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Plated Subscription Box Review + Coupon – January 2016

Lindsey Morse
ByLindsey MorseJul 25, 2016 | 5 comments

Plated-January-2016-Box

Plated
3.7 overall rating
43 Ratings | 23 Reviews

Plated delivers a weekly box of pre-portioned fresh and seasonal ingredients, everything you need to cook their chef-designed recipes at home in your own kitchen. Each week, they offer a different menu, and you can select which dishes you’d like to make, how many plates of each dish you’d like to serve, and when you’d like to receive your delivery.

Three of the dishes offered on every menu are vegetarian. Plated also regularly rotates in vegan and dairy-free options. They’re committed to using sustainably sourced seafood, seasonal produce, and meat that’s free from antibiotics and added hormones.

Plated also makes it easy to pick recipes that suit your lifestyle. Each recipe clearly lists calorie content and prep time. (Note: Plated also used to list a difficult rating for each recipe, but it appears they’ve stopped doing that.)

Plated-January-2016-NewPackaging

Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!

Plated recently revamped their website, and it looks like they have new packaging and branding, too!

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My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Plated-January-2016-Contents

Subscription Box: Plated

Cost: Recipes begin at $12 per plate. 2 recipes (4 plates)= $48 per week (+ $6 shipping). 3 recipes (6 plates)= $72 per week (with free shipping). 4 recipes (8 total plates)= $96 per week (with free shipping).

ACTIVE DEAL: Get 25% off your first four weeks (up to $159 in savings). No coupon needed - just use this link.

The Products: All of the pre-portioned fresh and seasonal ingredients you need to make chef-designed recipes at home in your own kitchen.

Ships to: 95% of the US. (Currently, Plated does not ship to Hawaii and Alaska, and there are also a few cities in Texas, including San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Laredo, and Midland, where they don’t yet ship.)

Check out all of our Plated Reviews!

Plated-January-2016-Recipes

Each week, Plated offers a different menu with at least 7 dishes to choose from. For this box, I selected Baked Spaccetelli with Collard Greens and Fresh Mozzarella, Beef Meatball Ramen with Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms, and Trout Piccata with Rosemary Orzo and Green Beans.

Plated-January-2016-Email

When my box shipped, I received an email letting me know that I would need to have the following “pantry items” on hand: olive oil, black pepper, kosher salt, and water.

Plated-January-2016-Packed1

As always, the box was packed with extreme care. Ingredients were bundled by recipe, and each item was in its own container.

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The meats were sealed and packed at the bottom of the box, safely away from the produce and surrounded by cool packs.

Recipe #1- Baked Spaccetelli with Collard Greens and Fresh Mozzarella

Calories Per Serving: 720

Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

Plated-January-2016-PastaRecipe

When it was time to pick which dish to make for dinner on the day Plated arrived, I was SO HUNGRY. I’d had a really long day at work, and I was inching towards being “hangry.”

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Typically when I receive a box from Plated, I try and make fish and meat dishes first to ensure they’re super fresh, but, given my mood, that went straight out the window. I wanted to make something that would be ready ASAP, so I picked this pasta dish. I was thrilled to see that it came with bottled sauce, as this was not a day for making my own.

Plated-January-2016-PastaPrep

Prep for this dish was minimal. I needed only to slice some collards, cube a ball of mozzarella, and mince a couple cloves of garlic.

Plated-January-2016-PastaSfoglini

Plated included pasta from New York’s Sfoglini Pasta Shop. I’ve tried their pasta before in Plated dishes, and I really like it. (Fun fact: Sfoglini has their own subscription box- a pasta of the month club!)

While the pasta boiled in salted water, I sautéed the collard greens and garlic in olive oil. When the collards softened, I stirred in the marinara sauce, cubed mozzarella, and the cooked pasta.

Plated-January-2016-PastaMixed

I topped the mix with shredded mozzarella and baked it until the cheese bubbled and turned brown.

Plated-January-2016-PastaBaked

I like to keep boxed pasta and jarred sauce on hand for nights when I need a quick meal fix, but it never occurred to me to stir in some sautéed greens. I think this is such a great hack for adding nutrients and veggies to an easy weeknight dinner!

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This dish was quick, easy, and really yummy!

Meal #2- Beef Meatball Ramen with Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms

Calories per Serving: 390

Cook Time: 30-40

Plated-January-2016-RamenRecipe

Next up on the Plated menu was Beef Meatball Ramen.

