Blue Apron Meals

This post is sponsored by Blue Apron. I was compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Hi Friends!

You know when something happens in life and the timing is just so perfect that you can’t help but feel a huge sense of relief? That’s exactly how I felt when I opened an email from Blue Apron a few weeks ago. I was just home from the hospital with a new baby and getting dinner on the table was a bit of a struggle. Getting to the grocery store was even more of a challenge. So when Blue Apron offered to let me test out their meal delivery service, I jumped at the chance!

In case you’re unfamiliar, Blue Apron basically take meal planning to the next level. They deliver fresh ingredients right to your door (in a refrigerated box) so you can skip your weekly trip to the grocery store, and all the ingredients are pre-measured for you in exactly the right proportions- which makes preparation a cinch! They ship to over 80% of the country  and all meals can be made in under 40 minutes.  When you sign up, you get three meals per week- for two or four people for the price of $9.99 per person with free shipping and there’s no commitment – you can skip or cancel the service at any time.

I was excited when I saw the menu that I’d be getting to test out. All three meals sounded delicious.

Here’s what I made:

Chicken Schnitzel with Watercress, Apple & Beet Salad
{click here for the recipe}

One of the things I liked most about Blue Apron was how it exposed me to new ingredients. I eat a lot of chicken prepped a lot of different ways, but schnitzel is not something I’ve made before! I’ve also never tried watercress, and although I like beets, I rarely cook with them.

I loved having the ingredients pre-measured for me so all I had to do was wash, chop and mix. Baby was moderately unimpressed with my cooking efforts.

The end result was great! The chicken was flavorful and the salad was such a unique combination of flavors! I loved the apples and beets together and the dressing had a nice tang to it!

Another highlight- the recipe cards. They came with very clear, easy to follow directions and ingredient lists and a nice description of the dish.

Up next:

Shrimp & Mustard Green Laing with Jasmine Rice
{click here for the recipe}

Mustard greens were another new-to-me ingredient!

Here’s the final product:

I loved that all their meals had great visual appeal and could be made easily but look super fancy. This meal had great flavor and was a fun change from the typical curry that I usually make.

And finally:

Orecchiette Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower & Capers
{click here for the recipe}

I was a little unsure about this meal because I’m not a huge fan of capers…but I am a huge pasta fan.

Cauliflower is another veggie I don’t buy often but I really enjoyed it roasted in this dish.

I shared this dish with my dad and he really liked the combination of flavors.

I like fun colored veggies so I was a little bummed they sent green cauliflower instead of the purple variety in the picture on the recipe card…but that didn’t affect the flavor 🙂

Side note – don’t I just have the cutest kitchen assistant?!

Anyways… now for the big question- would I use Blue Apron myself?

Yes, but mostly for special occasions.  Here are some situations where I think it would be great:

• Date night! How fun would it be to use a Blue Apron box for date night- even a couples date night! You could order three 2-person meals and invite another couple over for dinner. All of you could have fun together cooking in the kitchen and there would be enough food for everyone to have a taste of 3 different meals.
• Treat yourself! Have a particularly busy week coming up? Schedule a Blue Apron order to make dinner time easier at the end of a busy day.
• Presents! Know a family who has a new baby or is caring for a sick family member? Send them a Blue Apron order to make their lives easier. Or simply treat a friend or family member for a Christmas present!

CLICK HERE for more details about gifting Blue Apron meals.

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So there you have it! Want to check out more Blue Apron Recipes? CLICK HERE.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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