Back in September, we reached out to Mountain House® to see about trying some of their new wraps, which seemed like a good fit for National Preparedness Month. Shortly after, we received a package containing their new chicken fajita filling, and their chicken salad. Both are intended as filling for tortillas, but can also be enjoyed straight from the package. While we took product photos in October, this is one of those reviews that seems to have fallen by the wayside, for no apparent reason. It’s not like we needed to get out into the mountains to test this product, and no special ancillary equipment was necessary. All that was required was some hot water, some cold water, and a fork. We happened to have some tortillas, which made it easier, but really, time just got away from us. Which is a shame, because their chicken fajita filling made for a very tasty meal.
Having been familiar with Mountain House®, but disappointed by the local selection available to us, we were eager to try them out. First up was the chicken fajita filling, which is comprised of chicken, red and green bell peppers, roasted onion, and black beans. The 2.7oz (77g) package contains two servings, with 26 grams of protein each. (Yes, dehydrating food is magical) After removing the oxygen absorbing pouch and seasoning packet, we poured in 1-1/2 cups of boiling water, and shook it instead of stirring. Nine minutes later, we drained the water, mixed in the seasoning, and scooped it into tortillas. Amazing! It was spicier than what some well-meaning Mexican restaurants serve, which was a pleasant change. There was nothing about the texture to hint that this was a dehydrated meal. Each of the main ingredients stood out enough that they could be tasted individually, and they all had a distinct freshness. We both agreed that this could easily be served as a regular meal in our house. So in the plus column, we have excellent flavor, easy to prepare, inexpensive, and a long shelf life. On the minus side, the spices may be a bit much for those with a more sensitive palate.
Next up was the chicken salad. Contents include creamy chicken, red onions, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. There’s four servings in the 4.09oz (116g) package, with each one offering 18 grams of belly-filling protein. Same routine with regards to the oxygen absorber, but this time, 1-1/4 cups of cold water was added, and we stirred as directed. Wait time is 8-9 minutes, we gave it ten. Perhaps the fajita filling left us with unreasonably high expectations, but the chicken salad did not quite measure up. It smelled good. It had an acceptable consistency. But the flavor was just ok. The red onions were a bit overpowering, to the point where the cranberries got lost. If I didn’t know the pumpkin seeds were in there, I would have been a bit concerned by their crunchiness. To be fair, I’m a bit fussy about any kind of “salad” that doesn’t have lettuce or spinach as a main ingredient. But Mrs. Outsider agreed that where the fajita’s strong flavors were appealing, the chicken salad could have been taken down a notch or two. We even tried it on some different crackers, to see if that might help, but the onion was just too pervasive. If you like your chicken salad robust, with plenty of red onion flavoring, you won’t be disappointed.
We’d like to thank the folks at Mountain House® for the opportunity to give these a try, as we couldn’t find either one locally. Overall, both meals still impressed us. Even though we wouldn’t consider the chicken salad for our camping meals or emergency kit, we’re sure plenty of folks will. And the fajita filling is outstanding. Find them and other delicious dehydrated meals at mountainhouse.com
– Brian (with assistance from Mrs. Outsider)