Takeout Kit Meal Subscription Box Review + Coupon – August 2018

Takeout Kit is a meal subscription box aimed at helping you explore international food at home. They provide all of the hard-to-find global ingredients you need to complete the recipe right at home.

Each month, Takeout Kit will send the ingredients to a globally inspired dish that ups the ante on your favorite takeout cuisine. According to Takeout Kit, all of their ingredients have a two-month shelf life, so you can cook your meal right away or wait until you have a free night to indulge.

Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!

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.)

About Takeout Kit

The Subscription Box: Takeout Kit

The Cost: $32.99 for 1 kit per month, $65.99 for 2 kits per month, or $92.99 for 3 kits per month. Shipping is free!

ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first purchase on all non-subscription items!
CODE: ADDICTION10

The Products: The ingredients you need to make takeout-inspired meals from around the globe.

Ships to: U.S.

Takeout Kit's German Biergarten Spätzle with Sausage, Sauerkraut & Mustard Meal Kit Review

Takeout Kit‘s menu assortment is quite extensive. Currently, you can choose from 16 offerings.

This insert is all about Takeout Kit and how they give back. It is a Women-Owned brand (girl power!), and a portion of each kit sold goes to the World Wildlife Fund. The back of this card describes their rewards system and their social media info.

This month, I received the German Biergarten Spätzle with Sausage, Sauerkraut & Mustard meal kit. You can read a bit of history on each takeout meal along with the region in which it originated on the info card provided.

On the flip side of your info card, you’ll find your recipe along with a visual guide to what supplies you’ll need (pots, pans, etc.).

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

Best by: October 15, 2018

Here are the ingredients:

Hengstenberg German Sauerkraut, 14.1 oz - Retail Value $2.95

I’d like to preface this review by stating that I am not a sauerkraut connoisseur. I don’t like the way it makes your house smell for days after cooking, but I do make an exception (for luck, of course) on New Years Day. I don’t hate the taste or texture, but most of the time I feel it is too runny and wet. I’ve never made it myself, so I am looking forward to having full control of how liquidy it is and whether I let it touch my other foods (not a fan of foods mixing together on my plate, either, which is another bone I have to pick with sauerkraut, which always seems to find its way into everything!).

Maggi Spaetzle Authentic German Dumplings, 10.5oz - Retail Value $7.18

The heart and soul of this dish! I’ve never made Spätzle at home, but I’ve had it at the Hofbräuhaus in Pittsburgh as well as the Original Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany, so I couldn’t wait to see how they compare.

Vermont Smoke and Cure Uncured Summer Sausage, 6 oz - Retail Value $7.49 (Found here for $6.69)

I am excited about this sausage because it is made with beef and pork raised without antibiotics, and there are no added hormones or nitrites! It is also gluten-free and fully cooked, which makes this aspect of the dish much easier.

Pure Indian Foods Grass Fed and Organic Ghee, 1.1oz - Estimated Value $1.69 (Buy a 7.8oz jar here for $11.95)

I’ve never cooked with ghee, but I’ve always been curious about it. This ghee, in particular, is from grass fed cows and is USDA certified organic.

Hengstenberg Mittelscharfer Senf (Medium Mustard), 100ml - Retail Value $2.39

Mustard and I do not have a history together. In the past, if I detected it in something, I would refuse that food item; however, since I’ve been subscribing to different meal boxes like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh, I’ve definitely broadened my horizons. Meal boxes give you such a great opportunity to try new foods and methods of cooking, and since subscribing, I’ve cooked with mustard a few times and enjoyed its presence in different sauces. That being said, I’ve never ventured into using it as a side or dipping sauce, and I don’t think I am feeling very brave today.

Haribo Gold Bears, 2oz - Buy a 5oz bag for $1.99 (Found here for $1.39)

I am not going to lie--this bag of gummies did not make it to dessert. They were half gone before the dumplings left their pot, and I had to remove them from my reach. I can always appreciate a tasty bonus in any subscription box, but these gummies are made in Turkey, so I’m not totally sure about their relevance to this box. No complaints here, though!

