits of wit and wisdom printed on them, check it out

Amazon Customer Review Quotes

With nearly 1000 global reviews and an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, Mountain House Pad Thai is highly regarded by customers. Over 90% of the reviews are 4 or 5 stars, indicating widespread satisfaction. Reviewer comments include phrases like “Tasty,” “Very Tasty,” and “Yum Yum Yum,” emphasizing the positive flavor experience.

While there are some differing opinions on the taste, with some finding it bland and others not, the overall consensus is positive. Similarly, the spiciness level is subjective, with varying opinions among reviewers.

One reviewer acknowledges that freeze-dried food cannot match fresh dishes but mentions that Mountain House Pad Thai comes reasonably close, particularly in situations where convenience, cold weather, hunger, and limited resources are factors. They even claim it’s better than any other freeze-dried food they’ve had.

To me, when the majority of product reviews are 4 and 5 stars in the 90% range, it’s proof positive that what I am considering is socially vetted. The exact percentage of Amazon customers who leave product reviews can vary widely depending on the product category, customer demographics, and other factors. The exact percentage of Amazon customers who leave customer reviews is not publicly available information. Amazon does not disclose the specific number or percentage of customers who write reviews for products.

Pick up one or two today and give it a taste test. Its convenience and long shelf life make it a practical choice for various situations, whether you’re camping, hiking, planning for a prolonged power outage, or simply in need of a quick and satisfying meal.

Final Thoughts on our Mountain House Pad Thai Review

Would I buy them again? Yes, I would, and I have many times over.



The Mountain House Pad Thai with Chicken has exceeded my expectations for taste and texture. It might not taste exactly like a Pad Thai found in your favorite restaurant, but it’s pretty darned tasty.

Keep a Supply of Freeze Dried Meals on Hand

Consider keeping a supply of freeze dried food and snacks on hand. Besides making for some easy-to-make camping food, freeze-dried food is one option for building an emergency food supply that is shelf-stable, easy to prepare, and has a long shelf life.

One of the critical components of emergency preparedness is having a reliable and sufficient food supply. Having a well-stocked emergency pantry is always a good idea. In the event of a natural disaster or other emergency situation, having a supply of freeze-dried foods can help ensure that you have access to nutritious food when other food sources may be unavailable.

It’s also important to regularly rotate through all of your food supplies to ensure that you use them before they expire.

Buy a few to try out before committing to a bigger purchase to stock up. It’s a good investment. Testing out different freeze-dried foods before committing to a larger purchase is a smart idea to ensure that you like the taste and quality of the food.

Overall, having a well-stocked emergency pantry, including freeze-dried foods, is a wise investment in your and your family’s safety and well-being in the event of an emergency.

Wrapping it all Up

So wrapping it all up. The Mountain House Pad Thai with Chicken freeze dried Adventure Meal is a keeper. It has great flavor and there are plenty of options to bulk it up.

The unopened pouch weighs in at 4.7 ounces and has a shelf life of 30 years from the date of manufacture. The Mountain House meals are ideal for camping, hiking, traveling, emergency preparedness, or getting home late meal options.

Once opened, Mountain House recommends using the dry contents within one week for best results and taste.

The nutrition facts label shows that a serving size is 1 1/4 cups of dry mix. There are 2 servings in the pouch. The package does not show what a serving size is as prepared. Seems like a no-brainer to include this information.

Be sure to check out our list of Mountain House freeze dried meals available on Amazon, where we track the daily price and product availability so you don't have to. We also link to our comprehensive Mountain House freeze dried meal reviews. We track the same for Peak Refuel freeze dried meals on Amazon, don't forget to check it out before you go.

Have you ever been out in the field or on a camping trip and found yourself craving a sweet snack? Look no further than the Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites – Apples and Cinnamon flavor. These small but mighty treats pack a punch of flavor and nutrition that will leave you satisfied and energized for your outdoor adventure.

We put these bites to the test on a recent outing, and they exceeded our expectations. And the best part? They are incredibly easy to pack and store, making them the perfect addition to any camping or hiking trip.

In this review, we’ll break down the ingredients, taste, and overall experience of these Peanut Butter Bites to give you a comprehensive look at why they should be a staple in your freeze dried panty.

Mountain House peanut butter bites – apples and cinnamon are another relatively new addition to the freeze dried food lineup. We have tried and reviewed the other flavors, so this is the last one of the series left to try.

These are perfect for camping, hiking, as a part of your emergency food supply, or as a just-because snack purchase.

Contents

• Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites – Apples and Cinnamon Review
• Technical Details
• Ingredients
• Nutrition Facts
• Final Thoughts on the Mountain House Apples and Cinnamon Peanut Butter Bites
• Keep a Supply of Freeze Dried Meals on Hand
• Wrapping it all Up

Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites – Apples and Cinnamon Review

The first thing we should talk about is taste. If it doesn’t taste good, we really don’t care about anything else.

To me, they taste like apple pie. I didn’t taste any peanut butter. There were no odd after-tastes. So my first impression, it’s a keeper.

The Mountain House apples and cinnamon peanut butter bites are smaller little freeze dried squares, somewhat the size of a larger peanut.

So overall, my first impression? It was surprisingly good, but not too sweet. Would I buy more of these? Yes, I will buy them again. Actually, I already have, several times.

The front of the pouch reads crispy and crunchy. The first 2 bags I tried were neither crispy nor crunchy. They were soft and chewy but not too crumbly. All the Mountain House peanut butter bite flavors I have eaten so far have had the same texture.

While some small crumbs are found in the bottom of the pouch, the Mountain House peanut butter bites are firm little nuggets, not easily breaking apart with ordinary handling. But they will crush if tightly packed in along with your other gear. So pack wisely.

Like most big box stores, any selection of Mountain House freeze dried meals, desserts, and snacks are nearly impossible to find, at least in my area. Amazon has by far the best selection, price, and availability, check it out here. At only $4.99, consider adding one or two to your next Amazon purchase for a try.

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites - Apples and Cinnamon Unfortunately, it wasn’t in stock and available for purchase. Although it was available from other vendors. It’s a popular item. There are over 15 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5.

Technical Details

For those of us who want to know all the technical details and specifications. These are our out-of-the-box measurements, as recorded on our inexpensive battery-powered digital kitchen scale.

