This is a guest post from my sweet friend Stephanie Parrott. Check out my overview of Hello Fresh and review of the Family Box here.

Thanks to a coupon, I tried Hello Fresh to see what all the fuss is about. I thought the idea looked interesting, but expensive for what I generally spend on groceries. I generally cook with fresh ingredients, including a variety of vegetables and herbs. From the samples I’ve seen of The Classic Box or The Family Box, I note they are quite similar to how I prepare meals. Because of timing of returning from vacations, I selected a date when I thought we may benefit from some quicker meals and not having to go to the grocery store so soon. Though I’m not a vegetarian, I wanted to try The Vegetarian Box to see what creative ideas they could share and hoping to be inspired to create new ways to enjoy vegetables as an entree or heavy side. I’m always searching for new recipes. My husband says in 10 ½ years of marriage, he’s not had the same meal twice (a bit of an exaggeration).

Let's Get Started...

The Results...

Peach and Mozzarella Flatbread

The first meal/heavy side we enjoyed, was the Peach and Mozzarella Flatbread. I paired the flatbread with a salad and a couple of other sides.

Notice my pictures aren’t exactly gorgeous because—we were hungry! Less arugula was sprinkled on the kids’ portions.

Zucchini Boats

These zucchini boats were absolutely delicious. I was afraid they may be lacking on the flavor side, but the filling was scrumptious—full of flavor—in my opinion. I think the garlic and salt are to be thanked.

Zesty Corn and Red Bean Salad

I’m not lover of “zesty” or “spicy” so after sampling the Cajun seasoning, I omitted it. I do love roasted vegetables, beans, herbs, and feta. This was hearty and I enjoyed it on a bed of lettuce.

The Verdict

I did enjoy the meals Hello Fresh sent and was happy to have a couple of new vegetarian recipes in my repertoire. I cook following the same style in which they operate yet doing the legwork myself is less expensive than using a meal service. However, I do see value in this service for the cooks who work all day and have less time for creating a meal idea, gathering the ingredients, and preparing the meal. Ingredients and recipes delivered to one’s door and able to be served within about 30 minutes provides relief in the kitchen as well as a healthy meal for busy people. Since the box originally came, I have made all of these recipes again using my own ingredients. I’ve made the Zucchini Boats and Zesty Corn and Red Bean Salad both multiple times, even with a couple of differing variations based on what I had fresh in the garden.

Have you tried Hello Fresh? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.