I love nothing more than making a meal from scratch. When I have the time, the chopping and prepping and sautéing is a form of relaxation for me. The problem is, on a weeknight, I’m often short on time, so all of that therapeutic prep work quickly becomes a source of stress. Figuring out what to cook for dinner—while making sure my son’s soccer uniform is clean or helping my daughter find her missing tap shoe—can be exhausting.
So when I heard about Gobble, a meal-kit delivery service that promises a fresh meal in 15 minutes or less, using just one pot, I was intrigued. And also a little skeptical because I’m kind of a control freak about what we eat. Plus, my kids are picky eaters and exist on a rotating diet of chicken nuggets, pizza and hot dogs. (Organic, but still…) But, the convenience was too tempting to pass up.
When Gobble’s bright orange box arrived on my doorstep, I was eager to see what was inside. First up was artichoke crusted salmon with lentils and Provencal squash. While my kids, ages seven and four, weren't really into the salmon, they did love the “side” dish of Conchiglie Mac and Cheese. It was more than enough to feed both of them, with leftovers.
Gobble sets itself apart from other meal prep delivery services because they literally do the work for you. They make the sauce, chop the veggies and steam the rice. And indeed, the béchamel sauce for the mac and cheese came fully prepared (and it wasn’t in powder form). All I had to do was boil the fresh pasta, then stir in the sauce, which my daughter was delighted to help with.
And while I did have to slice up the squash and cherry tomatoes for the salmon, that was pretty much the most effort I expended—and took all of two minutes. The artichoke pesto came ready to spread and the lentils went into the microwave to be heated up. I was super impressed with how easy it all came together. The company’s tagline is “Cook Up Happiness in 15 Minutes” and they did not disappoint. I’m not a huge fan of lentils, but they were very good, and the artichoke pesto was delicious with the salmon. It tasted fresh, as though I had made it myself in my food processor. My husband hardly ever eats salmon but he cleaned his plate. Night One was a win!
The next night Lebanese chicken with roasted squash, lentils and basmati rice was on the menu. The chicken thighs and the rice were already cooked, and I did wonder how fresh they would taste, but again I was pleasantly surprised. The dish was really flavorful and super filling. Though the package included two servings, I saved half of my portion for lunch the next day.
Finally, we tried their three cheese ravioli with Bolognese sauce and baby spinach. This one definitely gave me pause because growing up in an Italian family, I know my way around a meat sauce. And ours didn’t come from a package. But again, I was impressed. The sauce was loaded with sausage and tasted a lot better than some restaurant meals I’ve had.
What I loved most about Gobble was that I didn’t have to do much to put a home cooked meal on the table. The whole point of meal kits is to simplify your life and Gobble does this really well, given how much of the work they do for you. It’s the convenience of takeout, but fresh and home-cooked—which is a win-win for busy moms and dads!
(This piece is sponsored by Gobble.)