*This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn a small commission if you purchase something by clicking my link, at no cost to you. Thank you!
I love cooking and trying new things. Right now meal kit services are all the rage. What’s not to like about them? Fresh food, delivered right to your door with directions on how to put together a delicious meal for your family. They are a great way to mix-up your meals and try new foods and recipes.
I recently had the opportunity to try out a local Houston meal kit service, Maria’s Gourmet Kitchen. Read on to see how it’s different from other meal services.
*I received a free meal kit in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own, honest opinion.
I’ve jumped on the home delivery meal service bandwagon and have recently tried out Blue Apron and HelloFresh. I was so excited when Chef Maria from Maria’s Gourmet Kitchen reached out to me to do a review of her dinner kit service.
About Maria’s Gourmet Kitchen
Executive Chef and Owner Maria Bedrosian is a Parisian trained chef who trained formally at the Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts in Paris, France. She’s also a wife and a mom who recognizes the importance of family time at the dinner table. Through research she found “that there was a 1/3 decline in family dinners resulting in families spending less time together then they did 25 years ago”. Her research also revealed that “regular family dinners can have an impact on teen academic success and reduce the rate of drug and alcohol use”.
To solve this problem she made it her mission to cook for her community as she did for her family. Maria’s Gourmet Kitchen prepares fresh, ready-to-cook dinners for on-the-go families. As she likes to say, “From my kitchen to yours”.
How it Works
- First, Go to MariasGourmetKitchen.com
- Then, Select your Dinner Delivery Area on the Map (Houston and Surrounding Areas) – Deliveries are made twice a week dependent on your area.
- Next, Choose which dinners you would like and the number of servings. Meals range in price from $10.00- $14.50 per serving.
- Your Dinner Kit is prepped with fresh ingredients from scratch. All of the cleaning, chopping, and mixing of sauces is taken care of for you.
- Your Dinner Kit is delivered to your door in an insulated bag.
- Finally, Cook & Serve- Follow the easy instructions to put dinner on the table in 15 to 30 minutes.
My Ordering Experience
I really enjoyed my experience with Maria’s Gourmet Kitchen. The ordering process is very simple and easy. There is a variety of meal options to choose from. Every main dish also comes with a vegetable as a side. I like that the meals have pictures and ratings listed right below them. I chose the Chicken Marsala, which had 5 stars, priced at $12.50 per serving.
Once you place your order, an email is sent to you letting you know when your meal will be delivered. You also receive an email when your delivery reaches your door. They do a great job of communicating with you.
Delivery
I happened to be home when my dinner kit was delivered and in awkward blogger fashion asked if I could snap a pic. I was pleasantly surprised to see they have their own delivery trucks and do their own delivery. The regular delivery guy was out so the person that delivered my meal kit was actually the sous-chef that prepared my ingredients. The meal kit comes in an insulated bag and is packed with ice blankets to keep things cold until you can put them away in the fridge. You don’t need to be home when your delivery is made.
Unpacking & Preparing
I love how everything comes already prepped and ready to cook. That is the major difference to me from other services I’ve tried. It also happens to have always been my biggest wish, just to have everything washed and ready to go. It saves a lot of time which is important to this busy mom.
The ingredients for the chicken and green beans were each divided into foil tins with instructions printed on top. The packaging makes clean up so much easier.
The instructions were easy to follow and took less than 30 minutes to prepare. I simply dipped the already seasoned and flattened chicken into the baggie of flour provided. Then, placed the cutlets in a pre-heated pan with olive oil, browned on each side and added the pre-made sauce. The green beans were simple to steam and came with an almond butter sauce.
Thoughts
The meal was delicious and definitely gourmet, restaurant quality. My whole family enjoyed it! The only thing I wish they provided was nutrition information. They do give you an ingredient list but I would also like to know the fat and calories in each meal.
Maria’s Gourmet Kitchen makes getting dinner on the table easy. I love how everything is prepped and ready to cook. It saves time and makes clean-up a breeze. I looked around the kitchen when it was time to clean up and there was literally nothing to do but recycle the packaging.
This service is perfect for busy moms. It is also a great idea for those who are looking to help provide meals for moms who have a new baby, the elderly, or those dealing with illness. Some of the meals can simply be baked in the oven, no cooking skills required.
Try it Yourself
I would definitely recommend this meal kit service. I love how everything is already prepped for you. The food is delicious. Use my special coupon code to get $20 off your 1st delivery.
