Recipe Mutiny steals recipes from food blogs and recipe sites. Then we publish them. With credit (Naturally).
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Mom’s Easy Macaroni Salad
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What Is the Difference Between Tart Cherries and Sweet Cherries?
“What is the difference between tart cherries and sweet cherries?” may seem like a silly question—the answer is right there in the names. But there is more to know (and love) about both varieties of cherry other than that one makes your mouth pucker and one does not.
Cherries can definitely make a good thing even better. There’s a reason we think of a cherry on top of our food (usually ice cream) as the most complete treat. Metaphorically, a cherry topper means a final, small special touch above and beyond something already wonderful. Clearly, this cherry thing deserves to be explored further.
These ruby jewels of nature shine each year during their May-through-August season. A little cheat sheet reminding you about this summer stone fruit might help you at the grocery store when choosing your cherries. There are two main kinds: sweet and sour (tart). Choose well, and make something tasty even tastier. Or just fill up on all the fruit and forget the other stuff.
Sweet Cherries
Unsplash
Sweet cherries are best enjoyed fresh when harvested mid-season, in late June and July. We love them uncooked, eaten straight off the stem, or incorporated into a salad (not just fruit salad, but savory green salads too). Try them chopped up for fruit salsa or in an appetizer involving creamy white cheese such as chèvre or ricotta.
Related Reading: How to Pair Cheese with Summer Fruit
Sweet cherry flesh can turn mealy when baked, but will still be good lightly cooked, like in a pan sauce (see our Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce recipe).
The most popular variety, Bing cherries, have skin that’s dark red to purple-red, which darkens even more to almost black as it ripens, and the flesh is also dark red or purple. Bings are firm, meaty, sweet, and juicy, according to Greenhouse Garden Center in Carson City, Nevada. (They’re usually the main ingredient in black cherry juice, which is often sold in concentrate form, and is said to help alleviate gout by lowering uric acid levels.)
Pexels
Rainier cherry skin is more yellow with a blushing bright red and yellow flesh inside. This variety might be a smidgen less sweet than Bing, but both come from the same cherry tree, the prunus avium.
Bing is arguably the most famous cherry from this stock, first produced in the late 1800s on Lewelling Farms in Oregan; the Bing name comes from one of the farm’s Chinese workers. The Rainier cherry variety was developed later by Harold W. Fogle at the Washington State University Research Station by crossing Bing with another popular variety, Van.
Bing sweet cherries have shown greater anti-inflammatory activity than tart cherries in research studies, according to Dr. Michael Greger, a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized professional speaker. “This makes sense since we think it may be the anthocyanin phytonutrients, and there are much more in sweet red cherries than in tart, and nearly none in yellow Rainer cherries,” Greger said.
Related Reading: The Science of Why Brightly Colored Fruit Is So Good for You
Bing and Rainier are the most popular sweet cherry varieties, but other options include: Black Republican, Black Tartarian, Craig’s Crimson, Garden Bing, Lambert, Lapins, Mona, Royal Ann, Sam, Stella, Sunburst, Van, and Utah Giant.
Tart Cherries
Nicknamed “pie cherries,” fresh sour cherries are best baked, jammed, and juiced.
Pixabay
The most popular variety, Montmorency cherries, are bright red, but you usually find them dried, frozen, or canned—not fresh, unless you live near one of the small family farms in North America where they’re grown, according to the Cherry Marketing Institute. Called the Cherry Capitol of the World, Michigan grows about 75 percent of Montmorency’s tart cherries. Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, Utah, and Washington are other prominent Montmorency cherry producing states.
Kirkland Signature Dried Tart Montmorency Cherries, $13.33 on Amazon
Great for granola, trail mix, desserts, drinks, and more.
Like the name implies, Montmorency tart cherries have a sour-sweet flavor.
This is the type of cherry most often studied for its potential health benefits, according to the institute. Research indicates tart Montmorency cherries reduce inflammation (which can help with arthritis), lower cholesterol and triglycerides (and hence help fight heart disease), even speed up exercise recovery, and aid sleep. That tart taste is an indication a high amount of antioxidants and anthocyanins, which contribute to the first few benefits. The cherry’s melatonin helps regulate sleep. Other studies indicate that cherries could even help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Sour cherry juice (like Montmorency tart cherry juice) has even been recommended to aid muscle recovery after a workout.