Step one involves simply cooking the dumplings in 4 quarts of boiling water for 25-28 minutes. Easy! I was relieved to see that they did not seem to stick to the pot, like some other doughy dumplings do. I stirred a few times, but that didn’t even seem necessary.

I seem to have hit the jackpot in choosing this kit because step two is the only step that included any prep work! While the Spätzle cooked, I split the summer sausage in two, lengthwise, then sliced the two halves into 1/8ish inch slices. I also discarded the casing, which fell off after the initial split.

I drained the Spätzle with a mesh strainer so I wouldn’t lose any tiny dumplings down the drain, then rinsed the extra starch off in the sink. The dumplings have to be dry for the next step, so after draining, I patted them with a few paper towels.

I warmed up a very large skillet and sautéd the sliced summer sausage for about 3 minutes.

After I got a good sizzle going, I incorporated the Spätzle with the sausage and tossed them together. The instructions suggested to cook the dumplings alone, but I decided to introduce them to the sausage early. Next, I added about ¾ of the jar of Ghee into the pan (it didn’t specify how much to use, so I added this amount into the mix in increments). The instructions state that you don’t have to keep stirring and suggested to enjoy a beverage instead, and that’s exactly what I did!

The dish was starting to come together, except I still had this bag of sauerkraut just hanging out. I opened and drained the bag, but instead of integrating it in with the sausage and Spätzle, I decided to heat it separately in a small pot. The instructions suggest to heat it up in the same pan and mix it throughout, but being the rebel that I am, again, I kept this for a side.

I decided to add a few baby greens as a side; otherwise, this would have been a very heavy lunch. I paired this dish with a bottle of Munich’s very own Hefeweizen beer, Franziskaner Weissbier, my fave! I also had to feature my favorite keepsake from my Germany trip - meet Germany Georg, my bottle opener. I enjoyed this meal as a whole, but I feel it was lacking some flavor. The summer sausage was delicious, and the ghee gave the dumplings a very comforting, buttery taste, but I would have liked to maybe have a sauce or different spice to toss in with it. I know you’re all thinking about that mustard (which I did try, reluctantly), but mustard, to quote Austin Powers, “ain’t my bag, baby”. The sauerkraut was actually delicious, not too sour or wet, and it didn’t meddle with the other components of the dish. I am glad I kept it as a side because otherwise, it would have taken over the whole dish (which was probably the point, now that I am thinking about it!). If I was comparing this dish to either of the Hofbräuhaus versions, I’d say it is comparable in that the dumplings are very similar, but each place had a savory sauce for the dumplings. Spätzle swimming in a delicious cheese sauce is definitely my preference, but I enjoyed this simpler version, too.

Verdict: As far as this subscription goes, I can really appreciate what Takeout Kit is doing. I found this box to be very thoughtful and well put together, and I love that you can keep this around for its two-month shelf life to prepare it when the timing is perfect. I also feel that Takeout Kit would make an excellent gift for that special foodie in your life who is otherwise impossible to buy for.

I was so thrilled to revisit Germany via this box and indulge in some of their most famous comfort foods. The recipe I chose was very easy to put together, and the directions provided were so simple to follow. Takeout Kit is all about when food can take you somewhere else in the privacy of your own home, which is a dream for me (borderline hermit status). All in all, I’d be very happy to sample some of their other kits in the future.

To Wrap Up:

Can I still get this box if I sign up today? Yes! Buy it here as a one-time box for $34.99.

Coupon - Use code ADDICTION to save 15% off your first subscription box!

Value Breakdown: This box costs $32.99 a month, including free shipping. This Takeout Kit serves up to four people, which comes to about $8.25 per plate. All of the ingredients add up to $22.37, which is far less than the cost of the box, but having all of these elusive ingredients at my fingertips to prepare this meal (plus free shipping!) makes me feel it is well worth the price!

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What do you think of this Takeout Kit dish?