For the past two weeks, we have been trying Blue Apron’s new family dinner plan. I have written about Blue Apron before. It’s a service that sends recipes along with exact measurements of the ingredients that you will need. It takes all of the guesswork and shopping out of creating meals from scratch. The family meals are $8.74 per person, delivered in a refrigerated box so that you don’t have to be sitting at-the-wait when the box arrives. Because I like to cook but hate to shop, this is a really ideal service for me. All of the groceries I need show up at my door, and then I can just pop them in the fridge and cook in the evenings without worrying about running to the store (or doing any kind of meal planning whatsoever.)
And the meals? Are really good. Like insanely, gourmet-level good. If I look back at my 20-some years of adulthood and all of the meals I have prepared, hands-down the ones I have made from Blue Apron have been the best. I have learned a lot of new skills, like braising chicken correctly and making the perfect roasted vegetables. Their recipes aren’t too hard, but they are just challenging enough that I find it really exciting and fun. I am making great meals, but I also feel like I am growing as a cook.
The one minor complaint I always had about Blue Apron was that previously they delivered 2, 4 or 6 servings, but the meals were just not designed to be shared family style. So for a family of six, it meant that you were ordering three boxes of food, and having to do the math on each recipe. I guess they heard that feedback from their consumers, because they have now instituted a family meal. It feeds 4 to 6 people, and while the recipes are still really good, they are a bit more manageable for a busy mom. Here are some of the meals we tried with the new family plan.
Roasted Chicken & Root Vegetables
with Potato-Rutabaga Mash
This meal was a hit. Who knew rutabaga was so good? Simple and yet delicious.
Masoor Palak Dal
with Curry-Spiced Cheese & Date Chutney
I really loved this meal, too. It’s not something I ever would have thought to try, but everyone enjoyed the stew and the cheese was insanely good.
Blue Apron’s website also curates all of the recipes of the boxes they send out, so that you can make it later on your own. I’m a fan of the Chicken Schwarma. Blue Apron is available nationwide, shipping to over 80% of the country (check your area here.) Each menu is between 500-700 calories per person.
If you would like to try their service, Blue Apron is offering the first 50 readers two free meals on their first Blue Apron order.