The Montmorency name comes from a valley north of Paris, France, where tart cherries were first cultivated in the 18th century—bet their early fans didn’t expect they had so many health benefits. The Early Richmond and North Star are two other sour cherry varieties.
Maraschino Cherries
These cherries—artificially bright pinkish-red, preserved in a jar—are a class unto themselves. They have a bad rep, and with good cause. They’re stripped of their natural delights to be replaced with high fructose corn syrup and artifical dyes. Why, oh why?!
Chowhound’s Shirley Temple
Made from sweet cherries today, the Maraschino originally was a small black cherry named Marasca originally from what is now Croatia and northern Italy.
For centuries, the fruit was brined and then macerated in maraschino liqueur (the liquor distilled from the pulp, skin, and pits). The cherries were popular in the United States as a drink garnish until Prohibition made the alcohol-soaked fruit illegal. Then a nonalcoholic alternative was developed in 1925 by Ernest H. Wiegand, a professor of horticulture at Oregon State University.
Maraschinos are any cherry too small or bruised to sell, soaked in salt solution to remove natural color and flavor, pitted, soaked in sweetener for 30 days, and dipped in artificial food coloring. They’re often used on desserts, cocktails, and that kids’ non-alcoholic cocktail, the Shirley Temple. But you can make your own. And use other cherries, fresh this summer season or frozen, for all sorts of sweet and savory dishes.
Sweet and Tart Cherry Recipes
These cover both sweet and savory too!
1. Spiral-Cut Hot Dogs with Spicy Cherry Relish
Chowhound
Wait, what?! Yes, this recipe contains not one, but two unusual approaches to a backyard barbecue classic. Watch the video on how to spiral-cut your hot dogs, which are a surprisingly good match for chopped cherries sautéed with oil, balsamic vinegar, and chile pepper. Get our Spiral-Cut Hot Dogs with Spicy Cherry Relish recipe.
2. Pistachio-White Chocolate-Cherry Crisps
Chowhound
Nutty, creamy, and tart, these sweet cookies will get you dunking in your milk in no time. You’ll be using dried cherries in this crispy cookie—pick tart or sweet as you prefer, and remember to save time for freezing the dough. Get our Pistachio-White Chocolate-Cherry Crisps recipe.
3. Smoked Cherry Hot Sauce
Chowhound
Great for all your grilled meats and beans, and whatever you love doused with hot sauce (everything!), these spicy and sweet flavors have been a popular pairing for a long time for good reason. Use sweet cherries and habanero peppers. Get our Smoked Cherry Hot Sauce recipe.
4. Fresh Cherry Cobbler
Chowhound
We had to provide at least one classic cherry recipe, and while we love a good old-fashioned Lattice Cherry Pie, this is equally temping. What’s especially nice about it is you get a pie-like experience without having to mess with making a perfect crust. Get our Fresh Cherry Cobbler recipe.
5. Cherry Clafouti (Clafoutis)
Chowhound
For another easy (but fancy) take on cherries, a French clafoutis is a classic choice. Traditionally, the cherry pits are left intact, but we recommend removing them before adding them, just to be safe. (Pro-tip: a paperclip makes pitting cherries pretty painless.) Get our Cherry Clafoutis recipe.
Related Reading: 10 Genius Summer Produce Hacks
6. Slushy Cherry Old Fashioned
Chowhound
Fresh sweet cherries blended into a frozen Old Fashioned make for a stunning summer drink, ideal for sipping by the pool. Get our Slushy Cherry Old Fashioned recipe.
7. Maraschino Cherries
Chowhound
This is quite a step up from the scary neon ones. Use Bing cherries for this one, plus Maraschino liqueur such as Luxardo and a vanilla bean, then use them to garnish all the drinks and desserts you desire. Get our Homemade Maraschino Cherries recipe. (And try our Citrus Brandied Cocktail Cherries recipe too.)
8. Smoked Duck and Cherry Pressed Sandwich
Chowhound
A crisp-crusted pressed panini with smoked duck, fresh Bing cherries, and melty blue cheese is pretty much perfect. (If you want to up the ante, though, add some of our Drieded Cherry Mustard.) Get our Smoked Duck and Cherry Pressed Sandwich recipe.
9. Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart with Cherry Sauce
Chowhound
This luscious bittersweet chocolate ganache tart calls for frozen cherries to make the vodka-spiked sauce, but by all means, use fresh cherries in season. Get our Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart with Cherry Sauce recipe.
