Home Chef is a meal kit subscription that delivers a weekly box of the pre-portioned ingredients needed to make 2-6 meals that feed two, four, six, or eight people. Home Chef advertises easy recipes that can be made in about 30 minutes. They offer vegetarian, gluten-free, and calorie/carb-conscious recipes.
This is a review of my customized delivery that includes three 2-serving dinner options (3 x $9.95/serving) with free shipping, bringing the cost of this box to $59.70.
Delivery is free for orders over $49.00. Shipping is $10.00 for orders less than $49.00. (Please note: these shipping thresholds were what I was able to find by tinkering with my account—Home Chef’s FAQ is opaque about this.)
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 Home Chef
The Subscription Box: Home Chef
The Cost: Meals for 2 start at $6.99 per serving, and delivery is free for orders over $49.00. Shipping is $10.00 for orders less than $49.00.
The Products: Fresh ingredients and chef-designed recipes — everything you need to make restaurant-quality meals at home.
Ships to: 98% of the U.S. You can check to see if Home Chef delivers to your zip code while signing up.
Home Chef February 2021 Review
When you first sign up for Home Chef, you take a short quiz about your meal preferences and dietary restrictions. They ask what you like to eat, as well as what you tend to avoid. Based on your answers, Home Chef will choose recipes for you to receive each week. As is the case with most meal kit services, you can log in and hand-select the recipes you’d like to receive. Note though, that the more particular you are with your diet, the fewer options you’ll have.
Before we look at the meals I picked, let me point out the extras that came with this delivery:
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I received an envelope with promotional materials for Grove, Geico, Naked Wines, and Home Chef grocery meal kits. Now, on to the food!
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Meal #1: Pomodoro Pulled Pork Cavatappi
Calories: 733 per serving
Time to table, according to Home Chef: 15-20 minutes
Actual time to table: 25 minutes
Cook within: 5 days
Difficulty: Easy
Spice level: Not spicy
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When I pulled open the menu to pick out my meals for the week, this recipe immediately called my name. I love pulled pork, and Pomodoro pulled pork sounded amazing. This is one of Home Chef's "Fast & Fresh" options, and the prep time was almost zero. (Did you clock the back of the recipe card? I love that it has only one step. Ha!)
To prep for this dish, all I had to do was combine all of the different ingredients in the provided baking tray. I mixed together pre-cooked noodles, spinach, cream sauce, marinara, garlic salt, tomatoes, and pulled pork. First impression? Home Chef did not hold back on the meat. This dish was going to be packed full of pulled pork!
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The pasta baked at 375 for 22 minutes. Then I removed it from the oven, divided it between two plates, and topped each portion with parmesan cheese.
Um, wow. This pasta dish was a knockout. As expected, it was super meaty, and the pork gave every bite a richness that was out of this world good. It was hearty and filling, and I loved the addition of the spinach. For a dish like this, that's a little on the heavy side, I appreciated some greenery. Perhaps it's psychological, but the addition of the spinach made this dish seem a bit lighter and more balanced than it would have otherwise.
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Meal #2: Tex-Mex Pork Chili with Cheddar Tortilla Dippers
Calories: 742 per serving
Time to table, according to Home Chef: 15 minutes
Actual time to table: 20 minutes
Cook within: 4 days
Difficulty: Easy
Spice level: Not spicy
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I make chili at least a few times in the winter, but I've been running behind this season. (I don't think I've made it once yet this year.) When I saw it on this week's Home Chef menu, I jumped at the chance to get some chili on my table!
The recipe was fast and extremely easy. I often think of chili as being an "all day long dish," but this version was a nice reminder that it can come together quickly and still taste great. To make it, I started out by browning ground pork, and then added scallions, fajita seasoning, a little flour, tomatoes, peppers, black beans, and some water.
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While the chili simmered, I made cheesy tortilla roll-ups by folding tortillas around cheese and scallions and then browning them in oil in a sauté pan.
This dish was another winner! The chili was very meaty and really well seasoned. (Home Chef's fajita seasoning is pretty darn tasty.) Honestly, if I were making this dish again myself I'd probably throw in some extra beans and veggies, but that's just a matter of personal preference. I can't fault the dish; it was delicious.
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Meal #3: Sweet Teriyaki Pork Lo Mein with Broccolini
Calories: 681 per serving
Time to table, according to Home Chef: 30-40 minutes
Actual time to table: 25 minutes
Cook within: 5 days
Difficulty: Easy
Spice level: Mild
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My last meal pick for this week was Sweet Teriyaki Pork Lo Mein with Broccolini. I love broccolini, and I'm a big fan of recreating takeout meals at home, so this dish was a no-brainer. Before my box was delivered, I received an email that Home Chef needed to substitute one of the ingredients. Instead of dry lo mein noodles, I'd be receiving pre-cooked lo mein noodles. The same dish with less prep time? Works for me!
Without having to cook the noodles, this dish came together really quickly. First, I sautéed the broccolini and then tossed in pork that I'd patted dry with a paper towel and seasoned. When the meat was cooked through, I added the two provided sauces, sweet chili and teriyaki glaze, and the noodles. That was it! I divided the noodles between two plates and sprinkled crispy wontons on top.
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This dish might have been quick to make, but it was big on taste. The two sauces were delicious together and created a flavor profile (sweet & umami) that reminded me of Chinese takeout. The shaved pork was great, I enjoyed the broccolini, and the crispy wontons on top were fun and added some nice texture. This is one of those dishes that's deceptively simple, and I'm going to try to recreate it soon.
Verdict: I've eaten my way through quite a few Home Chef boxes over the years, but I think this has to be one of the best. Every single one of the meals was a winner, and I'm struggling to pick a favorite. The pulled pork pasta? The lo mein? I think it has to be a tie! In terms of value, this box cost $59.70, or $9.95 per serving. I appreciate the convenience of having meals delivered to my door, and I never struggle to find dishes on the menu that appeal to me. Could I spend less at the grocery store and make similar dishes myself from scratch? Probably. But I think there's a lot of value in what Home Chef provides, and I love the convenience of having meal kits sent to my door.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, this week's meals have passed. But, you can sign up for Home Chef today and receive meals next week!
Value Breakdown: This box cost $59.70, or $9.95 per serving. Shipping is free on orders over $49.00.
Check out all of our Home Chef reviews and our list of the best meal kit subscriptions! And check out our weekly meal kit menu round-up to see what's coming up on the Home Chef menu.
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