• The unopened 3-serving pouch weighs 95 grams
• Oxygen absorber packet weight, 3 grams
• Empty pouch weight, 7 grams

Other important details.

• Three 28-gram servings per container
• Unopened shelf life of 2 years from the date of manufacture
• No water or hydration time needed
• Non-GMO ingredients, gluten-free, vegetarian, and organic

Ingredients

Mountain House says these are organic, made with whole food ingredients, with no artificial colors, artificial flavors, or preservatives.

The back of the package shows that the Mountain House apples and cinnamon peanut butter bites are sweetened only with honey, certified gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegetarian.

The ingredients list backs up the claim that there are no artificial colors, artificial flavors, or preservatives; none are listed. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list ingredients on their product labels, with a few exceptions for very small packages or products with only one ingredient. The ingredient list must be printed in descending order by weight, with the ingredient present in the greatest amount listed first.

The label shows a list of 10 ingredients. Primarily peanuts, honey, nonfat milk, brown rice protein, oil, apples, cinnamon, natural apple flavor, and sea salt. No, I didn’t list out all ten ingredients.

Nutrition Facts

The Nutrition Facts label says a serving size is “about 14 pieces” or 28 grams. I weighed 14 pieces on my digital scale and came up short. After adding six more of the apples and cinnamon peanut butter bite cubes, the scale now reads 28 grams. Which is roughly about two or three small bite-size handfuls.

I measured out the two remaining servings, and the second serving came in at 18 pieces. The third serving was 20 pieces.

Overall, there were exactly 3 of the 28-gram servings, totaling 84 grams. Each serving has 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, no cholesterol, just a bit of sodium, 45 mg, 13 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of protein. It also offers some calcium, iron, and potassium.

One of these would help to round out the typical 400 to 500 calories, on average, found in one of the freeze dried Mountain House meals.

Final Thoughts on the Mountain House Apples and Cinnamon Peanut Butter Bites

Would I buy them again? Yes, I would.

The Mountain House apples and cinnamon peanut butter bites exceeded my expectations for taste and texture. They do taste like apple pie, and they are not too sweet. Maybe they don’t taste like Grandma’s apple pie. However, they are really good, and kind of addicting. So an opened pouch doesn’t last all that long.

Add a couple of these Mountain House Apples and Cinnamon Peanut Butter Bites to your next Amazon order and give them a try.

Keep a Supply of Freeze Dried Meals on Hand

Consider keeping a supply of freeze dried food and snacks on hand. Besides making for some easy-to-make camping food, freeze-dried food is one option for building an emergency food supply that is shelf-stable, easy to prepare, and has a long shelf life.

One of the critical components of emergency preparedness is having a reliable and sufficient food supply. Having a well-stocked emergency pantry is always a good idea. In the event of a natural disaster or other emergency situation, having a supply of freeze-dried foods can help ensure that you have access to nutritious food when other food sources may be unavailable.

It’s also important to regularly rotate through all of your food supplies to ensure that you use them before they expire.

Buy a few to try out before committing to a bigger purchase to stock up. It’s a good investment. Testing out different freeze-dried foods before committing to a larger purchase is a smart idea to ensure that you like the taste and quality of the food.

Overall, having a well-stocked emergency pantry, including freeze-dried foods, is a wise investment in your and your family’s safety and well-being in the event of an emergency.

Wrapping it all Up

So wrapping it all up, The Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites – Apples and Cinnamon flavor is a relatively new addition to the Mountain House freeze dried food lineup.

We found that they taste like apple pie, with no distinct taste of peanut butter. The bites are small and not too sweet, with a soft and chewy texture.

The ingredients are organic, made with whole food ingredients, and contain no artificial colors, artificial flavors, or preservatives.

The pouch weighs 3.4 ounces and has an unopened shelf life of 2 years. Once opened, Mountain House recommends using the dry contents within one week for best results and taste.

The nutrition facts label says a serving size is about 14 pieces, but I found it to be off and added more pieces to get to the 28 grams.

Overall, the Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites – Apples and Cinnamon exceeded our expectations and were addictive. The resealable package really didn’t get a workout, mostly because we ended up eating it all in short order.

Be sure to check out our list of Mountain House freeze dried meals available on Amazon, where we track the daily price and product availability so you don't have to. We also link to our comprehensive Mountain House freeze dried meal reviews. We track the same for Peak Refuel freeze dried meals on Amazon, don't forget to check it out before you go.

This is our Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich review.

We buy nearly all of our freeze dried meals from Amazon because of the variety, availability, and cost, and we can also see what others think. The big box store down the road has very little selection.

Mountain House Adventure Meals are some of the best that we civilians can buy. These pre-packaged freeze dried meals are lightweight, easy to prepare, and have a long shelf life, making them ideal for outdoor adventures, emergency food supplies, or even everyday use.

Mountain House Adventure Meals come in a variety of flavors and styles, including breakfast options, entrees, and desserts, and are made with high-quality, natural ingredients that are freeze-dried to preserve their nutrients and flavor.

Whether you’re a hiker, camper, backpacker, or just someone who wants a quick and convenient meal, Mountain House Adventure Meals are a great choice for anyone looking for delicious and nutritious freeze-dried meals on the go.

So, first things first, it’s good stuff. The Mountain House vanilla ice cream sandwich tastes exactly like an ice cream sandwich should, well, because it is one. Pick up 1 or 2 with your next Amazon purchase to try out for yourself.

Now let’s get into the details and finer points.

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 5600 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.2 stars out of 5. Check it out here.

Contents

• Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich Review
• The Ingredients
• Nutrition Facts
• Opening the Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich
• Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich Taste Test
• Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich Technical Specifications
• The Shelf Life of Mountain House Adventure Meals
• Keep a Supply on Hand
• Wrapping it all Up

Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich Review

For starters, the Mountain House vanilla ice cream sandwich is some tasty deliciously good stuff.

It’s freeze dried vanilla ice cream in between two rectangular-shaped chocolatey cookie wafers. It’s a classic childhood dessert treat. It’s also a favorite out in the field, in that, it doesn’t melt.

There isn’t much in the lightweight pouch, the freeze dried ice cream sandwich in a paper wrapper. That’s it. There isn’t an oxygen absorber.

This Mountain House vanilla ice cream sandwich is one of the creature comfort food items I like to bring on some of my more extended outdoor hikes. After all, what is not to like about a freeze dried ice cream sandwich? It won’t melt in your pack, and it does taste like an ice cream sandwich should taste. I think it does, anyway.