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The Best Meal Kit Delivery Services to Try in 2019
After cooking 18 meals from six of the most popular meal kit delivery services in 2019, I’m well on my way of reaching my New Year’s resolution to cook more often. I know some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions (including mine) revolve around food. Whether you want to cook healthier, cook more often, and/or lose weight, the solution to all these resolutions is the same—meal kit delivery services. I’m sharing all of my learnings from this crazy experiment with you so you can figure out which kit is best for you and your family.
Overall, I think:
- Plated is best for those with a discerning palate who also love dessert.
- Home Chef is best for those who want extra portions.
- Sun Basket is the best kit to get you out of your food rut.
- Blue Apron is best for gourmet chefs.
- Hello Fresh is the most crowd-pleasing option.
- Green Chef is best for those following a specific diet plan.
Keep reading for details on each kit—plus in-depth reviews, from the unboxing process to sitting down to eat that first bite. While I don’t think any one kit is right for everyone, after testing all of these meal kits I am confident that there is a kit that’s right for you.
Plated: Best Kit for Those with Discerning Palates and a Sweet Tooth
Plated
Plated was my overall favorite meal kit I tested due to the great variety (20+ meal options per week—including both dessert and brunch like the Pain Perdu) and several elevated pescatarian and vegetarian options available. While a lot of the other meal kits contained heavier meal options with a lot of dairy (butter, cream, cheese, etc…) I think Plated was able to achieve flavorful menu options that were a bit lighter (and more like something I would typically eat).
Price/Subscription Sizes: $11.95 per serving for a two-person subscription at 2-4 meals/week; $9.95 per serving for a three-person or four-person subscription at 2-4 meals/week.
Home Chef: Best Kit for Those Who Are Really Hungry
Home Chef
Home Chef boasts over 38 meal kits to choose from in any given week including the all-new grill packs and one pan dinners. Plus you can customize which makes this service stand out from the pack. For example, with some recipes you can order double the protein without doubling the overall portions. With other recipes you can choose to order antibiotic-free protein instead of the standard version it typically comes with. Meal kits are usually pretty standard in their offering (which is what keeps them efficient to the masses), so this is a way for Home Chef to stand out among the crowded marketplace.See It
Price/Subscription Sizes: $9.95 per serving for two or four servings per recipe, with additional premium recipes offered at market price.
Sun Basket: Best Kit to Get You Out of a Food Rut
Chowhound
I loved the variety of unique recipes offered from Sun Basket. I learned new recipes I probably otherwise wouldn’t have cooked, and while these recipes were new to me they were still easy to make due to the detailed cooking instructions.See It
Price/Subscription Sizes: $11.99 per serving for a two-person or four-person subscription at 3 meals/week; $10.99 per serving for a four-person “family-friendly” subscription at 2-4 meals/week
Blue Apron: Best Kit for Gourmet Chefs
Chowhound
I found the recipes in Blue Apron were most likely to be something I’d order in a restaurant. All of the recipes were still very approachable and easy for beginners to make, but I found these dishes tasted a little more elevated than some of the other meal kits I tried.See It
Price/Subscription Sizes: $9.99 per serving for a two-person subscription at 2-3 meals/week (same price per meal at both 2 and 3 meals per week); $8.99-$7.49 per serving for a four-person subscription at 2-4 meals/week respectively.
Hello Fresh: Best Kit to Please a Crowd
Hello Fresh
While I personally wasn’t as inspired with the recipes in Hello Fresh, it seemed to be the most crowd-pleasing of them all. The basic, simple recipes seemed particularly family-friendly when compared to other (more exotic) recipes I tried by different companies.See It
Price/Subscription Sizes: $9.99-$8.99 per serving for a two-person subscription at 2-4 meals/week respectively; $7.87-$7.49 per serving for a four-person subscription at 2-3 meals/week respectively.
Green Chef: Best Kit for Someone Following a Specific Diet Plan
Green Chef
I like Green Chef (owned by Hello Fresh) for its versatility in the different specific diet plans available. I tried the Paleo plan, but they also offer Keto, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free options. So no matter which diet you’re following (for health or personal reasons) you’ll be able to find a plan that works for you.See It
Price/Subscription Sizes: $12.99-$11.99 per serving for a two-person subscription at 3 meals/week; $10.99 per serving for a four-person subscription at 2 meals/week.
