Blue Apron is a subscription meal delivery service. Every week, they send seasonal recipes created by their culinary team and all of the pre-measured ingredients you need to make them at home.
Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!
In addition to their 2-Person Subscription Plan, which features seasonally-inspired meals for two, Blue Apron also offers a Family Plan that features kid-friendly recipes and family-style meals for four. (Note that this is a review of the 2-Person Subscription Plan.)
Blue Apron also offers a monthly add-on wine subscription. You can find my latest review of that subscription here.
It’s easy to skip deliveries and cancel your subscription through the Blue Apron website.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the 2-Person Plan, $59.94 box.
The Subscription Box: Blue Apron
The Cost: $59.94 for 3 recipes on the 2-Person Plan, $69.92 for 2 recipes on the Family Plan, $139.84 for 4 recipes on the Family Plan.
The Products: Fresh ingredients and recipes to make healthy meals at home.
Ships to: U.S.
Check out all of our Blue Apron Reviews and find other meal boxes in the Meal Subscription Box Directory!
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When I placed my order with Blue Apron, I was automatically assigned 3 recipes; however, it was easy to go back into my account to pick new ones. Certain combinations of dishes are not allowed, though, so depending on which recipes I selected first, certain other recipes became unavailable. (Check out the weekly Blue Apron Menu to see what's coming up!)
Unlike many meal boxes, Blue Apron doesn’t group their ingredients by recipe. I like that this limits packaging, but it does slow down the meal preparation process slightly. (I also try to quarantine the Blue Apron ingredients in my fridge, so I don’t use a recipe ingredient for something else by mistake.) The “knick knacks” for each recipe are bagged together, though, which helps.
Inside each baggie of knick knacks, I received a list of the nutritional information for each recipe. This is a new addition, and I think it’s a nice touch!
Now, on to the food!
Recipe #1- Cajun Catfish & Spiced Rice with Collard Greens & Mushrooms
Calories: 760 per serving
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
My first meal pick for this box was Cajun Catfish!
After cleaning my veggies and prepping my ingredients, I cooked rice with scallions, peppers, garlic, tomato paste, and cajun spices.
While the rice cooked, I sautéed the collard greens with a little garlic and vinegar.
When the collard greens were done, I transferred them to a bowl and then moved on to the mushrooms.
In the same pan, I cooked the mushrooms with scallions and butter.
When the rice was just about finished, I cooked the catfish and then plated the dish.
I enjoyed all of the different components of this meal, but the rice was definitely the star. It was bursting with flavor! I love how the rice recipe incorporated peppers and tomato paste, and I think the spice blend added just the right amount of heat. It paired really nicely with the catfish.
Recipe #2- Baked Ricotta Cannelloni with Romain Salad & Meyer Lemon Dressing
Calories: 710 per serving
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes
My next meal pick was Baked Ricotta Cannelloni, and I was thrilled to see that Blue Apron included fresh, homemade pasta instead of dried sheets!
After prepping my veggies, I boiled the pasta sheets, made pasta sauce from the provided can of tomatoes, and mixed together ricotta and lemon juice for the cannelloni filling.
When everything was ready, I filled the sheets with the ricotta mix, rolled them up, and arranged them in a pyrex dish with sauce and parmesan. The cannelloni baked for about 10 minutes in the oven, and while I waited for them to cook I made a side salad by combining romaine lettuce, olives, pepperoncini, and dressing.
The dressing for the salad was described as “Meyer Lemon Dressing,” but it reminded me more of a creamy Italian. To make it, I combined lemon juice, olive oil, mascarpone, parmesan, salt, and pepper.
When the cannelloni was warmed through, I took it out of the oven and divided it between two plates.
This dish was a winner! The pasta was nicely al dente, the filling was rich and gooey, and the sauce was bright and a little spicy. I also really enjoyed the side salad. I’ve never made dressing like this one before, and I really enjoyed it! The creamy, lemony flavor was delicious!
Recipe #3- Spiced Chicken Chili with Chickpeas & Currants
Calories: 700 per serving
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes
Last up, I decided to go with this recipe for Chicken Chili.
I made it by combining sweet potato, onion, garlic, tomato paste, chicken, chickpeas, currants, lemon juice, and spices.
It was really easy to make, and most of the cooking time was hands off.
This dish was delicious, but it’s not quite what I expected. The combination of spices and currants in this dish reminded me of a Middle Eastern chicken tagine— I’m not sure I’d call it a chili. Still, there’s no denying that it was tasty! It was a nice hearty meal, and I like that Blue Apron sent pita to serve on the side.
Verdict: This was a great box from Blue Apron! I liked all of my meals, but my favorite has to be the cannelloni! It was really delicious, and I love that I learned how to make a new quick and easy salad dressing. Value wise, Blue Apron is competitively priced (about the same cost per meal as Hello Fresh and cheaper than Plated). The biggest issue for me is with the meal variety. I really wish Blue Apron would offer more choices each week and allow for every possible combination of dishes.
Do you subscribe to Blue Apron? Which meals did you pick this week?
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