The only drawback is that this does not have the same melty texture as when chowing down on a real ice cream sandwich fresh and cold from the freezer!

Oh, and it’s a bit on the fragile side.

So let’s take a look.

The Ingredients

Taking a look at the ingredients. It’s freeze dried vanilla ice cream and two chocolate cookie wafers.

The vanilla ice cream ingredients are comparable to other vanilla ice cream sandwiches in the frozen section of your local grocer. In that, the ice cream is made from milk, cream, and several different types of sugar, flavors, and other additives that are found in processed foods.

The wafers are made from wheat flour, sugars, oils, cocoa and other additives that are found in processed foods.

Are these super premium vanilla ice cream sandwiches? No, but the ingredients appear to be mostly the same as those found in the frozen section of the local grocer. At least for the brands I checked and compared.

Nutrition Facts

One of these Mountain House vanilla ice cream sandwiches is equal to one serving. Yes, this is a no-brainer, who is going to split one of these? Not me!

The nutrition label shows each one of these ice cream sandwiches has 140 calories, 2 grams of protein, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 100 milligrams of sodium, and 5 grams of fat.

Overall, not too bad. The 140 calories and 5 grams of fat would help to round out the typical 400 to 500 calories, on average, found in one of the freeze dried Mountain House meals.

Opening the Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich

Opening up the lightweight pouch is straightforward enough with a caveat. Take a bit of care, otherwise, you might end up breaking the ice cream sandwich you took the time to protect.

The ice cream sandwich has a paper wrapper just like the frozen versions. It’s easy enough to unpack. There will be some bits and pieces of freeze dried ice cream that naturally fall off.

Once the package is opened, there is no zipper seal should you want to save some for later. But that isn’t going to happen.

So, that’s it for the prep work. Not much to it.

Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich Taste Test

Do you member having an ice cream sandwich from the ice cream truck as a child? I can hear that jingle playing now.

Standing along the side of the street in anticipation, a hot summer day waiting, then gobbling down that cold ice cream sandwich before it all melted.

Well, this tastes the same. It’s not too sweet. The only thing missing is the “cold” part, and maybe the ice cream truck jingle.

The combination of vanilla ice cream and a soft and chewy cookie wafer is a delicious dessert or anytime snack. It’s a classic, both delicious and nostalgic.

Did I mention that there is no water needed or time spent waiting for rehydration?

Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich Technical Specifications

So a lot of folks want to know about the details, the weight, and such, that they are putting into their pack.

• The unopened package weight was 43 grams
• There is no oxygen absorber in the packet
• The empty package weight, including the top tear-off piece was only 6 grams

The vanilla ice cream sandwich inner wrapper didn’t register anything at all on my digital kitchen scale. So I’ll go with 1 gram.

There were some bits and pieces of freeze dried vanilla ice cream that fell away from the cookie wafer sandwich, and were not measured.

So that leaves the 1 serving size somewhere around 36 grams.

The Shelf Life of Mountain House Adventure Meals

The shelf life of most Mountain House Adventure Meals is 30 years.

However, the advertised shelf life of the vanilla ice cream sandwich bar is 3 years from the date of manufacture stored under dry, sanitary conditions, without prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures and avoiding any environment that could cause damage to the packaging, such as punctures, dents, or rust.

Mountain House does not say what the pouch is made from, not that I can see anyway.

But, Mountain House says to maximize shelf life, store food unopened and avoid prolonged exposure to temperatures above 75°F (24°C). Follow these storage tips and you’ll have tasty food on your next backpacking trip.

What Happens After the Shelf Life Date has Passed

The Mountain House FAQ says that the freeze dried food doesn’t “go bad” after the shelf life date, but the quality will start to diminish. You may notice a slight change in flavor or texture, but we’ve [says Mountain House] eaten food from our Adventure Meal pouches that were over 30 years old and were still tasty!

I will say, that I have eaten a few of these vanilla ice cream sandwiches that were well past their best by date, and we are still here to talk about it.

As of March 2023, this one was 5 years past its best buy date of December 2017, and mostly stored according to the Mountain House FAQ, that is, to avoid prolonged exposure to temperatures above 75°F (24°C). Even though it was mostly broken up into snacking size handfuls due to my own storage conditions, it still tasted pretty darned good and with no ill after effects.

Keep a Supply on Hand

Consider keeping a supply of freeze dried food on hand. Besides making for some easy-to-make camping food, freeze-dried food is one option for building an emergency food supply that is shelf-stable, easy to prepare, and has a long shelf life. One of the key components of emergency preparedness is having a reliable and sufficient food supply.

It’s always a good idea to have a well-stocked emergency pantry, but it’s also important to regularly rotate through your supplies to ensure that you use them before they expire. Most of the Mountain House freeze dried meal options have a 30 year shelf life. Some of their other products, like the freeze dried ice cream has a 3 year shelf life. So, all around, it’s a good investment.

Wrapping it all Up

Maybe we should call this part, unwrapping it all?

Anyhow, wrapping up our Mountain House vanilla ice cream sandwich review, it has a 3-year unopened shelf life from the date of manufacture.

It’s a low-cost, lightweight, and not-to-sweet dessert or anytime when the mood strikes you snack option. The ingredients mirror what you would find in the drippy melty ice cream sandwich frozen food offerings from the down-the-street neighbor grocer or ice cream truck vendor. Minus the catchy jingle.

As we update our review, more than 5700 Amazon customers like you and me have given it an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars, with close to 80% of reviewers leaving a positive 4- to 5-star rating. The last several Mountain House vanilla ice cream sandwiches we picked up averaged under $4.00 each. Purchased in bulk, it might be more cost-effective.

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich - 12 pack. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 5700 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.2 stars out of 5. Check it out here.

Once a day, we track the Mountain House store prices and availability. But there are other resellers. Just do your homework and compare prices. Link to our Mountain House freeze dried food guide and you’ll always have access to the latest Mountain House prices in one place.

We included a few product images, and will probably upload more as we collect them. On my shopping list is an updated water-resistant to waterproof camera with a decent lens and field-replaceable batteries.

So what are you waiting for, order some.

Be sure to check out our list of Mountain House freeze dried meals available on Amazon, where we track the daily price and product availability so you don't have to. We also link to our comprehensive Mountain House freeze dried meal reviews. We track the same for Peak Refuel freeze dried meals on Amazon, don't forget to check it out before you go.

