About a 1½ years ago, I had the opportunity to try Just Add Cooking, the Boston-based meal kit delivery service. They were one of a select few meal kit delivery companies in Boston at the time, encouraging families to skip takeout and start cooking again. They promised to menu plan, shop and deliver your groceries to your door. All you needed to do was cook. I was in. You can check out my review here.

Today, there are dozens of meal kit delivery services jumping on the “cook real food at home band wagon.” While I’m a big fan of this movement of getting back into the kitchen (I’m pretty much riding shotgun on this band wagon), I haven’t signed up to any these services yet. With the amazing Russo’s just a mile away from our house, the convenience of grocery delivery is lost on me. Plus I like having the flexibility of meal planning based on the needs of my family.

But then again, menu planning takes a lot of time and effort. And food shopping can be a pain, no matter how fabulous or close your local grocer is to you. So when I had an opportunity to attend a cooking class at Sur La Table hosted by Just Add Cooking, I was game.

 

photo courtesy of Just Add Cooking

Joined by Boston bloggers Sarah Fit, Mommybites Boston, Healthy Chicks, The Boston Mom, and Bach to the Future Bites, we made one of Just Add Cooking’s recipe – Seared Prawns with Salsa. Led by Chef Holly of The Soul Chef, we got a to experience first-hand how easy – and fun – cooking can be when everything is planned and packaged for you to help you get dinner on the table fast.

So why should you try Just Add Cooking? Here are 5 reasons:

Still not sure? Just Add Cooking is offering umommy readers 50% off your first order until 10/31/15. Just enter “umommy50” code when signing up and get cooking!

Disclosure: Thanks Just Add Cooking and Sur La Table for hosting the event, which I received free of charge. I was not compensated for this postAs always, my opinions are my own.

So if you couldn’t tell, meal planning and trying different recipes is kinda my thing. But sometimes it can be a chore. What I wouldn’t do for someone to meal plan and grocery shop for me, leaving the cooking (the fun part) for me. Well, there happens to be someone to do just that.

Just Add Cooking is part of a new crop of meal kit delivery services in the area and I had the chance to give it a try. You get to choose a three-, four- or five-meal box delivered to you on Sunday. Meals are designed to serve a family of 4 and range from $107-$139 per kit. The meal plan and menu options were preselected for me for my trial subscription.

Our kit arrived as promised, even during a snow storm.

I was skeptical about the quality of the produce, but everything was in perfect condition. Just Add Cooking selects seasonal, locally produced, organic ingredients. Everything is portioned and measured out (including the spices).

Protein and other refrigerated items were packed separately in a freezer bag.

Our three-meal plan (in recommended cooking order): Poached Salmon with Avocado Sauce, Coq au Vin, and Tex-Mex Mac and Cheese. Three dishes I would never have thought of trying. So how did it go?

Everyone loved how everything tasted and the portion sizes were more than satisfactory. Everything took less than 40 minutes to prepare. My only word of caution is that the cooking directions can be a little confusing, so this might not be for the novice home cook. Now if only each kit also included someone to come and clean-up J

**Just Add Cooking recently announced a fun recipe contest. Submit your own recipe and for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Just Add Cooking box and to win a free Just Add Cooking delivery. Enter between now and February 28, 2014. Winner will be chosen and announced on March 17, 2014. For more information on the contest, visit the Just Add Cooking blog.**

Disclosure: I was given a trial meal kit to try Just Add Cooking. As always, all opinions are my own.