Plated.com Meal Box Review & Free Plates Coupon – November 2015

Plated sends weekly dinner kits with high quality ingredients and chef-created recipes. Each week you’ll choose from a variety of dishes that range from meats, chicken, seafoods, and purely vegetarian options. There’s enough selection to please all palates, and the recipes are seasonally focused. We love the way each meal incorporates only a couple key herbs or spices; the flavors shine through, and the recipes remain easy to follow. We love getting boxes most week to try new recipes, and we save the must make again recipes – although they’re also available in your account. Plated’s recipes rely on mise en place and then cook, and to be honest, we often mix up the steps, but we’re both experienced cooks and know what can be accomplished while something else cooks. So, read your cards if you need the step by steps.

 The recipe card was updated earlier this year, though we wish it would indicate the ease of preparation on the card so we can decide what we’re making first without looking it up. When your box is sent out you’ll get an email indicating the pantry items you’ll need (this week:black pepper egg kosher salt olive oil canola oil), plus a reminder of what meals are coming, preparation ease, cook time, and calorie count.  We get asked a lot – Sometimes we order Plated and sometimes Hello Fresh. It just depends on what meals we’re interested in. [Hello Fresh: Take $40 off your first box with coupon code 7UT7K8]

The jute packaging is back!  I’ve determined that there is no real rhyme or reason to the choice of outer packaging, as it changes monthly.  No herbs this time, so I don’t know if they still pack them in an envelope to protect them from the ice.

The tin pans received some superficial dents, but all the food arrived in great shape.  Boxes are always packed with the meat on the bottom, underneath a few big ice packs — the rest of the food is set on top with more ice.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas Suizas. 35-45 mins, 710 cal, medium.

This made a ton of food, and we actually ended up getting an entire second meal out of the dish.  The tomatillos gave the dish a zesty and lively flavor, a bit like pickled artichokes.

Paired with the cream sauce, spinach, tomato, and chicken, the artichoke effect of the tomatillo made the dish reminiscent of a white pizza with Mediterranean veggies.

Beef Chili with Cheddar and Beet Chips. 30-40 mins, 700 cal, Medium.

The accompanying cornbread was very light, almost creamy.  Our beets didn’t quite crisp, but they added a delicious extra bit of texture to the dish.   I hadn’t thickened chili with harina before, and I thought it worked exceptionally well.   Sadly, no leftovers from this dish — we liked it so much we ate it all!

Chocolate Custard Tarts. 20-30 mins, 320 cal, easy.

These were super-easy to make!  The chocolate flavor was really rich, and I loved the texture of the custard — it was more solid than a pudding, like a soft and creamy brownie.  The graham crust was a nice touch, as well.

This was a good batch of Plated for us.   We liked the Southwestern dishes, and the custard tarts were simply marvelous!

Visit Plated to find or more or to subscribe. Currently you can get 2 free plates when you buy 4 when you sign up with this link (no coupon code required).