Plated-January-2016-RamenIngredients

I began by cleaning and prepping my ingredients and then made the meatballs by mixing seasoned ground beef with scallions and minced ginger.

The meatballs baked at 450 degrees while I prepared the ramen. First, I sautéed the mushrooms, bok choy leaves, and remaining minced ginger in sesame oil for about six minutes before stirring in beef stock and mushroom powder. After simmering for a few minutes, I added the ramen noodles and bok choy leaves.

Plated-January-2016-RamenMeatballs

When the meatballs were done cooking, I took them out of the oven and added them to the ramen along with some soy sauce and fish sauce.

Plated-January-2016-RamenCooking

To plate the dish, I ladled the ramen into two bowls and topped each one with sliced scallions and crumbled nori.

Plated-January-2016-RamenPlated

This was another quick & tasty dish, and I’m really impressed that each bowl was only 390 calories!

Meal #3- Trout Piccata with Rosemary Orzo and Green Beans

Calories: 710

Cook Time: 35-45

Plated-January-2016-TroutRecipe

I finished out my week of Plated dishes with Trout Piccata.

Plated-January-2016-TroutIngredients

To begin, I trimmed green beans, prepped some herbs (rosemary, oregano, and parsley), and halved a lemon.

Plated-January-2016-TroutOrzo

I made the orzo first. I began by toasting it in olive oil with rosemary and oregano. When a nice golden color began to develop, I added water and broth and allowed the orzo to simmer until the liquid was absorbed.

While the orzo was simmering, I sautéed the green beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Plated-January-2016-TroutFish

After the beans were done, I wiped out the pan and melted some butter with olive oil. I gave the pan a minute to heat back up, and then dredged the trout fillets in seasoned flour. I transferred them to the pan and cooked them for about three minutes per size.

When the fish was ready, I plated it and then added white wine, lemon juice, parsley, and capers into the same pan. I cooked them together until the liquid reduced, and- voila!- the piccata sauce was ready!

Plated-January-2016-TroutPlated

I’m a big fan of strong flavors, so I thought the caper-heavy picatta sauce was delicious. I also really liked the rosemary orzo.

Verdict: Often, I like to pick Plated meals that take me out of my comfort zone. (I’m always excited to try dishes with exotic ingredients and to learn new cooking techniques!) This box was definitely a departure from that, but, after all the elaborate holiday cooking I got up to last month, it was really nice to receive some meals that were quick and easy to prepare. I really enjoy cooking with Plated’s recipes, and their boxes have definitely become a regular (and welcome) sight in my kitchen. The perceived value of a box like Plated is subjective, but, for me, it’s definitely worth the cost. I’m always pleased with the quality of the ingredients, and I’ve come to expect great things from their recipes.

Do you subscribe to Plated? If so, which dishes did you try last week?

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This weekly meal kit delivery subscription lets you select from a diverse, ever-changing menu of 20 recipes per week that feature responsibly sourced meats, sustainable seafood, and seasonal ingredients. They're also the only meal kit box to offer add-on desserts! Choose to receive everything you ne... read more.
Lindsey Morse
Lindsey Morse

Lindsey is a professional baker, cold brew coffee addict, and rosé aficionado who loves writing about food and wine. When she’s not sharing her love of subscription boxes with the world, you’ll find her in the podcasting studio, perfecting her cake decorating techniques, or cursing her way through the New York Times daily crossword puzzle. 


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5 comments

Paula

I have been getting Plated for about 3 weeks now and I really love it! I am currently trying Plated, Home Chef, Blue Apron and Hello Fresh. I just rotate the weeks that something looks good and skip the other subscriptions. So far my 2 favorites are Plated and Home Chef. Great review!

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nursermk

Hi–Cost wise are you finding one better than the other? Also besides freshness and a good selection ( for 2 people, one a bit picky) if you had only one to choose, which would you recommend? Sounds like fun with all the different meals to try, smart of you to vary the weeks.
I hope they send recyclable packaging at any rate!? Thanks

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Jen

I do the exact same thing! So far, Plated and Blue Apron are my two favorites, but I haven’t tried Home Chef yet. I’ll have to take a look.

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Linda

I hate meal planning, so I’ve tried almost all the meal planning and delivery services. Plated and Cook Smarts are my favorites by far! Your meals look delish.

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Linda

Also, with Plated, I order two servings and it easily feeds four of us (kids ages 10 and 13), usually with leftovers. Not only is that easier on the wallet, but also on the calorie count. The portions are generous.

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