In-Depth Meal Kit Reviews
- Plated Unboxing
- Plated Details
- Home Chef Unboxing
- Home Chef Details
- Sun Basket Unboxing
- Sun Basket Details
- Blue Apron Unboxing
- Blue Apron Details
- Hello Fresh Unboxing
- Hello Fresh Details
- Green Chef Unboxing
- Green Chef Details
Plated Meal Kit Review
My Top Pick for Discerning Palates who Love Dessert
Plated was my overall favorite meal kit I tested due to the great variety (20+ meal options per week—including both dessert and brunch like the Pain Perdu) and several elevated pescatarian and vegetarian options available. While a lot of the other meal kits contained heavier meals with a lot of dairy (butter, cream, cheese, etc…) I think Plated was able to achieve flavorful menu options that were a bit lighter (and more like something I would typically eat).
Plated Unboxing
This meal kit was packaged like most of the others (upon opening the large box, each meal was separated into an individual bag containing all of the grouped ingredients per recipe and all meat/seafood was on top of ice packs at the bottom of the box to ensure freshness).
Kristin Cassidy
Favorite Meal I Cooked
The Provençal Salmon Salad with Radish, Mint, and Goat Cheese was such a nice, light, fresh, and healthy tasting meal—but still felt a bit gourmet and special for a regular ol’ weeknight dinner. I liked that even though the recipe contained cheese, it was easy to pick around (versus being incorporated into the protein or sauce itself). My cheese-loving dining partner could enjoy both portions of cheese while I could forgo it altogether. And normally side salads are kind of blah, but this one was a lovely spring-produce-filled treat featuring snap peas, mint, and radish.
Kristin Cassidy
Other Meals I Cooked
The Roasted Flounder with Rice Pilaf, Almonds, and Cilantro was another amazing dish and something I would definitely order out or cook at home regularly. The fish was flaky and the annatto added a slightly peppery flavor and exotic feel.
I am a BIG dessert girl, so I was very excited to see that Plated included a few dessert options. While I love to bake on my own, it was nice to have an easy, homemade sweet treat for the middle of the week. We had so much fun making the Crispy Chocolate Truffles with Toasted Hazelnuts. They were a chocolate lover’s dream—rich and creamy. One truffle was enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, and they lasted all week in the fridge so we could eat one nightly until they were gone.
Kristin Cassidy
Plated Details
Price/Subscription Sizes: $11.95 per serving for a two-person subscription at 2-4 meals/week; $9.95 per serving for a three-person or four-person subscription at 2-4 meals/week.
Meal choices per week: 20 + dessert options
Special diet plans available: Vegetarian and Gluten-free
Is it organic? Some ingredients are organic, but overall Plated is not an organic meal kit delivery service option.
Home Chef Meal Kit Review
My Top Pick for Those Who Are Really Hungry
Home Chef has over 38 meal kits to choose from in any given week including grill packs and one pan dinners (both new!). What makes this meal kit stand out even more and give it our recommendation for the hungry, is that you can customize the portions of some of the ingredients in some of the recipes.
Home Chef Unboxing
Upon opening the large box, each meal was separated into an individual bag containing all of the grouped ingredients per recipe. This is how four of the five meal kits packaged the ingredients, so this seems to be the norm. While it kept everything organized, it did seem a bit wasteful environmentally. Also standard, all meat/seafood was on top of ice packs at the bottom of the box to ensure freshness. As an added bonus, they also included a binder where you can keep track of all of the recipe print-outs. And as mentioned above, you are able to customize some recipe ingredients in ways you can’t with other meal kits. For example, with some Home Chef recipes you can order double the protein without doubling the overall portions. With other recipes you can choose to order antibiotic-free protein instead of the standard version it typically comes with.
Kristin Cassidy
Favorite Meal I Cooked
I will definitely be recreating the Jerk Chicken Thigh-Stuffed Poblanos with Pineapple and Pickled Red Onion. The chicken was extremely flavorful and tender. While I typically cook with chicken breast versus chicken thigh, this recipe had me convinced I should cook with chicken thigh more often. The brightness and sweetness of the pineapple complimented the smokiness of the jerk sauce perfectly—it was like a flavor equation that was equally balanced on all sides. This recipe called for pickling onions with lime juice, and honestly, I had never heard of pickling anything without using vinegar. The pickled onions turned out to be tart and had a nice bite to them. I’ll be trying this quick hack for pickling again in my kitchen soon. One recipe note—this calls for two teaspoons of olive oil to be drizzled over the poblanos before roasting but I would cut that down to almost half that amount, as the poblanos still had a lot of excess oil around them once roasted.
