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Young Chefs’ Club “Taco Truck” Review – October 2019

Becca Peterson
ByBecca PetersonOct 13, 2019 | 8 comments

YCC October 2019 Box unopened

Young Chefs’ Club
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Young Chef’s Club (ages 5 and up) is a monthly subscription from America’s Test Kitchen that focuses on the intersection of food and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics). The team of editors, cooks, and educators at ATK combine their scientific know-how and rigorous testing to create meaningful and empowered experiences in the kitchen.

YCC October 2019 Box first opened

Box themes are different every month and will remain a surprise for kids, while grown-ups will receive shopping lists ahead of time via email. Themes will vary from specific ingredients, cooking techniques, and scientific subjects, to cuisines and types of food. According to Young Chefs' Club, themes will never repeat.

YCC October 2019 boxopened

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

YCC October 2019 All Contents

About Young Chefs' Club

The Subscription Box: Young Chefs' Club

The Cost: $24.99 + free shipping. Save with longer commitments

The Products: Recipe cards, hands-on experiment cards, kitchen technique cards,“Make It Your Way” recipe challenge, achievement button, cooking tool or recipe ingredient(s), plus other fun activities: games, puzzles, taste tests, art projects, and more. Also, as a member, you’ll additionally receive access to the digital library of recipes, activities, videos, and fun quizzes for kids.

Ships to: The U.S. only

Young Chefs' Club "Taco Truck" October 2019 Review

My family LOVES America's Test Kitchen, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this kids' box! Let's dig in and see what we received!

YCC October 2019 letter

First up is this letter welcoming us to the club, along with theme information, and additional online content for us to check out.

Note: After checking out the website, they have TONS of extra recipes and activities - be sure to check it out!

YCC October 2019 Shopping List

Here we have our shopping list. No food comes with this subscription, so each month they send a list of the ingredients you will need to complete each recipe. They also note that these lists will be sent via email before you receive your box so you can be prepared.

YCC October 2019 pin

Achievement Button

Look at this cute little achievement pin! This pin is about the size of a nickel, and is to be given after the box is complete!

YCC October 2019 Chile Powder front

YCC October 2019 chili powder back

Chipotle Morita Chile Powder

When America's Test Kitchen was testing this recipe, they found that Chipotle Morita Chile powder gave the sauce a different flavor than chili powder, so they included it in the box since it is harder to come by.

YCC October 2019 Bag

Tortilla Bag

We also received a 10"X 14" plastic zip bag to press out the DIY corn tortillas.

YCC October 2019 stickers

Taco Stickers

How cute are these taco stickers?! I am a sticker addict, as are my kids, so these are very much appreciated! I love how they perfectly coordinate with the "Taco Truck" theme!

YCC October 2019 Chicken taco recipe front YCC October 2019 Chicken taco page 2 YCC October 2019 Chicken taco page 3 YCC October 2019 Chicken Taco Back

Chicken Tinga Taco Recipe Card

We created this recipe, and my family really enjoyed it! We have never had chicken tinga tacos before, but will be making them again! Continue on below for photos and more information.

YCC October 2019 Cabbage slaw front YCC October 2019 Cabbage Slaw back

Cabbage Slaw Recipe Card

To see how this recipe turned out, check out below! (It was supppper easy!)

YCC October 2019 Red Onions Front YCC October 2019 Red onions back

Pickled Red Onions Recipe Card

Did you know it only takes about 45 minutes to make pickled red onions? Read below to find out how it went!

YCC Oct 2019 veggie taco front YCC October 2019 veggie taco page 2 YCC October 2019 veggie taco page 3 YCC October 2019 veggie taco back

Vegetable Taco Recipe Card

While I enjoy black beans and zucchini, my family is not fond of them, so we skipped the vegetable taco recipe this month. Let me know if you tested it out and what you thought! (I love how they show the proper way to mince garlic on this card; I found crushing the clove with the bottom of a measuring cup to loosen the skin extremely helpful!)

