I’d heard a lot about meal delivery services … you’ve seen the commercials. The ingredients look good, the preparation looks fun and the resulting meal is pretty and, we assume, tasty. I decided to try it out myself.

I tried Blue Apron. They promised fresh ingredients, great recipes … delivered right to my door. The verdict: They did, indeed, deliver. My Blue Apron box arrived with two cold packs and really beautiful produce, natural meats and other ingredients packed neatly. They were accompanied by five cards — three recipe cards with step-by-step instructions and photographs, the others explained the company’s sourcing practices and gave advice for choosing grains.

My three-day menu was: salmon burgers & aioli; chicken pad kee mao with bell pepper and Thai basil; and late summer pork bolognese with whole grain linguine and cherry tomatoes.

BlueApron.Cards

Meal prep was a breeze. Thinking, “Oh, it’s almost as if I’m on my own cooking show,” I gathered the ingredients, read the instructions through once and began. I referred back to the instructions a few times, of course. Less than an hour later — my measure for ease of prep is time, not how complicated something is, after all, if you’re using a recipe you’re probably preparing something new — I had a meal that not only looked good … it was delicious. I was definitely pleased.

BlueApron.Ingredients

BlueApron.Prep

I’m not a huge fan of fish or chicken on buns but The Two Husbands — my actual husband and my son — loved the salmon burgers (so sorry, I forgot to take a pic). I loved the chicken pad kee mao and late summer pork bolognese, and although I ordered the plan for two they were generous portions and I had enough left over for lunch the next day. Give them a try … I think you’ll like it.

BlueApron.Bolognese

BlueApron.PadThai