Kristin Cassidy
Other Meals I Cooked
The Shrimp Pad Thai with Carrots, Roasted Peanuts, and Cilantro was one of the quickest and easiest meals I made throughout this testing process. It was like painting-by-numbers but with cooking, which is one of the greatest benefits of making a recipe from a meal kit delivery service. Sometimes after a long day you don’t feel like experimenting or being creative in the kitchen and you just want dinner on the table ASAP. This Shrimp Pad Thai does the trick. One recipe note—this says to prepare the shrimp, noodles, and vegetable mixture in a medium non-stick pan, but I felt the pan was too small to comfortably hold all of the ingredients. Instead, try using a large non-stick pan or a wok if you have one.
The Barbacoa Steak Tacos with Queso Fresco and Pickled Vegetables were not my favorite meal, as I found the steak strips to have a bland taste and grainy texture to them. However, I admittedly don’t consume red meat very often, so if you’re a red meat fan you will probably like these tacos better than I did. One recipe note—I had a tough time thickening up the sauce with the beef mixture. Instead of adding the recommended 1/4 cup of water, I would start with 1/8 cup of water and add more water if you need to.
Home Chef Details
Price/Subscription Sizes: $9.95 per serving for two or four servings per recipe, with additional premium recipes offered at market price.
Meal choices per week: 16 with a two- or four-person subscription
Special diet plans available: Vegetarian options, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free
Is it organic? No
Sun Basket Meal Kit Review
My Top Pick for Those Who Need to Get Out of a Food Rut
I loved the variety of unique recipes on Sun Basket and how easy they were due to the detailed cooking instructions. I even learned a few new recipes!
Sun Basket Unboxing
The unboxing process was like most of the other meal kits—each recipe was separated into individual paper bags within the overarching box and all meat/seafood was on top of ice packs at the bottom of the box to ensure freshness.
Kristin Cassidy
Favorite Meal I Cooked
While I don’t think the Tempeh “Bacon” Bowls with Sage-Roasted Vegetables tasted like bacon, it was still my favorite Sun Basket meal. I had eaten tempeh before but never cooked with it, so making this recipe felt like a fun experiment that broadened my cooking horizons. This meal is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and while I don’t personally subscribe to any one of these specific diet plans, I appreciated how healthy this recipe felt. I also loved that this dish felt filling, and I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. As far as recipe details go, pickling the onions felt fancy and fun, and really added a huge flavor boost. The tart dried cranberries balanced out the smokiness of the tempeh “bacon” marinade.
Kristin Cassidy
Other Meals I Cooked
I was immediately taken back to my fall vacation in Morocco by making this Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Artichokes, Tomato-Poached Eggs, and Couscous. It was probably the most exotic meal of the 12 I cooked, and really took me out of my comfort zone (in a good way). To me, this is one of the greatest benefits of doing a meal kit—discovering and trying something new. Poaching the eggs was a fun process, and it added a richness to the dish that paired well with the brightness of the tomato sauce and earthiness of the lamb. One note—this recipe calls for butter but the kit did not include it; instead, it refers to the butter as an item to include “from your pantry.” I noticed when some of the other meal kits had recipes that called for butter, they included it. Most people probably have butter on hand, so I don’t think it’s a huge deal, just a difference I noticed and thought worth mentioning.
The Shrimp Stir-Fry with Cambodian Tuk Trey Sauce and Jasmine Rice was easy to make and a cheaper version of a standard takeout dish I’d order. While it wasn’t super memorable compared to the other two recipes, there was nothing wrong with it.
Sun Basket recently launched organic five-minute salads that are designed to be a quick, easy, and healthy lunch solution. After trying them, I agree this is a fresh take on the traditional brown bag lunch (they even come in a brown bag). My favorite salad was the Organic Rainbow Asian Salad (for two). To be honest, at first glance this salad didn’t make me super excited. It contained spinach, scallions, cilantro, shredded carrots, shredded red cabbage, black sesame seeds, and cashews, with a tamarind-cashew dressing. However, once I started eating it I was quickly singing another tune. The dressing was tangy and had a good kick, and the cilantro and scallions added fresh flavor without adding calories. I ended up eating half of this salad for lunch, and eating the other half for a snack later in the afternoon.
