Recently, I was able to take advantage of a trial for Home Chef. I usually cook meals at home from my own recipes (or ones that I have found online), however often times it is the "same old stuff" and has gotten repetitive. Spaghetti, pork chops, chicken breasts, etc... all usually seasoned the same way because I have memorized the recipes and - honestly - it's easy to just throw something together! I love to cook - like really, really love to cook, but the depression I have has made me almost always exhausted and so cooking things from scratch or more complex takes a seat on "the back burner" *yes, pun intended*.
So, when I got the offer to try Home Chef, I was really interested. I had seen ads ever for the "Fresh Dinner Delivery Services" but had not wanted to try them because I didn't see the value in them. I mean, I knew how to cook. I could look up a recipe and I could make it. What I was lacking was inspiration and the drive to want to make something "new". Not to mention, some of the recipes I have seen on services like Blue Apron, Plated, etc - they seemed intimidating, and although the recipes were there, if I wanted to just try a complex recipe with my own store bought ingredients, I would have to buy all the ingredients in FULL, not just the 2oz of whatever I need, and there goes the price $$$.
Here are the basic run-downs for Home Chef, thanks to A Common Connoisseur blog:
Price
- All Home Chef meals are priced at $9.95 per serving, however I have seen that every so often they offer a "premium" meal (for example, Filet Mignon) for $19.95 if you so choose.
- Delivery is free for orders over $40, and they don’t charge sales tax. Shipping is $10 for orders less than $40.
- Select any number of dinner meals for 2, 4, or 6 people.
- They have no less than ten (yes, ten) different meal choices each week.
- Additional offers, if you choose: one breakfast ($9.95/serving), one smoothie ($4.95/serving) or one fruit basket ($4.95/serving)
- They offer many promotions in magazines, on Facebook or search “Home Chef” promo codes online.
- Active subscribers have access to a referral program, where you can earn credit for every referral that signs up with Home Chef. Both you and your reference will receive a $30 credit.
Delivery
- Can send weekly deliveries Tuesday through Friday.
- You can select the day of week that’s most convenient for you.
- You can skip weeks according to your availability or interest in the menu.
- Cancellation is easy, there is no committment whatsoever.
Menu
- You can choose any meals that you want, they are not automatically pre-selected and set in stone.
- They will offer suggestions based on your preferences but you can remove those from your cart very easily.
- Create a Diet Profile: Omnivore, Meat, Seafood, Pescatarian, Vegetarian and Vegan.
- Identify dietary preferences: ingredients to avoid, low-calorie or low-carb meals
- Offers subscriptions for gluten-free and dairy-free also.
The two meals I selected for the week were Parmesan Crusted Salmon with a Arugula and Tomato salad, and Pork Shumai Meatballs with Sugar Snap Peas. I have never made either at home, and the only time I have ever cooked salmon has been from a "ready made" recipe or bag from Publix.
The box arrived (per FexEx) at 11:30am on a Friday. I was at work until 4pm and was slightly concerned, but I had read previous reviews that they pack everything very well with many ice packs and lots of insulation, so I was not terribly worried. I arrived home at 4:15pm and opened the box, and as I was told to expect everything was still very cold.
Each meal had it's separate bag with all the ingredients needed, and the meat was vacuum packed for each meal. The vegetables were bright and fresh, from the arugula to the tomatoes, the single scallion and the two garlic cloves. Each was perfectly portioned for each meal, down to the 2oz of sesame oil and the 4oz of Ponzu sauce for the meatballs. Each bag and container was clearly labeled so I can grab each one very quickly during cooking.
I am so happy to say, both dishes came out AMAZING. The instructions were extremely easy to follow and provided a much needed boost in ideas for cooking in my household. My husband and I loved each dish. The only modification I made was I added a pinch of Parmesan cheese to the Arugula and Tomato salad with the salmon, as I thought my husband may like it. Other than that one minor addition, I stuck strictly to each instruction for each recipe.
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| Parmesan Crusted Salmon with Arugula and Tomato Salad |
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| Pork Shumai Meatballs with Sugar Snap Peas |
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone in a "cooking funk", or a couple who wants to add some different meals to their home menus. You can even do this for families, however our son is a very picky eater and refuses to eat anything that isn't bacon, toast, chicken nuggets, or other form of bland food. The portions are plentiful and it is easy to add a third piece of protein (or split the protein you have) to accommodate a third person, such as our teenager.
By the way - the teenager was very excited! :)
If you would like to try it yourself, you can do so with a coupon for $30 off your first box at this link: Try Home Chef!
Happy cooking!
-Kim
If you would like to try it yourself, you can do so with a coupon for $30 off your first box at this link: Try Home Chef!
Happy cooking!
-Kim
