Roast beef tenderloin, plated with chives and the sherry-Dijon pan sauce
Meal kits are great for cooking year-round, saving you hours of shopping, prep and cooking in the process. The only time you wouldn’t be able to use these kits is when you want to make specific recipes that aren’t on the company’s weekly menu, such as during the holidays. However, Blue Apron and other meal kit companies have filled that gap by offering meal kits specifically tailored for the winter season.
The roast beef tenderloin, topped with a sherry-Dijon pan sauce
As a vegetarian, I handed this one over to my partner to make, and he found this 60-minute recipe flavorful and easy to prepare. The instructions were clear, and a lot of the flavor came from the sherry-Dijon pan sauce, which was simply made by combining the ingredients.
“The cut of the meat was nice, and I like that I didn’t have to trim anything,” he said. My partner’s only critique is that he wishes the meat were a bit more tender.
Rating: 8/10
Cost: $110
Servings: 6
Total time: 60 minutes
The mac and cheese was perfection with the truffle breadcrumbs on top
I already made this mac and cheese as part of Blue Apron’s Thanksgiving offerings, and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. Although once again, I altered the recipe by combining the cream mixture and different cheeses in the pan to create a cheese sauce, rather than layering the cheeses and cream mixture in the dish itself.
I enjoyed the blend of cheeses: cheddar, fontina and Monterey Jack, with Parmesan on top. I also loved the flavor that came from the garlic béchamel sauce and truffle seasoning that I mixed with the breadcrumb topping.
Rating: 9/10
Cost: $20
Servings: 6
Total time: 45 minutes
My new favorite way to make Brussels sprouts, with honey, lemon and pistachios
This has become one of my favorite ways to prepare Brussels sprouts, featuring honey, lemon and roasted pistachios. It only takes 30 minutes, cooking included, and is incredibly delicious. My only criticism is that I wish there were more pistachios included.
Rating: 10/10
Cost: $10
Servings: 4
Total time: 30 minutes
The Apple pie with a crumb topping
I also made this recipe for Thanksgiving, and it was just as good as it was last time. It requires a total of 80 minutes, but only 20 minutes of preparation time. I especially enjoyed the addition of quatre épices (white pepper, nutmeg, ginger and cloves) in the crumb topping, and appreciated that the crust came premade and ready to go.
Rating: 8/10
Cost: $15
Servings: 6-8
Total time: 80 minutes
Here’s the price breakdown for Blue Apron’s holiday meal kits:
The total cost: $182
Depending on where you shop, you may be able to make these recipes more affordably on your own (especially with grocery store inflation). Yet, you do save on time and effort when you choose the meal kit route, which is especially beneficial when you’re cooking for a crowd during the holiday season. Blue Apron’s new à la carte model also allows you to pick and choose which meals you’d like without having to lock yourself into a subscription.
Overall, I enjoyed the holiday meal kits from Blue Apron and found everything delicious; yet, I think there is room for improvement in terms of missing ingredients and more detailed instructions (especially for the crispy potatoes). As someone who also tried the company’s Thanksgiving meal kits, I wish they switched it up with new meal kits and less overlap between the two holidays.
As a vegetarian, I also liked that I could eat all of these meal kits, except for the roast beef, which my partner still enjoyed. In the future, it would be cool if a different protein option were offered for vegetarians or vegans.