Today, we are reviewing the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff in a number 10 can.

One of the most popular Mountain House freeze dried meals is Beef Stroganoff, which is available in the Adventure Meals, Pro-Pak, and a #10 can that is perfect for feeding a group of hungry people. Here, we are looking at the benefits of a #10.

Mountain House Beef Stroganoff #10 Can

Mountain House offers a #10 can of their ever-popular freeze-dried Beef Stroganoff. The #10 can provides 10 each of the 1-cup servings. The 10-serving moniker is a bit misleading in my humble opinion since 1 serving is 1 cup of food. Read more about serving sizes here on our FAQ page.

A number 10 can, or #10 can, or a ten-pound can, is a standard size used to store food or other items. For more information on can sizes, such as the #10 can, may be found here on the FAQ page.

For emergency preparedness and car camping, the larger #10 can make darned good sense. For backpacking, not so much. But read on, there is a workaround for that.

If 5-star restaurants are your thing, freeze dried may not be the best choice. If you’re adaptable, like a Mel’s Diner type, you can’t go wrong. Just so we don’t repeat ourselves, read about our Mountain House Adventure Meals Beef Stroganoff review here, it will pop up in a new window and you won’t lose your place.

Mountain House Beef Stroganoff is delicious. The beef is tender and flavorful, and the creamy sauce is perfectly seasoned with a mix of spices and herbs. The egg noodles are also a nice touch, adding a satisfying texture to the meal.

The #10 can size is perfect for larger groups, and the meal itself is quite filling. In fact, it could easily feed 4-6 people, depending on serving size. And because it’s freeze-dried, it has a long shelf life, making it a great option for emergency food storage. Mountain House has a 30-year shelf life from the date of manufacture guarantee.

Preparation Instructions

To prepare, open the can and remove and discard the oxygen absorber. Then add 8 ½ cups (68 fl oz / 2.0L) of boiling water to the contents of the can. Stir to mix and cover. At first, it will look like it’s way too much water, but rest assured, it will all be absorbed. Wait 5 minutes, stir again, and reseal. Let stand an additional 4 minutes.

The preparation instructions suggest that it’s ready to eat in 9 minutes. However, we think you get better results by giving it a second stir, then waiting for another 5 minutes. So it’s a total of 14-15 minutes.

The preparation instructions also suggest for single servings, to add 1 cup of boiling water to 1 ½ cup dry mix. We think this is too much and the results will be a bit thinner than we like. So dial it back to a bit over ¾ cup per single serving, or 1 2/3 cup for 2 servings.

Mountain House Beef Stroganoff #10 Can Cost and Availability

As we do this review, a Beef Stroganoff #10 can is $39.99 on Amazon. With over 750 customer reviews and an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5, you can’t go wrong. So that $3.99 per 1-cup serving. However, Amazon does change prices, we have seen this as high as $52.25, and as low as $29.37.

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff #10 Can. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 750 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5. Check it out here.

Through other Amazon resellers, you could pick up a 6-pack of Beef Stroganoff #10 cans for right at $175.00 as we write this review. That’s 60 servings at $2.90 per serving. Not a bad deal if you’re stocking up the preparedness pantry.

Purchasing a 6-pack of cans can provide a discount and make it more affordable for those looking to stock up their preparedness pantry. It’s important to compare prices and read customer reviews before making a purchase to ensure you are getting a good value for your money.

The Mountain House Beef Stroganoff in a #10 can is not the cheapest option out there, but it’s still a good value considering the quality and convenience and the fact it could easily feed 4-6 people depending on serving size and other side dishes. When you factor in the ease of preparation, the delicious taste, and the long shelf life, it’s clear that you’re getting a high-quality product for your money.

The #10 Can Work-Around

In short, we really like the convenience of Mountain House freeze dried meals.

The can contents can be vacuum sealed into hungry hiker-size portions, but not for long-term storage. Just refrain from opening the can until needed. Vacuum sealing the contents into smaller portions can help extend the shelf life a bit, but it’s still not a long-term storage solution.

While the cans have a convenient resealable plastic lid between openings, the Mountain House website says to use the dry contents within one week for best results and taste. It’s important to remember that the recommended shelf life of opened cans is relatively short, and it’s best to use the contents within a week for optimal taste and quality. So once you open the can, the clock is ticking.

If you’re someone who likes to customize your meals or add your own ingredients, the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff in a #10 can is a great base to work with. You can easily add your own spices, vegetables, or protein.

Consider Buying in Bulk

Buying in bulk, such as purchasing one or more #10 cans, can be a more economical option for those who need to stock up on freeze-dried food. However, it’s important to track the day-to-day prices and compare them across different suppliers to ensure you’re getting the best value for your money. Generally, Amazon has the best prices, potentially with free shipping, but not always.

We track the day-to-day freeze dried food prices of the Amazon Mountain House store here. Bookmark this page and check back for the latest gouge.

Emergency Preparedness and Freeze Dried Food

Freeze-dried food is one option for building an emergency food supply that is shelf-stable, easy to prepare, and has a long shelf life. One of the key components of emergency preparedness is having a reliable and sufficient food supply.

Mountain House freeze-dried food can be a convenient and reliable option for emergency preparedness, providing a source of nutritious and shelf-stable food that can help you and your family weather any emergency situation.

It’s always a good idea to have a well-stocked emergency pantry, but it’s also important to regularly rotate through your supplies to ensure that you use them before they expire. Most of the Mountain House freeze dried meals have a 30-year shelf life.

Additionally, regularly rotating through your supplies ensures that you have a good understanding of what you have on hand and can help you identify any gaps in your preparedness plans. It’s a helpful reminder to update your emergency plans and check your emergency equipment, such as flashlights, batteries, and first aid kits. Overall, it’s an essential aspect of emergency preparedness and can help ensure that you are fully equipped to handle any emergency that comes your way.

Be sure to check out our list of Mountain House freeze dried meals available on Amazon, where we track the daily price and product availability so you don't have to. We also link to our comprehensive Mountain House freeze dried meal reviews. We track the same for Peak Refeul freeze dried meals on Amazon, don't forget to check it out before you go.

We are updating our original Mountain House Beef Stroganoff review first published back in October 2015.

