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Whip Up a Cozy, Restaurant-Quality Dinner at Home for Only $27 Per Person With Blue Apron’s Fireside Feast Box

It’s every bit as delicious and comforting as it is easy to make

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Updated on January 28, 2023 11:22AM EST

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Like nearly everyone I know, I started off 2023 with a few New Year’s resolutions in mind. Two of those promises to myself were to cook more at home and be less wasteful with food—intentions that are more difficult to achieve than they may seem for someone who loves restaurants (hello, food waste) as much as I do.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to test out a sample of Blue Apron’s new Fireside Feast box. The restaurant-quality dinner includes everything needed to whip up garlic-herb bread, an orange and pistachio salad, and a duck confit cassoulet with salty pork belly and creamy cannellini beans. At first glance, this absolute feast—the name wasn’t exaggerating—seems a bit ambitious for home cooks of any level, but the carefully pre-portioned ingredients and straightforward directions made it surprisingly easy. Plus, it was a delicious dinner that was well worth the mild effort. And did I mention the dessert?

To buy: $160; blueapron.com.

I opted to bake the from-scratch chocolate chip and almond biscotti the morning after diving into the duck dinner, but while that cassoulet was baking away, I easily mixed the ingredients together (Blue Apron even supplied a securely packaged single egg for the dough) and had it ready to pop into the oven for breakfast. Unsurprisingly, the biscotti were fantastic and I felt incredibly impressed with myself, but the cherry on top was that my husband and I are not a family of six, and though this box would have fed us all for just $27 apiece if we were, instead, it gave us leftovers for days.

While I feel comfortable and at home in the kitchen, timing has never been my strength. Thanks to the handy note cards that Blue Apron includes with all of its thoughtfully curated menus, I felt like everything was coming together effortlessly and at the same time. Plus, I didn’t have to make a shopping list, research recipes, or make a trip to the grocery store. It was also helpful and saved me time, money, and any potential stress to see that all I needed from my own pantry was olive oil, salt, and pepper.

The fireside feast box, like many of Blue Apron’s other dinners, wines, kitchen tools, and pantry staples are available to buy through the brand’s online market where you don’t have to be a member with a meal kit subscription to shop (Pro Tip: if you’re eyeing one of those subscriptions, Blue Apron is running a sale right now that could save you up to $180).

If you do happen to have extra mouths to feed or just want to try something special and new from the comfort of your own home, give Blue Apron’s fireside feast box a try this winter while it’s still available today.