When you are trying to juggle a few things like project deadlines, kids activities, blog work and travel planning something is left to suffer. In my case it is always the cooking – when we are short on time we end by ordering out or eating out which might not be a healthy choice. I can dream up and plan a trip, look up local foods to try, ask me to cook something new… I’m lost! Enter Blue Apron – a delivery service that helps puts a couple of meals on auto mode where you don’t have to think, plan or buy the supplies. They do all the planning, you click a button to select your choices for the week and it is delivered to your door on the assigned date. After reading some rave reviews, I wanted to give Blue Apron a try. In my case I picked a family package that included 2 meals for 4 people in each package for about $69.00
If it was up to me – I will survive on apples, a bag of pistachio and some coffee! But the rest of the family likes a little variety at dinner, makes meal time all the more pleasant and everyone is present at the table and not giving excuses so that they can do a Taco run later. The meals from Blue Apron come prepackaged and perfectly proportioned, with the everything that is need labeled They come with a colorful and detailed step by step recipe card. For the first week we had Orange chicken with a delicate Squash Pilaf and Pork chops with apple compote and sautéed cone cabbage and sweet potatoes. Coming from a vegetarian background I have a hard time handling meat when I cook, I like that the meat comes mostly cut or requires minimal work. It helps justify the cost when there is a little interesting twist to the vegetables that makes it more fun – like purple carrots or cone cabbage or purple cauliflower. Things that you don’t normally think of when making your weekly grocery run.
The unpacking: it feels like Christmas every time I find a Blue Apron box outside the door
The Details : Price and Plans
Blue Apron lets you choose from the plans below, choose which day of the week your box will arrive and choose your recipes for each week. For the smaller plan, you have six meals to choose from each week. For the family plan (for which you choose to receive either two or four meals), you have only four meals to choose from. This is a subscription service, meaning a box is set to come every week. However, you can skip a week or cancel at any time.
For two: $59.99 ($9.99 per serving) for three meals, six total servings
Family plan: $69.92 ($8.74 per serving) for either two or four meals, eight total servings
And shipping is free!
The first meal: Orange Chicken with Honeynut squash Pilaf
The prep: All chopped and prepped and ready to start cooking
The 1st meal: The family gobbled up the Orange chicken and rice, there was no leftovers
The 2nd meal: A serving of Pork with Apple compote and sweet potatoes with blue cheese crumbles
The 2nd Week: Pan seared chicken with Kale rice and glazed Purple carrots
The 3rd Week : Supplies for Sweet Chili-glazed Cod with Delicata Squash and Pan-Seared Chicken with Roasted Fall vegetables and Butter-Caper Sauce
I had a concern about recycling – since everything seems to be in little packages or plastic bags and did I mention the whole thing is packaged with Ice packs so it stays fresh for at least few hours if left outside. I checked with the folks at Blue Apron and they mentioned you can recycle them, if you collect 2 weeks supply of the gel ice packs, leave it in the box by the door when they come to deliver, they will pick it up. I like the idea! I would hate if I have throwing those away!!
Blue Apron also has a nice collection wine that pairs with the meals that you can add to your delivery. I wish they had some dessert choices to add, My only suggestion to Blue Apron is that they should add some dessert, something simple like a lemon bar or cheese cake that gives the extra scrumptious touch to finish off a meal. I feel like an accomplished gourmet chef when I serve these meals, it seems to make the family is happy too, hope that it makes the Foodie Gods and Goddesses proud! I just need to work on the kids getting involved in making these meals, since the instructions are so good – then we will truly be on Auto mode. HaHa!
I will definitely be using the help of Blue Apron when I come back from a trip, so there are at least a couple of meals ready to go right away before I hit the grocery store to stock up. Go ahead and give Blue Apron a try and let me know what your favorite meal was.
Disclaimer: The post contains affiliate links but Blue Apron did not pay me for the meal or the article, all pictures and options are my own. I was impressed with the service that I wanted to share it with you.