Kristin Cassidy
The Organic Kale Caesar Salad (for two) was upgraded from a traditional Caesar salad with the addition of chickpeas and sunflower seeds. I also loved that the dressing was vegan (so hard to find in a Caesar dressing!). But I could have passed on the Organic Protein Crunch Salad (for two). The dried blueberries didn’t pair well with the other ingredients and felt out of place, and the raw riced cauliflower was a bit bitter.
Sun Basket Details
Price/Subscription Sizes: $11.99 per serving for a two-person or four-person subscription at 3 meals/week; $10.99 per serving for a four-person “family-friendly” subscription at 2-4 meals/week
Meal choices per week: 18 with a two to four-person subscription and six with a four-person “family-friendly” subscription
Special diet plans available: Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian options, Vegan, Pescatarian, and Diabetes-Friendly
Is it organic? Yes.
Blue Apron Meal Kit Review
My Top Pick for Gourmet Chefs
I found the recipes in Blue Apron were most likely to be something I’d order in a restaurant. All of the recipes were still very approachable and easy for beginners to make, but I found these dishes tasted a little more elevated than some of the other meal kits I tried.
Blue Apron Unboxing
Of the four meal kits I tested, Blue Apron was the only one that didn’t group together ingredients by recipe in individual paper bags within the large box. Instead, all ingredients were packaged loosely in the box. This makes Blue Apron the greenest option in my opinion, as it used the least amount of packaging compared to the other kits I tried. It was still very easy to group ingredients together by recipe, as the recipe cards included pictures of which ingredients went with each one. Like all of the other meal kits, any meat/seafood was on top of ice packs at the bottom of the box to ensure freshness.
Kristin Cassidy
Favorite Meal I Cooked
Out of all of the delicious meals I cooked throughout this test, my overall favorite was the Seared Cod & Saffron Rice with Lemon-Butter Pan Sauce. The night I cooked this meal I found myself with house guests and a fridge full of meal kit meals, so I ended up making this one for the group—and everyone loved it. The prep time and step-by-step instructions were accurate, the ingredients were very fresh, and the recipe was overall very flavorful. I ended up adding all of the optional red pepper flakes because I like things spicy, but feel free to leave them out if you prefer things on the milder side (or if you’re trying to appeal to a child’s tamer palate). I really enjoyed the addition of kale to the rice, and found the “weeknight hero spice blend” to complement the fish perfectly.
Kristin Cassidy
Other Meals I Cooked
I was impressed with the quality of the steak in the Steaks & Brown Butter Sauce With Mashed Potatoes & Fried Rosemary and felt the cooking instructions for the meat was spot-on. However, I ended up roasting the carrots for approximately five minutes longer than the called-for 16-18 minutes, but I do like my vegetables on the crispier side and chalk this one up to personal preference. For the fried rosemary section of the recipe, when I added the herbs to the hot oil as instructed, the rosemary immediately burned. In the future, I would tweak these instructions to heat the oil on low heat instead of medium-high heat. I also thought the potatoes were slightly dry, but did appreciate that they didn’t call for cream or butter.
The Kale & Monterey Jack Quesadillas with Spicy Radish Salsa & Fried Eggs is definitely a dish I’d find myself ordering at brunch. This recipe was super easy and quick to make, and I think it’d be a good one to have (eager) kids help with. The bite of the radishes paired nicely with the kick of the guajillo chile pepper sauce and the creamy queso blanco cheese. I wanted seconds of this one!
Blue Apron Details
Price/Subscription Sizes: $9.99 per serving for a two-person subscription at 2-3 meals/week (same price per meal at both 2 and 3 meals per week); $8.99-$7.49 per serving for a four-person subscription at 2-4 meals/week respectively.
Meal choices per week: Eight with a two-person subscription and five with a four-person subscription
Special diet plans available: Vegetarian options and Weight Watchers (Freestyle)
Is it organic? Some ingredients are organic, but overall Blue Apron is not an organic meal kit delivery service option.
Hello Fresh Meal Kit Review
My Top Pick for Pleasing a Crowd
While I personally wasn’t as inspired with the recipes in Hello Fresh, it seemed to be the most crowd-pleasing of them all. The basic, simple recipes seemed particularly family-friendly when compared to other (more exotic) recipes I tried by different companies.
