We Tried the HelloFresh Thanksgiving Box—See If It's Worth It
HelloFresh, the popular meal kit brand you rely on for quick and easy dinners, recently launched its first-ever Thanksgiving box. Luckily for you, it makes hosting Turkey Day way easier.
"We know Thanksgiving can be one of the most important gatherings of the year, but also the most stressful, and we want to help home cooks across the country conquer it with confidence," says Claudia Sidoti, Head Chef and Head Recipe Developer at HelloFresh. Sounds promising, right?
We put the HelloFresh Thanksgiving box to the test in our own kitchen, and we were pleasantly surprised with the process and the results.
What does the HelloFresh box come with?
First off, the box comes complete with ingredients and recipe cards for:
- Roasted Turkey With a Garlic Herb Butter and Pan Gravy
- Cranberry Sauce With Orange, Ginger, and Cinnamon
- Classic Gravy With Garlic and Herbs
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes With Crispy Fried Sage
- Cranberry and Chicken Sausage Stuffing With Celery, Thyme, and Sage
- Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots and a Crispy Breadcrumb and Almond Topping
- Apple Ginger Crisp With Cinnamon Pecan Crumble
The box serves 8-10 people, and pricing starts at $14.90 per serving, plus shipping, which amounts to a total of $158.99.
What about the cooking process?
Personally, I've never cooked a turkey before (my family usually opts for baking chicken on Thanksgiving instead), so I was excited to tackle the massive bird. Surprisingly, this was the easiest part of the meal because the preparation was minimal—all you have to do is rub the bird's skin with the garlic herb butter (I opted for garlic-infused olive oil instead) and pop some herbs into the cavity. I worked on the other recipes as the oven worked its magic on the bird. I did find that the turkey required more time to fully crisp and thoroughly bake than what the instructions had noted, so you might want to give yourself a bit of a time buffer to allow for additional cooking time. The gravy that went along with the turkey was super flavorful and complemented the meat perfectly.
The Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Fried Sage side was delightfully easy to prep, and it boasted an incredibly creamy texture and savoriness that I'm looking forward to replicating at my next dinner party. The Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots and a Crispy Breadcrumb and Almond Topping was actually my favorite recipe on HelloFresh's Thanksgiving menu. The Panko and the crushed almond mixture added loads of flavor to the crispy green beans, which retained their color and crunch after a quick blanch. This recipe is definitely going on my weekly meal-prep plan!
The part that lost me was the Cranberry and Chicken Sausage Stuffing with Celery, Thyme, and Sage. Because I had to omit the dairy ingredients due to dietary restrictions, I couldn't get the texture or taste down pat. If you're ordering the box and tackling the stuffing recipe at home, I would suggest slicing the ciabatta loaves into smaller pieces than the instructions call for, as the chunks seemed more like thick croutons rather than turkey stuffing. I loved the addition of the spiced Italian-style chicken sausage, which added a complexity of flavors you usually don't achieve with boxed stuffing.
As I stirred orange zest, ginger, and cinnamon into the canned cranberry sauce, I wondered why I haven't thought of this genius combo myself. The citrus and spices lent the sauce subtle yet wonderfully harmonious flavors—I don't think I can go back to eating regular cranberry sauce again! Consider me a convert to this cranberry style.
The apple crisp was the cherry on top of a delicious meal. From the streusel crust to the chunky filling, it will satisfy all of your guests' sweet tooth. Although the dessert was relatively simple to bake, I wished it came with pre-cut apples to minimize prep time.
Final verdict: Worth it for easy prep and a delicious home-cooked holiday meal
Overall, I was blown away with how the Thanksgiving meal turned out. While the entire dinner required about five hours to prep and cook, it was definitely a bargain when you consider how expensive buying individual products can be for a holiday meal. If you've ever cooked a Thanksgiving meal from scratch, you already know that curating a menu, shopping for the ingredients, and cooking everything takes days on end. With HelloFresh, the ingredients are delivered right to your door, and the instructions are crystal clear and very beginner-friendly. If you're thinking about pre-ordering your meal kit, give it a go—you'll save time and slash stress knowing that you don't have to grocery shop or scroll through Pinterest for festive recipes. Just remember to place your order by November 8th at the latest (order it here), and the meal kit will be delivered to your doorstep between November 13th and 18th. Happy cooking!
