HelloFresh is Gourmet Cooking Lessons, Family Time, and Pain Free Entertaining All in One
Jeanne has changed my life! She introduced me to Hello Fresh. When she first told me about this service that ships you the fresh ingredients and directions for 3 meals, I was skeptical. While it sounded convenient, it also sounded expensive and not really worth it.
Then she got the chance  to send me a free box, so I tried it. Yes, it does save you the time and effort of grocery shopping, it does save you from buying large packages of something you only need a teaspoon of and may never use again.
But I also discovered many other benefits I never expected.
At Home Cooking Lessons!
I was an indifferent “chef.” I have a few recipes I like and do well, but otherwise cooking was not particularly enjoyable and somewhat stressful. Â HelloFresh gives you easy to follow directions that take under an hour and build your confidence and competence as a cook.
Even my friend who is notoriously bad in the kitchen was impressed at what she could accomplish. I now feel comfortable doing things like caramelizing pecans and making risotto!
A Way to Entertain and Get More Family Time
I first tried it out when a friend had come over to hang out and discovered its a great way to entertain, since more than one person can participate and it usually turns out better than if I were making it on my own. When I was down at my parents over the 4th of July, I had a box shipped there, turning meal preparation into quality time. 🙂
A friend who travels for work alot, loves making the meals with her daughters when she’s at home.  They don’t have to shop for supplies and noone is stressed about creating a balanced, tasty meal
Meals for 1
I find cooking for one to often be a big deterrent since recipes usually serve 4-6. By the time I’ve made it through 3 helpings, I’m tired of it, but don’t want to waste. HelloFresh gives you recipes and quantities for 2 (or 4) people and they typically refrigerate and freeze well.
I’ll have sausage jumbalaya for dinner one night and enjoy it again for lunch 3 days later or even the next week if I freeze it.
How Does It Work?
It’s $69 per delivery (including shipping) for 3 meals for 2 people, about $11.50 a meal. (First time users can sign up using my referral code N9DW9LÂ and you’ll get $40 off).
You determine how often you receive Wednesday deliveries — I typically pick every two weeks when I’m in town. The fresh ingredients will usually hold up that long and then I’m not locked into cooking a certain number of nights.
You can cancel at any time up to a week in advance and you choose your meal options the week before. There’s typically 5 options (and variations for vegetarians).
Shipping can be tricky — it arrives via FedEx and sometimes requires a signature. Jeanne and I have also noticed some zip codes deemed high risk for being stolen are not eligible and in the last two weeks the playful decorated boxes are now plain white and unmarked.
They do a great job of keeping the items cold and I love the reusable ice packs they use. When I shipped to my parents I forgot to tell them it was coming so it sat outside in the Florida heat for 24 hours and everything inside was still cool (I don’t recommend that though!).
All the ingredients are put together by recipe making it easy to tell what goes with what.
And the recipes with photo are on laminated paper so not only do they hold up to splashes and spills during cooking, but you can keep them if you want to make them again later.
I think the most amazing thing is that the meal you produce usually looks as good if not better as the photo example!
Get $20 off + 30% Cashback When You Sign Up
If you’re interested in trying it, sign up using my referral code N9DW9L and you’ll get $40 off a shipment. Create an account and purchase through TopCashback.com and you’ll get an additional 30% in cashback. I tried this when signing my dad up and had no problems.
A few things to know:
- Some of the produce can be a little tired looking, so about 1 out of 5 meals might have browning lettuce or herbs.
- The instructions are usually good, but not always perfect and the pictures don’t quite match. Probably 1 out of 10 meals. So you come to rely on the easiness and occasionally get a little lost.Like when it said to chop the cilantro and keep the leaves and stems separate. The picture showed a little pile of cilantro all together, but later it became clear I needed the leaves for one part and the stems for another.
- They do assume you have olive oil, pepper, and salt, and sometimes a grill pan, though I’ve made those recipes just fine using a normal pan.
- The seared steak with Pepperonata and Cannellini Bean Mash is one of my favorite recipes ever. Mostly for the sides!
Note: If you sign up for Hello Fresh using my referral code or TopCashback.com using my link, I will receive referral credit (thank you!) 🙂