Wow, that seems like a long time ago. We are adding more of that been-there, done-that detail you might be looking for in a product review. We also have newer images since Mountain House has updated their product packaging.

We really like the large selection and variety of Mountain House freeze dried meals. It’s all the good stuff and we have been eating them for many years. They have also improved their recipes, taking out some of the more questionable ingredients that folks look for. However, chances are the store-bought ingredient in your homemade beef stroganoff recipe contains many of those found in Mountain House meals.

But we’re not being too picky, Mountain House makes decent eats that deserve a spot in the pack or in the just-in-case pantry. Freeze dried food is very lightweight and offers a long shelf life, measured in years. Even more, Mountain House offers a 30-year shelf-life guarantee.

So let’s get started and take a look at the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff freeze dried meal. The one we are checking out today is one of the Adventure Meals series. Mountain House also has Beef Stroganoff in their Pro Pak series and in #10 cans.

Mountain House Beef Stroganoff Review

First things first, is it any good? If it doesn’t taste good, we don’t care about anything else.

Mountain House Beef Stroganoff is definitely a favorite of mine. So it passes the taste test. Actually, I have not found any Mountain House freeze dried meal I didn’t like. However, there are plusses and minuses to them all depending on your dietary preferences.

We paid $9.49 each in December 2022 to restock our supply on Amazon. At that time, it had over 3500 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. So it’s a popular product and lots of folks are happy with it.

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 3650 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5. Check it out here.

We track only the Mountain House store prices here on this website, but there are other resellers that may offer differing prices, with or without free Amazon Prime shipping. Check out our price tracker here, it’s updated daily. Be sure to bookmark it and check back frequently for the latest prices for this and other Mountain House freeze dried meals.

Mountain House Beef Stroganoff, the Details

If you’re watching your pack weight, and who isn’t, the unopened 2-serving freeze dried meal pouch weighed in at 147 grams or 5.2 ounces on our inexpensive digital kitchen scale.

Let’s go to the Nutrition Facts label. It shows this pouch will make 2 servings or 2 cups of food per container and provide 560 calories of energy. Depending on your dietary needs, this might fill you up, or you might want more.

A bit about the sodium content. The Nutrition Facts label says this container has 1570 mg. In a Mountain House response to a question concerning sodium, they replied, saying at one time, there was a low-sodium line of freeze dried food offerings. However, due to low sales, they discontinued the entire product line. So is this too much sodium, only you can decide.

I emptied the contents of the pouch into a bowl so we could get a good look at the contents. There are pieces of beef, mushroom, a lot of noodles, and you can see the spices and seasonings that make savory cream sauce. I really don’t see any onion pieces, but they might be blended in and I can’t see them.

Taking the time to read through the many Mountain House Beef Stroganoff customer reviews, we do see that many of the reviewers say it doesn’t have enough salt, and they recommend adding more, to include an assortment of other spices. My own outdoor spice drawer includes salt, pepper, crushed red chili flakes, and hot sauce. I do have a collection of home-dehydrated sauces, spices, and what-not including chipotle in adobo, fish sauce, beef and chicken bouillon, cilantro, and such.

Mountain House Beef Stroganoff Preparation

Start by removing the top portion of the packaging at the tear notch. Then remove the oxygen absorber packet. The oxygen absorber packet will likely be visible near the top of the contents. Sometimes there might be two of them.

The preparation instructions on the rear panel show adding 1 2/3 cups / 385 mL of boiling water to the package. We concur, this makes the right consistency for our taste and texture preferences.

After adding the water, you might be thinking it was too much. At first, it will look like a hot tub with floating noodles and beef bits. But rest assured, if you followed the package recommendation and used 1 2/3 cups boiling water, it will turn out fine.

Try to be accurate in your water measurements. Too much water and it will be thin and soupy. Too little water, it will have the texture of crunchy oatmeal and will not have hydrated properly. We now use a lightweight and inexpensive silicon measuring cup for better results. You can find one here on Amazon.

Although the package instructions show that the meal is ready in less than 10 minutes, we find that waiting a bit longer will result in a better experience.

The package instructions suggest that you add the boiling water, then stir and seal. Then wait 5 minutes, stir, and reseal for another 4 minutes before eating before eating. Instead of digging in, we’ll stir up the contents again and wait another 5 minutes before eating. In other words, we’ll let ours hydrate for another 5 to 6 minutes longer than the instructions call for, so everything is well mixed and hydrated.

Freeze Dried Food Taste Test

The Mountain House Beef Stroganoff is a real keeper. The bottom line, it tastes really good. The savory cream sauce with mushrooms and onions is just the right consistency and coats each noodle and the beef perfectly.

Using a long-handle camping spoon lets you stir and dig around at the bottom of those freeze-dried food pouches without getting your dirty mitts all covered with food bits and pieces. Yes, you could lick off those bits and pieces, but don’t. We have several. Check out our review here, or here on Amazon.

A bit of freshly ground black pepper would be a nice touch. But I didn’t bring my little GSI pepper grinder along. You could easily doctor this up by adding some homemade dehydrated onion flakes or other favorites.

The only complaint, I could have used another half a serving or so.

Check out our Best Freeze Dried Food Guide here and read our reviews on the products we have tried.

Today we’re doing a Mountain House Adventure Weekender Kit review.

Whether you’re a seasoned camper, an avid hiker, or a diligent prepper, there’s one essential element that can make or break your experience: food. In the wild, nourishment takes on a whole new significance, and having the right sustenance by your side can be the difference between a successful journey and a grueling struggle.

This kit boasts 6 individually packaged just-add-water freeze dried meals at 12 servings for 1 person. That’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 1 person for 2 days.

The Weekender Kit bundles some of the more popular Mountain House freeze dried meals in a convenient box for storage for a cost-effective solution giving you peace of mind knowing that you have a reliable food source for unforeseen emergencies, impromptu camping trips, and even prolonged power outages.

So let’s check it out.

Contents

• Mountain House Weekender Kit Review
• Mountain House Weekender Kit Overview
• Mountain House Weekender Kit Contents
• Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries
• Mountain House Breakfast Skillet
• Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles
• Mountain House Rice and Chicken
• Pros and Con
• Pros
• Cons
• Other Notes
• In Summary

Mountain House Weekender Kit Review

The Mountain House Weekender Kit price averages just under $45.00 on Amazon with free Amazon Prime shipping, check it out here. As we write this review, the kit has over 300 customer reviews averaging 4.7 out of 5 stars. The individual freeze dried meals themselves have thousands of customer reviews.

