Cooking Dinner with Blue Apron

In case you haven’t noticed, I really like to eat. I think I’m annoying some of my Instagram friends with my food posts, but I just can’t help it!

I love good tasting food, but, I don’t always love to cook.  That’s where Blue Apron comes in handy.

Meal planning is one of those things that is difficult for some of us. I’ll admit it, for me cooking for myself is not always easy. I don’t always want to get out old recipes, make a list of ingredients and head to the grocery store to get everything. I’m in and out a lot from my home, sometimes traveling on trips, and don’t always cook every night. Sometimes things I buy from the grocery store go bad before I can use it all.

Anyone else?

My roommate and I do take turns cooking sometimes and we both buy food and share what we bring home. But, we don’t eat all the same things, so I’ll make myself pasta when I feel like it. We do eat a lot of salads with grilled chicken and those can be mixed up with whatever fresh fruits are in season. It’s definitely cheaper to cook at home and not go out to eat all the time. But, going to the grocery store and meal planning can be a challenge. I used to come up with about 5 meals a week and go to the grocery store with my list intact, buying all the ingredients I would need to get those meals prepared at home. Not always a fun prospect, as I’m sure you can relate to. I don’t know many folks who love going to the grocery store.

But, cooking in general for one or two people can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you are working outside the home and are always rushing to get something on the table for dinner. I know when I worked for years in the corporate world, I spent a lot of time making grocery lists and grocery shopping, not to mention preparing meals. I’ve definitely done my share of cooking at home when I was married. I can’t exactly say that I miss the pressure of having to cook, but when I feel like cooking I do enjoy it and really enjoy the fresh recipes that can be made at home. It is definitely better than eating out all the time, that is for sure. You can make better choices in what you eat and you can know exactly what is in a recipe if you are cooking it at home.

All the ingredients are packed in a super cold box on ice with everything you need for 3 meals that week. You can choose from a selection of meals offered for that week online and get those things that appeal to you. And you can choose meals for 2 or 4.

Each menu is between 500-700 calories per person, so these are healthy well-balanced meals too.

Ingredients are super fresh and sourced from quality local suppliers and artisans.

All meals can be prepared in 40 minutes or less. (love this part!) As you can see above, all the ingredients are well marked for each recipe and the bags have handy tags on them identifying what goes with what. The only thing that is not included is oil and salt and pepper. They figure you have that in the pantry.

Once you try a few of these meals, you’ll then feel more confident to get out of the same old dinner rut you’ve been in. Or go out to eat less often. I can definitely relate to that. I need to clean out my old recipe folder and get rid of recipes I’m never going to make!

This Za’atar Chicken and Farro Salad was a tasty dish that we tried.  All the “knick knacks” as they call them are in a paper bag, in just the right proportions.

The prep takes about 30 minutes or so and then you are ready to cook.  It all goes really fast once you get going.  Browning the chicken breasts.

The recipe card gives you step by step instructions on what to do when, which helps a lot in time management.

Then before you know it, your meal is ready to plate!  Food just looks so tantalizing on a white plate, doesn’t it?!

• I really like the fact that Blue Apron lets you create good, chef-designed recipes at home, all between 500-700 calories.
• I can’t tell you how much food we have to throw out that doesn’t get used in time. Blue Apron sends just the right amount of measured ingredients with no waste.
• You get your choice of 2 types of plans, for either 2-people or the Family Plan. Each plan sends one delivery a week, each with three tasty meals for either 2 or 4 people.
• The chefs at Blue Apron are always working on new and delicious menu items and create 6 new recipes a week for the plan. You will be sent 3 recipes chosen for you based on your meal preferences.
• The price for the 2 person plan is $9.99 per person per meal.
• Feeding a family of four? The Family plan is either one or two deliveries per week and the price for this plan is $8.74 per person per meal.
• You never have to worry about shipping, it’s always free! And the box is refrigerated so it stays fresh even it it sits on your porch for awhile.
• Adding new dishes all the time to their menu, Blue Apron has something for every palette.
• Blue Apron meal service ships nationwide to over 80% of the country.  They even have a recycle program for their boxes.

Another recipe from this trio that we loved was the Crispy Cod with cauliflower and mustard greens salad.  Trust me, this one was outstanding!  You can see more of their recipes on this page to get an idea of meals offered.  Love the sound of this Cornish Hen with stuffing, nice treat for Thanksgiving.

If you’d like to try out Blue Apron for yourself, the first 50 readers will get 2 free meals on your first Blue Apron order. Just click here!

There’s no commitment – you can skip or cancel the service at any time!
Always free shipping.

Note: This post is sponsored by Blue Apron. All the pics and sharing of the products is all my own.