Hello Fresh Unboxing
This meal kit was packaged like most of the others (upon opening the large box, each meal was separated into an individual paper bag containing all of the grouped ingredients per recipe and all meat/seafood was on top of ice packs at the bottom of the box to ensure freshness). As an added perk, they included a Hello Fresh apron that I found to be a fun bonus.
Kristin Cassidy
Favorite Meal I Cooked
The Figgy Balsamic Pork with Roasted Green Beans and Rosemary Potatoes was another meal I fed to my house guests (they happened to be visiting as I was having all of these meal kits delivered and I’m not one to be wasteful!), and it was another hit. Although I’m not typically a meat and potatoes kind of person, I actually loved this nostalgic meal with a twist. The figgy balsamic pan sauce was quite flavorful and the addition of rosemary to the roasted potatoes made them feel a little more upgraded than the potatoes I grew up with. The green beans were a crisp, fresh addition and rounded out the meal nicely. One recipe note—similar to the Lamb Tagine in Sun Basket, this recipe called for butter and did not include it, but rather asks you to provide it.
Kristin Cassidy
Other Meals I Cooked
At 1120 calories per serving, the Aioli-Topped Crab Cakes with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and a Cranberry Walnut Salad are definitely a calorie bomb. But crab cakes tend to be a crowd-pleaser, and these were no exception. The light, lemony salad balanced out the creamy crab cakes which were (understandably) quite rich, and the accompanying sweet potatoes were simple and healthy.
The recipe for Vietnamese Chicken Bowls with Sriracha Mayo and Jasmine Rice was another one that seemed like an at-home version of something I’d normally pick up from take-out on the way home. So if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to cook more, then this is a great option for you—the recipe uses fresh ingredients, has accurate cooking instructions, was easy to put together, and makes large portions. My favorite part was the garlicky pan sauce drizzled over the chicken. I found the Sriracha mayo to be less exciting.
Hello Fresh Details
Price/Subscription Sizes: $9.99-$8.99 per serving for a two-person subscription at 2-4 meals/week respectively; $7.87-$7.49 per serving for a four-person subscription at 2-3 meals/week respectively.
Meal choices per week: 15 with a two-person subscription and six with a four-person subscription
Special diet plans available: Vegetarian options
Is it organic? Hello Fresh is not an organic meal kit delivery service option.
Green Chef Meal Kit Review
My Top Pick for Those Following a Specific Diet Plan
I like Green Chef (owned by Hello Fresh) for its versatility in the different specific diet plans available. I tried the Paleo plan, but they also offer Keto, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free options, so you’ll be able to find one that works for you.
Green Chef Unboxing
The unboxing process was like most of the other meal kits—each recipe was separated into individual paper bags within the overarching box and all meat/seafood was on top of ice packs at the bottom of the box to ensure freshness. The package did include two free VitaCup coffee pods, which felt a little wasteful because I’m not a K-cup person and therefore had no use for them.
Favorite Meal I Cooked
If boyfriends could vote for their favorite recipe of the 12 I cooked, I’m told this Maple Balsamic BBQ Meatloaf with Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, and Cranberries would be it. While I do personally tend to cook a lot of Paleo/Pescatarian meals, I’ve never actually cooked meatloaf before. This is another good example of how meal kits can help you expand your typical repertoire of the 5-ish recipes you probably continually cook over and over again. The portion of tangy barbecue sauce was generous and helped keep the meatloaf moist and tender, and I was pleased to see such a large portion of bright and fresh vegetables included (even though it only came with one carrot instead of the stated two carrots on the recipe card). This ended up being a recipe I will try to recreate.
Kristin Cassidy
Other Meals I Cooked
The Chicken Al Pastor Wraps with Bell Pepper, Pickled Onions, Cabbage, and Carrot Slaw was a light meal—at 390 calories per serving, this was one of the lower calorie meals I tested. However, I still found this recipe satisfying. I loved the bright sweetness of the pineapple and the pickled onions—both gave great flavor to a pretty standard dish. The romaine lettuce was crisp and fresh, and the chicken seemed to be of good quality.
The Sausages with Braised Apple and Pan-Seared Acorn Fritters wasn’t a particularly standout dish, but I did think the squash fritters were a nice touch. They were kind of like savory Paleo pancakes.
Green Chef Details
Price/Subscription Sizes: $12.99-$11.99 per serving for a two-person subscription at 3 meals/week; $10.99 per serving for a four-person subscription at 2 meals/week.