So as we review the kit, at $45.00, it averages out to $7.50 per meal. Overall, not a bad deal. If you’re cost-conscious, and who isn’t, this is probably cheaper than the fast food place down the street.

On December 28, 2024, I checked the Mountain House store on Amazon to get updated pricing for the Mountain House Adventure Weekender Kit. It's in stock and available for purchase. It sure is a popular item. There are over 300 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. Check it out here.

However, depending on the scenario, the fast food place down the street may be closed, or they don’t or won’t deliver to your off-grid location.

If you were to price out the individual freeze-dried meals, you might end up paying another $10 to $15 to buy them all separately. So overall, buying by the box is not a bad deal. Just watch the prices.

Check back often for the latest Amazon prices. We update our site nearly every day with the latest Amazon prices. Amazon does change its prices. Over the past year, we have seen the Mountain House Adventure Weekender Kit go for anywhere from $39.49 to $59.99.

The Mountain House Adventure Weekender Kit is perfect for short-term power outages, camping, fishing, hunting, and weekend backpacking trips. It’s a great addition to your emergency preparedness plans.

Plan on at least one box for each family member.

Most of the Mountain House Adventure Meals have a 30-year shelf life. This stuff won’t go bad waiting around to be used. It’ll be there when you need it.

So what are we looking at?

Mountain House Weekender Kit Overview

The kit comes in a cube-shaped cardboard box measuring 8 3/4 inches tall, 8 3/4 inches deep, and 9 5/8 inches wide. The box weight is about 2 1/2 pounds and is easily stackable.

The Mountain House Weekender Kit contains 6 freeze dried meals; each meal pouch is 2 servings.

One side of the Weekender box is devoted to the nutrition facts label, so you can easily see what you are getting. Just a note however, the nutrition facts on the box are a bit misleading, in my opinion. The box shows the nutrition facts per serving, while each freeze dried meal pouch is 2 servings. It doesn’t show the per-container nutrition facts.

The last Weekender Kit I picked up in January 2023 showed a best-by date of January 2052 on the box. So the contents of this box are good for 29 more years or maybe longer. Mountain House offers a 30-year shelf life and taste guarantee from the date of manufacture.

The kit will provide approximately 1600 calories per day. Depending on your needs, you might want to consider some add-ons.

So let’s take a look at what we get in the box.

You can certainly eyeball the amount of boiled water poured into your freeze dried meal. However, using a lightweight, flexible, collapsible measuring cup, such as one of these, to measure out your water makes for a much better and more consistent flavor experience.

Mountain House Weekender Kit Contents

We get 6 lightweight pouches of freeze dried meals.

You get:

• One Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries
• One Mountain House Breakfast Skillet
• Two Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles
• Two Mountain House Rice and Chicken

There is a bit more room in the box if you wanted to add another 2 or 3 freeze dried meals for storage.

So one by one, let’s take a look.

Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries

The Mountain House Granola with milk and blueberries freeze dried meal. This might be considered a breakfast choice. Actually, besides breakfast, this is an excellent addition to a 72-hour get-home bag as an on-the-go meal as you walk.

Mountain House Granola with milk and blueberries really doesn’t need any hydration time. Just add 1/2 cup of either hot or cold water, stir to mix thoroughly, and you are in business. Other than that and eating it straight out of the pouch, it doesn’t get any easier.

The pouch shows this it is 2 servings. Reading the nutrition label, 1 serving is 1/2 cup, and the entire pouch is 1 cup of food at 520 calories. In my opinion, this is a bit shy of a filling breakfast.

The Weekender Kit only gives you one Granola with Milk and Blueberries.

Today, the Granola with Milk and Blueberries has over 3300 customer reviews averaging 4.7 stars out of 5, and goes for $5.99.

Mountain House Breakfast Skillet

Well, this isn’t just for breakfast, as the name might suggest. We’re talking about big pieces of scrambled eggs, shredded potatoes, sausage, peppers, and onions. It’s a canvas that you can doctor up any which way you want.

Some favorite additions are hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and spices of all types, like our favorite dehydrated and powdered chipotle in adobo sauce. We have also bulked it up with additional dehydrated veggies and even dehydrated pork crumbles.

The pouch shows this is 2 servings. Reading the nutrition label, 1 serving is 1 cup prepared. So the 2-serving pouch makes about 2 cups of food at 510 calories.

Mountain House Breakfast Skillet definitely has a place in the freeze dried food prepper pantry. It’s good stuff and has a 30-year shelf life from the date of manufacture.

The preparation instructions are fairly accurate, 1 1/4 cup of water is about the right amount. It might look soupy right after you add water, just let it hydrate for 15 minutes and you’ll get the right consistency. With most Mountain House meals, you’ll need to experiment to find the right amount of water to add to get your preferred texture.

We do recommend you try one or two at home before heading to the field and eating one for the first time. While I haven’t found a Mountain House freeze dried meal I didn’t like, it’s best to test at home and not in the field.

Today, the Breakfast Skillet freeze dried meal has over 4500 customer reviews averaging 4.5 out of 5 stars and goes $9.97.

Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles

This is a favorite. The Mountain House beef stroganoff with noodles in a savory cream sauce with mushrooms and onions definitely has a place in your freeze dried food pantry.

While the pouch is labeled as 2 servings, reading the nutrition label, 1 serving is 1 cup prepared. So the 2-serving pouch makes about 2 cups of food at 560 calories.

The preparation instructions are fairly accurate, 1 2/3 cup of water is about the right amount. It might look soupy right after you add water, just let it hydrate for 15 minutes and you’ll get the right consistency. With most Mountain House meals, you’ll need to experiment to find the right amount of water to add to get your preferred texture.

We do recommend you try one or two at home before heading to the field and eating one for the first time. While I haven’t found a Mountain House freeze dried meal I didn’t like, it’s best to test at home and not in the field.

Today, the Breakfast Skillet freeze dried meal has over 3500 customer reviews averaging 4.7 out of 5 stars and goes $9.49 but seems to be out of stock a lot lately.

Mountain House Rice and Chicken

This is another freeze dried pantry must-have. The Mountain House Rice and Chicken with peppers, carrots, and celery in a thick sauce. The great thing about the rice and chicken is being able to doctor this one up as you see fit, or just eat as-is.

