Home Chef is a meal kit subscription that delivers a weekly box of the pre-portioned ingredients needed to make 2-6 meals that feed two, four, six, or eight people. Home Chef advertises easy recipes that can be made in about 30 minutes. They offer vegetarian, gluten-free, and calorie/carb-conscious recipes. This is a review of my customized delivery that includes three 2-serving dinner options (3 x $9.95/serving) with $7.99 shipping, bringing the cost of this box to $67.69.
This box was sent at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
My Experience With Home Chef
I was given the opportunity to try out Home Chef and I'm beyond excited. Here, I wanted to provide insight into which meals I tried for the month of January and show you all what the process was like for cooking each meal along with the final results. I'm certainly no expert when it comes to cooking, so Home Chef was the perfect meal kit subscription for me to try out this year.
My January Subscription Box From Home Chef
For the month of January, I decided to try out the following three meals:
Here's a closer look at the ingredients I was provided with each meal and what it was like to cook each entree.
MEAL #1: Teriyaki Steak Pad Thai
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Meal Overview
Prep & Cook Time: 25-35 Minutes | Difficulty Level: Easy | 650 Calories per Serving
Ingredients I Was Provided
- 1/4 oz Cilantro
- 8 oz Cooked Asian Noodles
- 2 Green Onions
- 1 oz Honey Roasted Peanuts
- 1 Lime
- 3 oz Matchstick Carrots
- 3 tsp Sambal
- 10 oz Steak Strips
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 oz Teriyaki Glaze
How I Prepared This Meal
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The preparation of this meal was quite simple overall. First, I had to prepare the lime, peanuts, cilantro, and onions by chopping them up and placing them into separate bowls. I also separated the steak strips into a single layer and seasoned them with salt and pepper.
Then, I cooked the noodles for 4 minutes in a pot of boiling water, after which I drained them and then placed them back into the pot with 1 tsp of olive oil. Next, I cooked the steak strips in 2 tsp of olive oil on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes (a bit longer than what the instructions said) and then added in sugar and cooked for 2 more minutes.
Once the meat had finished turning brown, I added the carrots and green onions to the pan and let them cook together for 2 minutes. Following this, I added the noodles along with the teriyaki glaze, lime juice, and a little bit of water and let them cook for 3 more minutes.
Finally, after everything was done cooking, I stirred samba into the pan and plated my dish with the meal.
Final Results
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal and appreciated that the meat and noodles weren't saturated in sauce like similar dishes. The peanuts, lime, and other garnishings added a little zest to the meal and the noodles had a perfect texture that wasn't too soft or firm. I would definitely repeat this meal in the future and I kept my recipe card on hand to try out this dish again on my own.
MEAL #2: Chicken Gyros with Grape Tomatoes
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Meal Overview
Prep & Cook Time: 10-15 Minutes | Difficulty Level: Easy | 600 Calories per Serving
Ingredients I Was Provided
- 1 tsp Chimichurri Seasoning
- 12 oz Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 4 oz Grape Tomatoes
- .14 oz Lemon Juice
- 4 Mini Naan Flatbreads
- 1 Shallot
- 1/2 oz Spring Mix
- 2 oz Tzatziki Dip
How I Prepared This Meal
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First, I cut up the chicken breast into small chunks and grilled it with olive oil until it browned. As the chicken was cooking, I cut up the shallot and tomatoes placed each of them into a bowl, and set them aside. Once the chicken had browned, I threw in the shallot and tomatoes and cooked them together for 2 minutes, after which I added 2 tbsp of water along with the packet of lemon juice and then cooked the meal for another 5 minutes.
While the combined ingredients were cooking, I threw the flatbreads on my cast iron grill and grilled them for around 2-3 minutes just to get them slightly browned and heated. Once the flatbreads were finished, I plated them and filled them with the chicken, tomatoes, and diced shallot. To top it off, I threw in the spring mix and placed a small portion of Tzatziki on top of the greens.
Final Results
I loved the simplicity of this meal and the seasoning was just enough to keep the chicken flavorful, but not overpowering. We enjoyed this dish for lunch and I could totally see myself making this again in the future for quick lunch breaks.
MEAL #3: Chicken Bruschetta Risotto
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Meal Overview
Prep & Cook Time: 35-45 Minutes | Difficulty Level: Intermediate | 640 Calories per Serving
Ingredients I Was Provided
- .75 cup Arborio Rice
- 1 tbsp Basil Pesto
- 0.6 oz Butter
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
- 4 oz Grape Tomatoes
- 2 Green Onions
- 2 tsp. Mirepoix Broth Concentrate
- 2 oz Shredded Asiago Cheese
- 12 oz Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
How I Prepared This Meal
Before cooking the chicken, I cut up the tomatoes, onion, and garlic and put them into separate bowls. Then, I combined the tomatoes, white portions of green onions, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to create the bruschetta and set the mixture aside.
After making the bruschetta, I browned the risotto for 2 minutes with olive oil. Once the risotto was toasted and opaque, I added the mirepoix base along with 1 cup boiling water and stirred them together. After a few minutes, I added another 1/2 cup of boiling water and stirred the rice as it cooked on and off for about 20 minutes.
Once the rice had finished cooking, I remoted it from heat and added the butter, cheese, garlic salt, and pepper, and then covered the pot and let the ingredients sit. I then cut up the chicken breast into chunks and grilled it on my cast iron for around 8-10 minutes, after which I topped it off with the bruschetta mixture and pesto and stirred it all together. Finally, I plated the risotto and topped it off with the chicken, pesto, and bruschetta mixture as well as with the remaining green portions of the onions.
Final Results
This was our absolute favorite dish! The risotto was rich and creamy and mixed well with the chicken and bruschetta. This meal took a bit longer to prepare than the other two so I would suggest eating it for dinner or on the weekends when you have more time to spare. I totally wish I had seconds of this meal and this is certainly a repeat dish!
Final Thoughts On My January Subscription Box From Home Chef
I thought each of the three meals that I tried in January was absolutely amazing and well worth the time spent preparing them. For those of you who are looking to prepare a quick lunch, I suggest trying the Chicken Gyros as they take 15 minutes or less to make and can be easily eaten on the go. However, if you have more time on hand and don't mind taking a bit longer to prep and cook your meals, then the Teriyaki Steak Pad Thai and Chicken Bruschetta Risotto are great options.
TO WRAP UP
CAN YOU STILL GET THIS BOX IF YOU SIGN UP TODAY? No, this week’s meals have passed. But, you can sign up for Home Chef today and receive meals next week!
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