Meal choices per week: Three to five (depending on diet plan) with a two-person subscription and two with a four-person subscription
Special diet plans available: Paleo, Keto, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian options, and Gluten-Free
Is it organic? Yes.
While these are the only meal kits I’ve tested so far, check out CNET’s Meal Kit Delivery Services Guide for even more options. And see my review of prepared meal delivery service Sakara (which focuses on superfoods that are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free).
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The Most Affordable Cities for Grilling & Manhattan Is #6!
If you’re a bargain-hunting carnivore looking for a good deal on grilling meats and summer booze, you might want to re-think your zip code instead of curbing that expensive rib-eye habit. It turns out there are certain cities in these great United States that are far more cost-effective for grilling and BBQ than others, overall.
ApartmentGuide.com recently took a deep dive to find out the most affordable cities to grill in, based on the average price of popular grilling meats and BBQ staples like steak, ground beef, sausage, and beer along with the listed average price for a one bedroom apartment.
Related Reading: The Best Grills, BBQ Tools, and Grill Accessories
The site ranked 257 U.S. cities in total. Each of the three food sub-categories (steak, ground beef, and sausage), as well as beer, received a ranking score from 1-257 based on the average price in that area, with 1 being the most affordable and 257 being the most expensive. All four numbers were then added up and divided by four to determine a final Grilling Affordability Score (or GRS).
Unsurprisingly, smaller urban areas and cities in big sprawling states like Texas and Missouri topped the list where housing is generally more affordable. A good many of these sprawling midwest states, like Kansas, are big cattle producers too, which keeps those beef costs down.
Here are the top 10 most affordable U.S. states in which to grill. See the report and full list of 50 most affordable grilling cities on ApartmentGuide.com.
10. Nacogdoches, TX
Sausage and ground beef prices are low and the average one-bedroom apartment is just $783 a month in this east Texas town.
Related Reading: The Best Meat Delivery Services in 2019
9. Salina, KS
KC style BBQ is popular in this small city in Kansas where the beef is cheap and the average one-bedroom apartment rental will run you just $525 per month.
8. Meridian, MS
This deep southern city in Mississippi is a transportation hub which keeps food costs low and the monthly average rent for a one-bedroom unit here is just $702.
Related Reading: 9 Perfect Sides to Serve with BBQ Ribs
7. Peoria, IL
Sometimes referred to as “Baby Chicago,” you can snag a six-pack of beer for just $7.98 (def cheaper than Chi); that makes “Baby Chicago” a great grilling town and one-bedroom apartments go for a monthly average of $647.
6. Manhattan, KS
Okay, so maybe it’s not the Manhattan you were thinking of (sorry y’all) but “The Little Apple” is still a fine place to live and grill and is often ranked as one of the best small cities to retire and start a business by major magazines. And while steak prices are high, rent is cheap too, just $697 a month on average for a one-bedroom.
5. Waco, TX
Though beer isn’t much cheaper in this east Texas town, the prices for sausage and ground beef are some of the cheapest in the land. Word must be starting to get out on this sleeper city though because you have to drop an average of $875 a month for a one-bedroom rental.
Related Reading: Everything You Need to Know About Grilling Meat
4. Temple, TX
Not far from Waco but about half the size, this Texas city has cheap meats all around. A one-bedroom in Temple runs about $826 a month.
3. Kalamazoo, MI
Besides being one of the scientifically proven most fun words to say, Kalamazoo actually means “boiling water,” but don’t boil your steak, please. Beer in this Missouri town is cheap at under 8 bucks for a six-pack and a few of their local breweries like Bell’s Brewery, Latitude 42, and Arcadia Brewing have broken through on a national scale. One-bedroom apartments go for $790 monthly on average.
2. McAllen, TX
This deep Texas town is on the primary migratory path between North and South America making it a premier destination for birding. Beyond that, it has the cheapest steak in the nation and a one-bedroom runs for just $779 on average per month.
Related Reading: Grilling Innovations that Bring Your BBQ Into the Future
1. Wichita Falls, TX
Hungry for burgers? This north Texas town has the cheapest ground beef in the nation and awfully cheap sausage, too! What’s the catch? There doesn’t seem to be one with the 15th cheapest beer and an average one-bedroom apartment renting for just $704.
Okay, we’re moving. Bye.
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