You know what’s better than food? Free food. And thanks to my friend Jamie, I was able to try Hello Fresh free for a week. It was delightful.

I’ve never subscribed to a food delivery service so I was intrigued. I’d helped cook a Blue Apron meal once before, but I’ve never actually tried one of the services for myself. I figured I’d give it a go, learn a few new recipes and see what all the fuss was about.

The box arrived on Wednesday, March 15. I immediately liked how everything was separated, so I knew exactly what items went with what meal. It also made storing everything super simple in my fridge. The one note I’d make for the future is to take a quick inventory of everything. I didn’t think to go through each box and I ultimately ended up missing out on an item (more on that later).

So, what did I think about the meals? Without further adieu:

This had the most calories per serving of the three meals I received (950kcal) but it tasted really fresh. It had pesto, cheese and fresh-squeezed lemon, so the flavors were really nice. I didn’t do an amazing job with the meatballs so they turned out a little less round and more random looking, but still very good. Overall, I’d eat this again.

Grade: B+

This had to be the favorite of the three meals. Despite missing the cranberries (which honestly wasn’t a huge deal), this dish came together really well. The fish was flaky, the vegetables roasted perfectly and the couscous cooked really well. It was also the simplest to make, oddly enough. I’d recreate this again, no question.

Grade: A

Chicken Under a Zucchini Blanket with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

So, my mashed potatoes were more chunky than I think intended and I blame myself for that. I should have cooked them longer (but I’m always impatient with boiling potatoes). I also probably piled too much zucchini on the chicken, but that’s not a bad thing I suppose. Overall, this one was good. It wasn’t my favorite, but it would be easy to make again and I liked the idea of a vegetable bake on top of chicken vs. bread crumbs.

Grade: B-

Overall, I thought Hello Fresh was great. I loved the way their product is packaged and their customer service is great. When I let them know I was missing an ingredient, they responded within minutes and credited me for a future order. Their response time was seriously impressive.

I don’t think I’d order something like Hello Fresh every single week, but if there’s a week I’m feeling uninspired with my own cooking? I’d definitely let Hello Fresh do the work.

Now I’m hungry.

Erin

P.S. If you’re interested in trying Hello Fresh, you can get $40 off your first box with my referral code.