Jared and I have both been super busy lately with work and I’ve found myself making the same meals over and over. Having a collection of easy, simple meals are wonderful, but it gets boring to me. Do you ever get in a dinner rut? I’m a true creature of habit, but when it comes to cooking I really thrive on trying new things. The problem is, it does take time to research, shop, and prep for a new meal. I teamed up with Blue Apron to add some new recipes into the mix each week in an attempt to get out of our dinner rut. I didn’t have to do research or zoom into the blurry phone picture from the magazine I saw in the doctor’s office. I just had the fresh ingredients and directions shipped directly to our door.

Keep reading to see more about what new recipes we tried with Blue Apron…

Photography and styling by Liz Stanley. Assisted by Sara Albers

Here are the recipes we tried: Mexican style turkey burger with warm corn-tomato salad (recipe), Vietnamese style shaking beef stir fry with lime jasmine rice and dressed plum (recipe), Southern style shrimp and grits with zucchini, corn and cherry tomatoes (recipe).

Others on the menu this week: Heirloom carrot and toasted farro salad with labneh cheese and pickled dates (recipe), smoky swiss chard and black bean tostadas (recipe), chicken banh mi sandwiches with pickled vegetables and sesame cabbage salad (recipe). They also have a cookbook!

All the recipes were delicious and it was so easy to have the exact ingredients simply packaged and step by step picture instructions. The meals are a step fancier than I normally cook, but take under 40 minutes and often only one pan (which I really did appreciate). I did find myself making adjustments here and there by the third meal (like adding extra avocado and cojita cheese to the corn salad). Shishito peppers will now be a must-have addition to my weeknight stir frys, and I learned a really yummy stir fry sauce from the Vietnamese shaking beef (so good!).

Even when I do try new recipes on my own, having to buy all the ingredients and new spices really adds up. Blue Apron’s price tag of $9.99/per person per meal might not sound cheap but we only use the 2 serving size for our family (it’s plenty!) and when I’m trying a new, fancier recipe on my own I’ll often spend more than $20 for all the ingredients in that meal.

It was such a success that I signed up for the service after my review trial (as many other bloggers who have reviewed the service have as well. That’s always a great sign!). Three 2-serving new, delicious meals a week for $180/month seemed like it made sense for our family. I think a subscription would also be a great gift for some newlyweds or for my retired parents. I think they’d make terrific date night activities!

How often do you try new meals? Do you ever find yourself in a dinner rut? Have you considered using a service like Blue Apron?

Great news! The first 50 readers to sign up will get 2 free meals on their next Blue Apron order! Thanks to Blue Apron for sponsoring this post.