YCC October 2019 Corn tortilla recipe YCC October 2019 Page 2 tortilla YCC October 2019 page 3 tortilla YCC October 2019 back of tortilla recipe

DIY Corn Tortilla Recipe

I had plans on making our own corn tortillas, but the 3 stores I went to didn't carry masa harina! All I could find was cornmeal, and after doing a little online research, I discovered while it would possibly work, it wouldn't give very good results, so we just bought corn tortillas at the store. This was definitely a bummer!

YCC October 2019 Shred meat card front YCC October 2019 Shred meat card back

How to Shred Meat Technique Card

This card describes how to shred meat into bite-sized pieces. While I have used this technique many times in the past, I did find the information on the back of the card helpful. I use a crockpot a lot, and find that sometimes I dry out my roasts... I now think it's because it gets over 200 degrees; between 140 and 200 degrees is the sweet spot!

YCC October 2019 Make it your way challenge front YCC October 2019 Make it your way back

Make It Your Way Challenge Card

Here we received a "Make It Your Way Challenge." This challenge is to get your creative juices flowing, and try something new and different. You can take photos of your creations and post them on social media! The back of this card is a little inspiration for your brainstorming. I really like the idea of the dessert taco... I might have to create one!

YCC October 2019 Avocado front YCC October 2019 Avocado page 2 YCC October 2019 Avocado page 3 YCC October 2019 avocado back

Awesome Avocado Amazing  Kids Experiment Card

Learn about how you can stop your avocados from turning brown with this fun experiment!

YCC oct 2019 avocado exper

Here is our avocado cut in half. Because we wanted to put some avocado on our taco, we cut out what we wanted and kept the leftovers exposed to air. In the bowl we put a few tablespoons of lemon juice and set our other avocado half face down in the lemon juice and waited 24 hours.

YCC Oct 2019 avocado after

Do you see what the air did to the avocado NOT in the lemon juice? Oxidation occurred, and created brown-colored molecules. The avocado set in the lemon juice was protected by antioxidants that prevented the oxygen to react and turn the avocado brown. While both are safe to eat, I would much rather eat the green one! This was a fun experiment the kids and I all enjoyed- I am definitely a science nut!

YCC October 2019 taco menu complete

Taco Truck Menu Coloring Sheet

We also received a MASSIVE taco truck coloring menu! My oldest son LOVED this project. He created his own taco truck named "The Taco Mobile" and created his very own menu. He was so proud of his spelling and illustrations that he asked if he could hang this up in his room! The back side features "The Secret Science of Corn Tortillas." This was a fun way to learn how corn tortillas are created through nixtamalization, which honestly I had no idea what that was until I read this!

YCC Oct 2019 taco truck pieces YCC Oct 2019 taco truck

Taco Truck Craft

Taco truck coming through!! This is the last item in this month's box, and it turned out really cute. Each of my sons colored 2 pieces, and we cut them out and taped them together. They were quite satisfied with their results, and have been pretending with it all morning!

Recipe # 1 Chicken Tinga Tacos

YCC Oct 2019 chicken taco ingredients

These are the ingredients needed to create the Chicken Tinga Taco recipe. Like I mentioned above, I couldn't find masa harina, so we bought corn tortillas instead.

YCC Oct 2019 onion dicing

Hank slicing the onion using the technique included on page 3!

YCC Oct 2019 oil

Charlie adding the vegetable oil to soften the onions.

YCC Oct 2019 spices

Both kids wanted to add the seasonings, so we alternated who got to add what. The Chipotle Chile Powder smelled AMAZING by the way!

 

YCC Oct 2019 chicken tinga

We found the recipe to be super easy to follow with great tips. I do want to suggest reading the recipe all the way through before you start so you know exactly what to expect. After we cooked our spices until fragrant, we added the tomato sauce, and chicken.

YCC oct 2019 shredding meat

After cooking for 25 minutes, we took out the chicken and used the shredding technique that was suggested, and ended up with deliciously tender, bite-sized meat! (The finished product will be down below, because we had to make the cabbage slaw, and red onions of course!)

Recipe #2 Pickled Red Onions

YCC October 2019 red onion ingredients

Ingredients necessary to make the pickled red onions.

