Escaping the dinner rut with Blue Apron

This post is sponsored by Blue Apron. They kindly included an awesome discount, too. Check out the details at the bottom of this post! <3

Lately, we’ve found ourselves in a bit of a dinner rut. I love to meal plan, but on the nights that I teach or the Pilot is working late, we tend to fall into the usual staples:

grilled salmon with sweet potatoes and veggies

quiche

taco or pizza night

easy pasta recipes (like the Wonder Pot)

and chicken. SO much chicken. 

I realized that I was feeling uninspired with dinner recipes, and even though I wanted to make an awesome meal, I wasn’t sure what to make. 

Blue Apron to the rescue.

Shrimp dish 1 of 1 3

We’ve been using the Blue Apron service for the past year, and it’s perfect for escaping the dinner rut. They plan out the meals for you, and send all of the ingredients to make each meal. We love it because it encourages us to step out of the box and try new recipes, and we don’t end up wasting obscure ingredients. When an ingredient calls for a jar of a random sauce or seasoning, the rest often sits unused in the fridge or pantry. With Blue Apron, you get the precise amount that you need. Also, we’ve found that it’s far more economical than going out to eat. The cost for a dinner for two is around $20, which is easily what we’d pay for one entree out and about in San Diego.

Turkey chili 1 of 1

Here’s how it works:

-You have the option of ordering 2 servings or family-style (which will serve a family of 4). Last time, we ordered the 4 serving amount, as we all have hearty appetites, and I was blown away by the generous serving sizes. This time, we opted for a 2 serving, which ended up being the perfect amount for the Pilot, Liv and myself. If you choose the family option, you have the ability to receive one or two shipments each week (each shipment is two meals). For the two-person option, you receive the ingredients and recipes for 3 meals.

-You receive a shipment of the ingredients, which arrive in a refrigerated box. Everything stays super fresh.

-The quality of ingredients is fantastic, and they responsibly source from quality suppliers around the US

-You grab your recipe for the evening, and get started.

Mis en place 1 of 1

Initially, the Blue Apron meals took me a while to put together, and that was becauseI would half-prep and cook as I went along.

If you take the time to prep and chop the ingredients (haha like the recipe says to do…), it’s a seamless process.

Prepping 1 of 1

All of our meals last week were cooked and ready within 25 minutes and were SO delicious. Serendipitous bonus: no chicken on the menu. I’m a little chickened out at the moment.

Tom Yum-Style Shrimp and noodles

Shrimp dish 1 of 1

Shrimp dish 1 of 1 2

Turkey chili with avocado and cheddar cheese

Turkey chili 1 of 1 3

Turkey chili 1 of 1 4

Baked Fontina pasta

Pasta dish 1 of 1

After our week of meals, I feel revamped in the kitchen and am excited to explore some new recipes for next week. They have some beautiful options and are always adding new recipes to the Blue Apron website, if you’re inspired to switch it up at home.

The first 100 readers to order will receive two free meals in their Blue Apron delivery! Just click here.

Have you found yourself in a dinner rut? How do you change things up if you’re feeling uninspired? What are your usual staples?

Hope you’re having a wonderful morning!

xoxo

Gina

This post is sponsored by Blue Apron. Just a head’s up: while this post is sponsored, I’m not receiving any affiliate credit or commission from orders placed through their site. Thank you sincerely for your support. xo

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18 Comments

  1. Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment on March 26, 2015 at 5:19 pm

    Oh gosh – yes, I get in a rut all the time! Chicken or salmon with veggies and a sweet potato are total staples!

  2. Erin @ Her Heartland Soul on March 26, 2015 at 5:22 pm

    Yum! I wish Blue Apron would come to Omaha!

  3. Karen on March 26, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    Thanks for the freebies! I’ve been wanting to give this a try, and that gave me some incentive!

  4. Jill @ Champagne for Everyday on March 26, 2015 at 6:18 pm

    Blue Apron is awesome! I love that you get to be hands on for the whole process, and see what goes into your dish. While services that we have here in SF like Munchery and Sprig are great for pre-prepared food, I like the Blue Apron idea a lot better for that reason.

    xx Jill
    <a href=”Latest Post – A Statement Necklace and a Skater Dress – Spring Fling feat. Rocksbox

  5. Erin @ Erin's Inside Job on March 26, 2015 at 6:58 pm

    Ha I just made Blue Apron for dinner tonight. I think we have the same meals except for the noodles one. Instead of that one we got corned beef flank steak w/ cabbage and potatoes. So good. I have been using them for a couple months now and definitely love them!!

  6. Livi @ Eat, Pray, Work It Out on March 26, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    blue apron is all the rage! My family all do it– I have to try!

  7. Janelle on March 26, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    I love the sounds of Blue Apron – here’s hoping it comes to Canada!

  8. Nicole on March 27, 2015 at 4:34 am

    Thanks so much for the offer! I just signed up, and I can’t wait to try it. It will be so nice to have something other than hummus and wine every night:)

    • Maria on March 27, 2015 at 5:50 am

      Hummus and wine sound amazing! 🙂

  9. Stacy @ Sweating Tulipz on March 27, 2015 at 5:01 am

    Oh geez…I get chickened out too! AND tend to turn to the same staples each week! Which, I don’t mind so much, but more so feel bad for my husband!

    I have been contemplating trying Blue Apron for a few weeks now! I love trying new things and feel like the recipes always look fab!

  10. Erin on March 27, 2015 at 5:24 am

    were you able to get a gluten free option? I tried to sign up but there wasn’t anywhere to put that option. Bummer – I really would love to try this!

  11. Maria on March 27, 2015 at 5:50 am

    I just placed my order! I’ve been wanting to try this to change things up a bit in our kitchen. My only complaint is that they don’t have dietary restriction options. We’ll see how the first week goes.

    When we get into a dinner time rut, I usually will look up recipes in old cookbooks. Even if I don’t follow them to a T, an idea usually sparks.

  12. Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed on March 27, 2015 at 6:03 am

    I have a few cookbooks that I love, so whenever I get in a rut I start paging through to find a newbie or something I forgot about! Or there’s always pinterest!

  13. Catherine on March 27, 2015 at 6:45 am

    I just ordered this too; thanks for the discount! I recently tried Plated, which is very similar, and really liked it. For that I had to choose the menu though so I actually like that this will be a surprise-though I assume when it ships they will tell me what I am getting. What I already liked better about Blue Apron was that you get to check off what you don’t eat, while with Plated you either choose meat, fish, or veggie. I wanted fish and veggie and this gives me that option.

  14. kristin | W [H] A T C H on March 27, 2015 at 7:05 am

    i am on such a tom yum kick right now. i would love to try blue apron to branch out into new dinner selections…

  15. Nicole on March 27, 2015 at 8:13 am

    Ah I was so excited to try this, but they don’t have a guaranteed GF option. I have Celiac, so that’s kind of a deal breaker. Oh well!

  16. Dena on March 27, 2015 at 8:41 am

    Bummer! They don’t ship to my area (which is strange). I wanted to try them out for the new ideas for rotation! Thanks for the offer Gina!

  17. Madeline @ Whitewall Collective on March 27, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    I’ve been really curious about Blue Apron for a while. The pricing seems pretty good, I’m just wondering on portion sizes. We’re a family of 5 with healthy appetites. I’m going to give it a shot this summer to see if it cuts back on eating out or not having something fresh to put together after long days.

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