Sun Basket Review & $30 Coupon – June 2016

Sun Basket is a meal kit delivery subscription box.   Their chef-developed and nutritionist-approved recipes focus on helping people create delicious, healthy meals using quality ingredients and globally-inspired flavors.  Meal ingredients use certified organic produce and responsibly sourced meats and seafood (free from antibiotics and added hormones).  Pick and choose 3 recipes between the following meal plan menus for your weekly selections:  Chef’s choice, Paleo, Gluten-free, and Vegetarian.  You can also opt for the Rise & Shine menu which consists of two dinner recipes and two 5-minute breakfast recipes.

Sun Basket included this label on the outside of the box.  This information is useful if you have concerns about where your food is sourced.

First look in – I can see lots of insulation (always a good sign).  I like that the box information and recipe cards are on top, making them easy to find.

All Sun Basket packing materials are either recyclable or compostable.  They also have a recycling program for subscribers.  For more information, click here.

Meals are packaged to stay fresh in the box for up to 8 hours after delivery.  Individual recipes are packaged separately in brown paper bags.  Ingredients that may not hold up in the bags, such as the kale shown above, are packaged on top.  Immediately refrigerate ingredients after removing from the box.  Note from Sun Basket, recipes with delicate greens and fresh mushrooms are best used within 4 days of delivery.

A divider separates the meats/seafood/proteins from the rest of the items.  I thought the note on the divider was cute.

Ice packs rest atop the meats to keep them cold during the shipping process.

And here are my meats – ground beef, chicken breasts, and steaks.  Mmm, mmm, mmm.  Sun Basket suggests that you freeze meats and seafood if they are not going to be used within 3 days of delivery.

Sun Basket provides most of the ingredients needed for your recipes, but there are a few pantry staples that you’ll be asked to add such as olive oil, grapeseed or sunflower oil, plus salt and freshly–ground pepper.   Occasionally, you’ll be asked for wine or butter as an optional recipe item.

Recipes are created by Chef Justine Kelly, formerly of the James Beard award–winning restaurant The Slanted Door.  Meals are between 500–800 calories.

Mexican Meatball Soup:  This used the ground beef I received and the ingredients below.

Saute onion and sweet potato – Add squash and zucchini – Add crushed tomatoes and stock – Drop in meatballs and simmer.

My bowl of soup garnished with a lime wedge.  This was chock full of flavor!  My dad is not a squash eater, but he finished the bowl and complimented the soup.  So I think this is safe to make again.  I may have overworked the meatballs a bit because they were slightly tough.

Roast Chicken Breasts with Artichoke Romesco:  Not pictured below are the chicken breasts.

Brown chicken breasts and finish cooking in oven – Saute sweet potato – Add kale.

My kale is a little dark because I got distracted and it charred.  Hey, this is what happens in a real kitchen.  The sweetness of the potatoes helped to balance the bitterness from the kale.  I loved the romesco, but this should have been slightly heated (or at least at room temperature) before serving.

Grilled Steak with Roasted Poblanos and New Mexican Chile Sauce:  And here’s the recipe I was most excited for because I love a good steak.

Yes, this is another sweet potato dish.  I didn’t think through my week’s menu.  Although I love sweet potatoes, twice in one week was too much for my dad.

Roast sliced veggies in oven – Sear seasoned steak on grill or in iron skillet.

These steaks were SO tender.  I was afraid that the dish would be too spicy, but the poblanos had a mild heat.  Also, the chile sauce had some heat, but it was not overwhelming.  Rather, it was more herbaceous with a slight tang.

Overall, I really enjoyed the meals that I selected.  The ingredients were fresh and flavorful, and the prep time matched the recipe cards.  You can choose between the 2-person or 4-person plans (weekly $74.93 and $143.87, respectively).  Sun Basket meals breakdown to $11.49 per person, which is similar to eating out at a casual restaurant.  There is also a $5.99 weekly delivery fee.  You can skip or cancel at any time.

Sun Basket has an expanded delivery area.  However, they do not deliver to the following states:  AK, HI, IA, KS, LA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, and WI.  They only deliver to parts of AR.

Have you tried Sun Basket yet or any other meal service? Save $30 on your first box – about half off! Use this link to get the deal.

Visit Sun Basket to subscribe or find out more!