Banishing Recipe Fatigue!

This post is brought to you by Blue Apron. While this was a sponsored opportunity, all content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I am SO thrilled to be partnering with Blue Apron for the rest of this year. Cooking is something I enjoy… when I have direction and inspiration (and have made it to the grocery store) but am not the best at. I can follow a recipe and fool everyone, but I’m just not a very creative cook. And to be honest I’m feeling kind of over my favorite cookbooks and recipes. I’ve made them so many times now that I’m a little bored with them!

Enter Blue Apron. I do a box every other week and LOVE it. Every week they release 23+ new recipes and they are absolutely delicious. I always learn something new (more on that below) whether it’s pairing ingredients I wouldn’t have thought to put together, getting better at making sauces (I’ve made two incredible pasta sauces so far) OR learning a new skill or trick (like the panini press I talk about below). It really is just the best.

I’m going to tell you more – keep reading for more on why I love it AND some of the things I’ve learned. But if you use my link you can get $60 off your first 3 boxes!

Why I Love Blue Apron

There are a lot of reasons why I love Blue Apron but the main reason is that it makes cooking EASY and INTERESTING. Cooking is never boring and it’s never stressful. Also, there is something for everyone. With health-conscious options like vegetarian, carb-conscious, Mediterranean diet, diabetes-friendly, and WW Approved recipes. Also, everything is done within 35 minutes!

Also, the pre-portioned out ingredients really help cut down on food waste. I am not the person who will use one leek to make a soup and then creatively figure out things to do with the rest. I’m just not. I wish I were, but I find I tend to have a lot of food waste when left to my own devices so appreciate this. This also rings true for spices. With limited cabinet space it’s nice to just get the spices I need and not to have to buy a whole jar of some random spice I’m never going to use again.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Broccoli.

This one is simple and easy and so delicious. For when you want a yummy pasta but also want to feel like you put in a little work and whipped up a fancy homemade sauce. The sauce for this one is so easy (just garlic, capers. red peppers, tomato paste, and cream) but feels fancy – probably because of the cream in the sauce. Simple but totally delicious…. and you roast a bunch of broccoli while cooking the pasta and making the sauce.

Crispy Potato and Kale Hash

This is a delight. I am a big fan of breakfast for dinner and this is perfect for that (it would also be incredible if you’re having friends over for brunch). I have a weird thing with baked eggs (I hate separated eggs) so I modified the recipe by scrambling the eggs and just baking them into the hash so it was more like a frittata than baked eggs but it was amazing.

And also a way to sneakily eat a ton of vegetables! I was surprised by how much kale was in there… and that I enjoyed it as much as I did (generally not a big kale fan and would have chosen spinach if I were making it myself but the kale, cooked with eggs etc was really good and I think was the better choice as the spinach would have gotten soggy whereas the kale added a nice texture.

Mozzarella and Fontina Paninis

I chose this kind of randomly because it sounded good, not really expecting to learn anything new… but actually ended up learning the best little sandwich making tip from it. If you don’t have a panini press, this is a good one. After placing your sandwich in the pan with a little oil, cover it loosely with aluminum foil and then place another pot on top to press the panini. I used a cast iron skillet and my paninis came out perfect. This one also comes with the ingredients for homemade salad dressing which is v. yummy.

Another tip for my single gals – the kit makes two sandwiches. I made both and froze the second for next time I am in a bind for dinner. It will be easy and delicious to heat up.

Romesco Beef & Ditali Pasta

Oh this is so yummy (and much to Becca’s grossed-outness) absolutely delicious cold the next day. I love cold pasta, haha! It’s so good, and I felt like it was an easy but impressive beef sauce that I could 100% replicate on my own next time I make it. I wouldn’t have thought to slice up carrots and put them in the sauce but it was such a good touch!

So many delicious recipes. I can’t wait to make more. I have a Blue Apron highlight on my instagram and will keep sharing what I make there! Don’t forget – you can take $60 off your first three boxes with my link!

Sponsored by Blue Apron; Professional photos by Carter Fish.