Do you ever feel stuck in a dinner rut? I often do. I enjoy cooking, but the planning and grocery shopping can be a chore, so I default to familiar recipes even though I like trying new flavors. This past week I tested Blue Apron, a meal kit delivery service that brings fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and clear recipes straight to your door. Their focus on sustainability and minimizing food waste was a welcome bonus.
I selected three different meals from the weekly menu. Each recipe introduced an ingredient or technique that was new to me, and the step-by-step recipe cards made the cooking process enjoyable and straightforward.
The box arrived well packed and chilled. Ingredients were fresh, clearly labeled, and portioned for each recipe, which eliminated food waste and saved prep time. Meats and fish were vacuum sealed and insulated to prevent leaks and keep everything cold during transit.
Everything arrived cold and in excellent condition. Most items were in labeled packages so it was easy to match ingredients to the recipes. The organized packaging and recipe cards helped me prep efficiently and avoid waste, which is one of the advantages of a reliable meal kit service.
My first meal was Seared Salmon & Lemon Labneh with Freekeh, Kale & Dates. Freekeh was new to me — made from roasted green durum wheat — and I loved its nutty, slightly smoky flavor. Blue Apron paired it with sautéed kale and a bright lemon labneh that complemented the salmon perfectly. The dish felt elevated but not complicated, and the portion sizes were satisfying.
The second meal, Chicken Under a “Brick,” came with roasted potatoes and carrots dressed with a simple Italian vinaigrette. The kit included instructions for the traditional “under a brick” technique; since we didn’t have a brick, we used a pot filled with water to weight the chicken. It took a little practice to get the weight balanced, but the result was worth it: juicy, evenly-cooked chicken with crisp skin. My 10-year-old helped with peeling the carrots and slicing potatoes, which made this a fun family cooking night.
Roasted vegetables were a simple, reliable side — just olive oil, salt, and pepper — and my family loved the tender carrots and potatoes. We wished the kit included a whole bird for our family of five, since this portion fed two, but we happily shared so everyone could try the chicken.
The final meal was Fontina-Stuffed Pork Chops with Potatoes & Pizzaiola Sauce. Fontina has a mild, melty texture similar to mozzarella and paired nicely with the pork. We liked the dish overall, though the pizzaiola sauce leaned strongly of tomato paste, which masked some of the sweetness of the peppers.
Overall Thoughts:
We were very pleased with Blue Apron. The strengths are fresh, well-packaged ingredients, clear recipe cards, and thoughtful portioning that reduces waste. The instructions guided prep and cooking in a logical order, which made the process smooth — unlike other services I’ve tried that required prepping everything up front and disrupted timing. My only suggestion would be more high-protein, meat-forward meal options, since we prefer meat and seafood meals and need higher-protein choices for active lifestyles.
Special Discount:
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Blue Apron makes cooking creative, restaurant-quality meals at home easier by supplying fresh ingredients, simple recipes, and waste-conscious packaging. Whether you’re trying new ingredients like freekeh or cooking a chicken under a “brick,” the meal kit approach saved time and made dinner more enjoyable for our family.