Like almost all Mountain House meals, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and spices of all types can be mixed to make it your signature dish.

Sometimes we’ll add home-made dehydrated peppers, onions, and other dehydrated veggies to bulk up the 2-cups of hydrated grub into a hearty meal after a day of toting a backpack and fishing gear.

While the pouch is labeled as 2 servings, reading the nutrition label, 1 serving is 1 cup prepared. So the 2-serving pouch makes about 2 cups of food at 500 calories.

The preparation instructions are fairly accurate, 1 1/3 cup of water is about the right amount. It might look a little watery right after you add water and stir it all together, just let it hydrate for 15 minutes and you’ll get the right consistency. With most Mountain House meals, you’ll need to experiment to find the right amount of water to add to get your preferred texture.

We do recommend you try one or two at home before heading to the field and eating one for the first time. While I haven’t found a Mountain House freeze dried meal I didn’t like, it’s best to test at home and not in the field.

Today, the Rice and Chicken freeze dried meal has over 2800 customer reviews averaging 4.7 out of 5 stars and goes $10.25.

Pros and Cons

Overall, these are the pro and cons of the Mountain House Weekender Kit. This is strictly our opinion.

Pros

The Mountain House Weekender Kit is convenient. You get 6 freeze dried meals at 2 servings each for 12 servings total, averaging 1600 calories a day.

The Weekender Kit can be a money-saving option depending on the price. As we write this review, we have seen the Weekender Kit vary in cost between $39.49 and $44.97 over the past year. Our last Amazon purchase was $44.97. That’s an average of $7.50 per freeze dried meal. It’s also cheaper than buying them individually.

The Weekender Kit has the shelf-life of the contents printed on the side of the box. Our last purchase showed January 2052. Each freeze dried meal also has a date printed on the back of meal near the preparation instructions. Of the 6 pouches, 2 were dated January 2052, and 4 were dated February 2052. Most Mountain House freeze dried meals boast a 30-year shelf-life guarantee.

Cons

The nutrition facts label on the box. I won’t say it’s misleading but read it carefully. The box label shows per-serving information. While the nutrition facts label on the back panel of the freeze dried meal shows both the per-serving and per-container information.

Other Notes

Some folks may balk at the sodium content. Mountain House at one time made low-sodium versions. However they were discontinued as they were just not as popular.

A long handle spoon, such as this one, works great for getting down to the bottom of the pouch without getting your knuckles decorated with food bits. It’s a real grub shovel and you’ll be glad you have one or two in your camp kitchen.

In Summary

The Mountain House Weekender Kit proves itself to be an indispensable asset for campers, hikers, and preppers alike. With its selection of freeze dried meals, long 30-year shelf life, and the convenience of just add water preparation, it ensures that you never have to compromise on nourishment, regardless of your situation. Don’t settle for subpar sustenance or risk being caught unprepared. Equip you and your family with Mountain House Weekender Kits and make sure you’re ready!

Be sure to check out our list of Mountain House freeze dried meals available on Amazon, where we track the daily price and product availability so you don't have to. We also link to our comprehensive Mountain House freeze dried meal reviews. We track the same for Peak Refuel freeze dried meals on Amazon, don't forget to check it out before you go.

Mountain House peanut butter bites – cocoa flavor are a relatively new addition to the freeze dried food lineup. So I added a couple to my Amazon order to try them out. They were only $4.99 a pouch.

These Mountain House cocoa peanut butter bites are nearly impossible to find in any big box store, at least in my area. Any selection of freeze dried food is minimal. Do you have the same experience?

Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites – Cocoa Review

The first thing we should review is the taste. If they don’t taste good, we really don’t care about anything else.

So my first impression was favorable. They do have a chocolate peanut butter flavor, but not really like a Reese’s peanut butter cup, if that is what you might be expecting. However, they are still plenty good.

The Mountain House cocoa peanut butter bites are smaller little freeze dried cocoa and peanut butter squares, somewhat the size of a larger peanut.

What’s my first impression? It was surprisingly good! To me, they kind of taste starts off with chocolate and finishes up with peanut butter and just a hint of sweetness. But not too sweet, as they are made with honey. Would I buy more of these, yes, I will buy them again.

The pouch says crispy and crunchy. The first 2 bags I tried, neither were crispy or crunchy. They were more soft and chewy, but not crumbly. All of the Mountain House peanut butter bites I have tried have the same texture.

While some crumbs remain in the bottom of the pouch, the Mountain House peanut butter bites are firm little nuggets, not easily breaking apart with ordinary handling. But they will crush if tightly packed in along with your other gear. So pack wisely.

On the left is 28 grams of Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites – Cocoa, as measured on my kitchen digital scale. I count 21 pieces. On the left are 28 grams of lightly salted peanuts for comparison. I didn’t count how many of the cocoa peanut butter bites were in the pouch. I’ll put that on the to-do list. I am curious if there really are 3 of the 28-gram servings or three servings of 14 pieces.[/caption]

If you are a peanut butter and chocolate fan, at only $4.99, consider adding one or two Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites to your next Amazon purchase for a try.

Mountain House Cocoa Peanut Butter Bites, The Details

The entire 3-serving pouch weighs 3.4 ounces (95 grams) on my digital kitchen scale.

The Nutrition Facts label says a serving size is “about 14 pieces” or 28 grams. I weighed 14 pieces on my digital scale, which came to 20 grams. After adding 7 more cocoa peanut butter bites, the scale now read 28 grams. Which is roughly about two or three small bite-size handfuls.

I didn’t count how many of the cocoa peanut butter bites were in the pouch. I’ll put that on the to-do list. I am curious if there really are 3 of the 28-gram servings or three servings of 14 pieces.

The pouch is the typical Mountain House mylar-type bag with a zip-top seal. The pouch does not detail how soon you should consume the contents once the package is opened, assuming it’s properly sealed between snacking. But my guess is that you’ll end up consuming the whole bag in short order.

The Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites – Cocoa don’t have that typical 30-year best-by date found on their freeze dried food products. The cocoa peanut butter bites I purchased in November 2022 had a best-by date of January 2024, or roughly 14 months after the date of purchase.

Mountain House shows on its website, the Simple Sensations Organic Peanut Butter Bites have a two-year or 24-month shelf life from the date of manufacture.

