Ground Beef

Mountain House’s Classic Spaghetti with Beef Marinara is a staple in the world of freeze-dried food, and for good reason. Opening the #10 Can from Mountain House reveals a hearty mix of real ground beef, tender noodles, and a rich tomato sauce that rehydrates surprisingly well! Unlike some emergency rations that can taste overly processed or thin, this marinara has a savory, slightly sweet flavor profile that many compare to an upscale version of Chef Boyardee. The noodles are intentionally cut short, which makes them easier to scoop with a camp spork and ensures they cook evenly in about 10 minutes. From a preparation standpoint, the #10 can is an efficient choice for feeding a family or a small group, offering roughly seven to ten servings. It is incredibly versatile—you can prepare the entire can at once by adding about eight cups of boiling water, or scoop out individual servings as needed for a quick lunch. The 30-year shelf life and 30-Year Taste Guarantee provide massive peace of mind for long-term emergency storage. While the sodium content is high (around 600–760mg per serving), the convenience and reliable "home-cooked" taste make it a top-tier option for emergency preparedness and camping alike. This is the family favorite!

Bottom line up front: This type of food is a great choice for an emergency food supply, especially for sheltering in place or evacuating by vehicle. The #10 cans have a 25-year shelf life, so you can buy them and not worry about rotating your stock for a couple of decades. The biggest downside is that once opened, they need to be used up right away. SHELF LIFE - The #10 cans have a 25-year shelf life (unopened). The biggest downside to #10 cans versus individual pouches is that the 25-year shelf life turns into a 1-week shelf life once they've been opened. Since each can has enough for 10 servings, you'll be eating the same thing for several meals unless you're cooking for a group. TASTE - In my experience, Mountain House food is really tasty. Let me caveat this review by saying that although I've eaten other Mountain House freeze-dried food, I haven't had occasion to open the ones in the #10 cans (see my review of the "Mountain House 72-Hour Emergency Meal Kit"). That having been said, the Mountain House food I have tried has been very, very good tasting -- not just good compared to other survival foods, but good period. I have no reason to expect that these would be any different. WEIGHT/CONVENIENCE - As steel cans, they're reasonably durable and reasonably lightweight (not backpacking light, but you don't have to be a weightlifter to move a large box of them). They do take up a bit of volume, but since the overwhelming majority of long-term emergency scenarios involve sheltering in place or evacuating by vehicle, I wouldn't let that be a deal breaker (personnally, I have a stock of individual pouches just in case I have to leave on foot, but most of my food is in these cans). CALORIES - The problem with most freeze-dried emergency food is that a so-called "serving" has too few calories to meet an adult's energy requirements (2500 a day for men; 2000 a day for women -- more with heavy exertion), so you end up consuming more than you planned. These are no different. So even though a typical can ostensibly contains 10 1-cup servings, you really need to eat two servings per meal to get enough calories to survive -- perhaps more. Plan your purchase accordingly.

I love Mountain House and their recipes. They are so good. Now, they're so expensive. Food security really must be bad.

When you get down to it, this is definitely way more edible than a lot of shelf stable foods. Great recipe, easy to prepare, tasty and complex flavor. Decent nutrition and better than normal (water containing) canned stuff. The #10 can is a good style functionally, but vulnerable to damage if not stored in a secondary container or safely put away (nice and lightweight though, even leaving out the absence of water weight). That said, for anyone looking for major long term storage and *stock*, this isn't a viable option. Mountain House is at a $7500-$10,000+ per year per person price based on caloric intake of reasonable range. Thermostablized MREs won't last 30 years perfectly like these cans (some brands market dry goods 50+ years realistically), but properly stored they easily last 5-10 years and many retain nutrition and edibility 20+ years. At around half the dollar price for the same calories, you're looking at a difficult choice if you wanna prep. If you insist on freeze dried, consider homemade and investing in your own equipment. Maybe a mix of both types and cycling through inventory every 5 years to maintain fresh MREs is a compromise if you want commercial product. On the other hand, if you're just looking for something to take camping or cabin with, these are perfect backups or mainstays. Also good earthquake/disaster food for the short term.

Awesome product to have for a rainy day and they taste great. All Mountain House products never fail to deliver quality.

My favorite Mountain House product!

I have enjoyed this product for several years. I discovered it when my husband passed & my living quarters were slim to none. This meal product has THE absolute best flavor & very filling. Quick & easy to make & worth every penny. It is & will be a continued part of my meals!

Kids thought I made it from scratch, definitely a home run meal when you are tired and everyone is hungry. Ten minute scratch meal that everyone likes, and only you know how easy it was

This Mountain House Beef Stroganoff is one of the best-tasting freeze-dried meals I’ve tried. The flavour is rich, the noodles rehydrate perfectly, and it feels like a real meal — not typical survival food. Super easy to make, just add hot water and wait a few minutes. The #10 can size is great for stocking up or family camping trips — reliable, tasty, and long-lasting.

This is ok for the travelling I think it needs more herbs

These beef crumbles are very convenient. I bring them to a boil in chicken stock, along with dehydrated carrots, then simmer for about 20 minutes, then add instant mashed potatoes at the end. It makes an easy, one-pot, soft stew!

Good

I add this to my spaghetti dry camping meal. Works great for more of a meaty taste/texture to the meal. I do soak it longer than what the instruction recommends. I find that most of these freeze dried foods require longer soaking time to avoid chewy texture.