YCC Oct 2019 lime juice

Charlie squeezing out the lime juice!

YCC Oct 2019 cabbage slaw mixture

And this is our vinegar mixture boiling! I want to mention, we were working on this recipe AS our chicken was cooking, so it would all be done at the same time (since this is a topping for the tacos.)

Recipe #3 Cabbage Slaw

YCC Oct 2019 cabbage ingredients

These are the ingredients we needed to make the cabbage slaw. I usually buy creamy slaw sauce, but the lime juice really gave the cabbage a different flavor. It was really easy, and quite tasty!

YCC Oct 2019 taco complete YCC October 2019 taco taste

Here is the finished product! After heating the corn tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds, we loaded them up with the chicken, cabbage slaw, red onions, avocados, cheese, and sour cream! This was a completely different recipe for us, and my kids really enjoyed making it and eating it! When I asked them on a scale of 1-10 how delicious they thought these recipes were, they both gave 2 thumbs up and said 10!

The Verdict: The kids and I had a great time doing the crafts, experiments, and creating these recipes together. Young Chefs' Club did a great job creating a themed box that really fit well together, and taught us a lot of new techniques. That being said, I was a little baffled at the lack of physical items in the box. I loved the recipe/technique/experiment cards, but I really feel like something was missing in a box that costs $24.99 a month. Honestly, when I received my shipping notice, I thought we would receive an apron, recipe card holder, or tool, so I was slightly disappointed. I did check out the website and was impressed with the amount of recipes and information they included there, but I expected more in the box itself.  I'm hoping since this is the first box, they have bigger and better things to come, so I have high expectations for next month!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? You'll likely receive the November box. Auto-renewal billing occurs on the 15th of the month prior to the box ship date. All memberships will auto-renew at the end of the monthly, six-month, or 12-month term. Boxes will ship on the fourth business day of each month and should arrive within a week or two.

Value Breakdown: This box is $24.99 a month (including shipping). I received 5 recipe cards, an experiment card, a technique card, a challenge card, a taco truck craft, stickers, achievement pin, Chipotle Chile Powder, plastic bag, and shopping list, which would equal out to $1.66 a piece. Also included in this price is the online content. While I feel it is a very well themed box with lots of fun activities, I find it highly overpriced.

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

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Young Chef’s Club (ages 5 and up) is a monthly subscription from America’s Test Kitchen that focuses on the intersection of food and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics). Each themed box comes with recipe cards, hands-on experiment cards, kitchen technique cards, “Make It Y... read more.
Becca Peterson
Becca Peterson

I am a wild and crazy mom of 2 boys and work in the public education system as an Indigenous Support Advocate. I love all things outdoors, beauty, crafts, and food. Living the simple life in the country, we spend a lot of time hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting. Oh, and I absolutely adore my high school sweetheart aka my husband of almost 17 years!


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8 comments

Linda

I liked that it gave all kinds of tips. Stuff I didn’t know and I’m 60. There is a better chance your kids will eat it if they fix it. And everyone is learning together.
I also think it is over priced. For that price there should be something more to it.
I enjoyed your review and the kids! I plan on making some pickled onions soon!

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Becca

Thank you so much Linda! ❤️

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Haylee

25 dollars for recipe cards?

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Becca

I know…. they could make this box SO much better…

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Holly

Great review! This box would be a winner if they included more ingredients. Even if it was all the shelf stable ones.

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Becca

Thanks Holly! And I definitely agree! This box could be so awesome… I hope they take our feedback and use it! 😊

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MzBev

I have been pickling regular sliced (or diced) brown onions, for years! I don’t add any sugar, simply placing the onions in regular white vinegar. They are so yummy for a taco or tostada topping or even with white rice, with the liquid spooned over it! If you like it spicy, add a sliced haberno pepper to it. (jalapeno’s would work too) If you store it in the fridge, it will last a bit longer, always using a clean fork or spoon to dip into it. I learned about it from my ex’ (in laws) family who is from Central America. I still make it!

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Becca

Thank you so much for sharing MzBev! I am definitely going to try that! ❤️

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