Final Thoughts on the Mountain House Cocoa Peanut Butter Bites

Would I buy them again? Yes I would.

The Mountain House Cocoa Peanut Butter Bites exceeded my expectations for taste and texture. Yes, I could also bring a few packages of Reese’s peanut butter cups. The Reese’s peanut butter cups do get messy in hot weather. The Mountain House Cocoa Peanut Butter Bites are a better option and have a satisfying hint of sweetness from the honey used in the recipe.

Pick up a pouch or two and give them a try.

Be sure to check out our list of Mountain House freeze dried meals available on Amazon, where we track the daily price and product availability so you don't have to. We also link to our comprehensive Mountain House freeze dried meal reviews. We track the same for Peak Refuel freeze dried meals on Amazon, don't forget to check it out before you go.

Here we monitor and track Mountain House freeze dried meals on Amazon. We are tracking both cost and inventory. Amazon could change prices any time of day or night, sometimes changing prices multiple times over the course of a day, or night!

There are other vendor storefronts on Amazon that sell Mountain House freeze dried meals at the same or different prices. But we’re only tracking what is on the Mountain House store.

It’s hard to believe that Amazon could run out of inventory, but they do. So we check prices and inventory daily so you don’t have to. This is handy one-stop shopping list. You can easily see what the Mountain House Store on Amazon has in stock today, then click to go and check it out.

We’re working on automated notifications for when prices drop or when something that was out of stock is available again. Not only for us, but for you as well. Once we figure it out, then you can sign up for email notifications, no spam, just a notification when something is back in stock or the price dropped.

If there is a change to the table below, we'll use these colors so it's easier to see.

Color codes.

Back in stock or price drop

Was available yesterday, but not today, or price increase

Mountain House freeze dried meal prices on Amazon, as of Sunday, Dec 29, 2024

Mountain House Adventure Meals
Description	Availability	Today's Price	Reviews
Mountain House Adventure Weekender Kit	In Stock	$58.72	Our Review
Mountain House Beef Stew			Our Review
Mountain House Beef Stew - 6 pack	In Stock	today: $66.34 yesterday: $66.19
Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles	In Stock	$9.98	Our Review
Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles - 6 pack	In Stock	$56.94
Mountain House Biscuits and Gravy	In Stock	$8.99	Our Review
Mountain House Breakfast Skillet	In Stock	$9.75	Our Review
Mountain House Buffalo Style Chicken Mac and Cheese	In Stock	$10.99
Mountain House Buffalo Style Chicken Mac and Cheese - 6 pack	In Stock	today: $66.87 yesterday: $58.90
Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings	In Stock	$9.68	Our Review
Mountain House Chicken and Dumplings - 6 pack	In Stock	$50.20
Mountain House Chicken Fajita Bowl	In Stock	$10.99
Mountain House Chicken Fried Rice
Mountain House Chicken Fried Rice - 6 pack	In Stock	$69.00
Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki with Rice	In Stock	$9.68	Our Review
Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef	In Stock	$9.68	Our Review
Mountain House Creamy Macaroni and Cheese	In Stock	$10.25
Mountain House Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken	In Stock	$11.50
Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries	In Stock	$6.95	Our Review
Mountain House Homestyle Chicken Noodle Casserole	In Stock	$11.50
Mountain House Lasagna With Meat Sauce	In Stock	$9.68	Our Review
Mountain House Mexican Adobo Rice and Chicken	In Stock	$11.25
Mountain House Pad Thai with Chicken	In Stock	$10.95	Our Review
Mountain House Pasta Primavera	In Stock	$10.25
Mountain House Rice and Chicken	In Stock	$10.95
Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with Bacon	In Stock	today: $9.25 yesterday: $7.99	Our Review
Mountain House Spaghetti with Meat Sauce	In Stock	$9.99
Mountain House Spaghetti with Meat Sauce - 6 pack	In Stock	$55.19
Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich	In Stock	$4.39	Our Review
Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich - 12 pack	In Stock	today: $48.94 yesterday: $49.09	Our Review
Mountain House Classic Meals
Description	Availability	Today's Price	Reviews
Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles Classic	In Stock	$14.95
Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles Classic - 4 pack	In Stock	$63.00
Mountain House Biscuits and Gravy Classic	In Stock	$14.95
Mountain House Biscuits and Gravy Classic - 4 pack	In Stock	$55.44
Mountain House Breakfast Skillet Classic	In Stock	$14.95
Mountain House Breakfast Skillet Classic - 4 pack	In Stock	$59.96
Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef Classic - 4 pack	In Stock	$55.90
Mountain House Just in Case #10 Cans & Multi-day Kits
Description	Availability	Today's Price	Reviews
Mountain House 14-Day Emergency Food Supply
Mountain House 3-Day Emergency Food Supply	In Stock	$69.99
Mountain House Beef Stew #10 Can	In Stock	$46.30
Mountain House Beef Stroganoff #10 Can	In Stock	$42.24	Our Review
Mountain House Classic Assortment Bucket	In Stock	$126.00
Mountain House Cooked Diced Chicken #10 Can	In Stock	today: $50.15 yesterday: $49.70
Mountain House Diced Beef #10 Can	In Stock	$76.80
Mountain House Essential Bucket	In Stock	today: $126.73 yesterday: $127.52
Mountain House Expedition Bucket	In Stock	$138.00
Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries #10 Can	In Stock	$48.90
Mountain House Ground Beef #10 Can	In Stock	$52.63
Mountain House Homestyle Chicken Noodle Casserole #10 Can	In Stock	$42.24
Mountain House Lasagna with Meat Sauce #10 Can	In Stock	$39.99
Mountain House Mexican Adobo Rice and Chicken #10 Can	In Stock	$38.07
Mountain House Spaghetti with Meat Sauce #10 Can	In Stock	$38.99
Mountain House Pro-Pak Meals
Description	Availability	Today's Price	Reviews
Mountain House Beef Stroganoff Pro Pak	In Stock	$11.99
Mountain House Breakfast Skillet Pro Pak
Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef Pro Pak	In Stock	$11.99
Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with Bacon Pro Pak	In Stock	$11.99
Mountain House Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Pro Pak
Mountain House Simple Sensations
Description	Availability	Today's Price	Reviews
Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites - Apples and Cinnamon			Our Review
Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites - Cocoa			Our Review
Mountain House Peanut Butter Bites - Original			Our Review