Extra Helpings - A Blue Apron blog
Meet the new Blue Apron, now more convenient (and delicious) than ever. This is meal planning the way it should be: simple, inspiring, fun—and no subscription needed.
Discover what’s cooking
Search for recipes, cooking tips, food trends, and all things delicious.
How To Finish Pasta Like a Pro
Today, we’re talking about improving your spaghetti endgame so that your pasta primavera tastes like it’s from the best Italian restaurant in the world. Learning how to finish pasta will help take your spaghetti dinners from good to great.
A Guide to Duck Confit
Attention fans of big cooking projects: making duck confit is the perfect way to bust out of your poultry rut. Duck is widely available in US supermarkets, but it’s a far less common addition to the dinner table than its feathery counterpart, the chicken. If you’re looking to master a new skill, read on to learn all about this traditional method for preparing duck.
How to Make a Pie for Any Size Party
Pies are a perfect party dessert. Unfortunately, the classic 9-inch pie tin isn’t one size fits all. For small households, there’s a serious risk leftover pie could languish in the fridge—a true tragedy. For large celebrations, one pie just isn’t going to cut it. From parties for one to full-sized crowds; here’s how to make a pie to suit any size gathering.
How To Salt Water for Pasta & Other Dishes
When boiling, poaching, or blanching, it’s important to season your cooking water. It’s easy to skip this step, but doing so is a missed opportunity. Adding salt to cooking water seasons the inside of your food, whether you’re making noodles or beans. This is science at work. Osmosis transports water into and out of cells.
How to Prevent Uneven Baking
Uneven baking can cause all sorts of terrible problems. It can make your cakes rise unevenly, burn half or your cookies, or dry out your roasted chickens. If you’re not sure why some things that come out of your oven seem a little off, try these tips to prevent uneven baking.
Homemade Crispy Hash Browns Recipe: How To Make Them
The hash brown station came with a handout that said “HASH BROWNS: Daily Required Objectives.” In the interest of saving breakfast nationwide, let’s walk through them so you, too, can make restaurant-quality breakfast spuds at home.
The Bell’s Restaurant Egg Salad Sandwich Will Soothe Your Soul
Those in Los Alamos can order a kit with loaf of buttery bread, a quart of egg salad, and homemade pickles. It’s enough food to keep you assembling egg salad sandwiches all week. For those not in California, here’s your chance: recreate this rich and savory egg salad sandwich with tomato jam at home using the recipe below.
Agrodolce Sauce: How To Make It & More
Agrodolce is somewhere between a sauce and a condiment. It comes from Italy, and it gets its name from the Italian words for sour (agro) and sweet (dolce).
A Lemon Curd Icebox Cake to Ring in Warm Weather
I like to think of this as a cross between ice cream cake and frozen lemon meringue pie. The recipe is based on one of my favorite things to make: tart and luscious lemon curd.
All About the Bain Marie
You don’t need more than a handful of utensils to be a great cook. In fact, the more you cook the more you’ll realize that you turn to the same items again and again. Don’t be surprised if you develop a favorite wooden spoon or spatula. So where do we put those items that we love the most? We keep them in a bain marie.
Take on a Challenge: Make Pasta al Limone
The thing that I love the most about this Pasta al Limone recipe is its deceptive simplicity. It’s just 5 familiar ingredients, but it can be tricky to pull them together into an elegant “simple” sauce.
What to Do If You Don’t Have a Grill
The char of the grill is the indisputable flavor of summer. Unfortunately, we don’t all have grills. The good news is that Blue Apron grilling recipes are still delicious when you prepare them indoors. With the right tools and a few preparation tweaks, you’ll be able to adapt any grilling recipe to replicate the flavors of the grill in the comfort of your home.
Easy Beach Food Ideas For Everyone
Going to the beach is supposed to be relaxing, but sometimes planning for a day of doing nothing can be surprisingly stressful. Your whole beach crew needs sun protection, a prime spot on the sand, and of course, the perfect beach food.
A Guide to Spicy Peppers and All Things Hot
Spicy food can be divisive. Some people love to douse hot sauce on every meal, while others find cabbage to be slightly too spicy. The key to cooking with spicy ingredients is knowing what you’re working with
5 Fragrant Ways to Get Rid of Cooking Smells & Odors
There’s nothing more welcoming than the smell of dinner cooking in your home. Unfortunately, after dinner is over, you might not enjoy the smell of a seared steak lingering in your living room. Luckily you have a few options when it comes to eliminating cooking odors.
How To Use Pasta Water to Elevate Your Sauce
In restaurant kitchens, pasta water is affectionately called ‘liquid gold.’ In home kitchens, many cooks just throw it out. We’re here to make a case for treating your pasta water with respect. That means seasoning it properly and taking advantage of its special properties. Here’s how to make the most of your next pasta dinner.
Essential Kitchen Tools
If you’re new to cooking, or moving into your own place for the first time, you’re probably wondering what you need in your kitchen. If the kitchen aisle of your local homegoods store feels overwhelming, we’re here to help. These are the basic tools that every cook should own. Once you have the essentials, you’re free to daydream about fancy blenders or specialty appliances.
How to Cook Pork Belly
If you like bacon, you like pork belly. Bacon and pork belly are the same cut of meat, prepared and sold in slightly different forms. This versatile protein is an easy way to add savory decadence to dinner. Here’s how to get the most out of this delicious ingredient.
How-To: Truss A Chicken or Cornish Game Hen
A roast chicken or Cornish game hen is a simple, delicious dinner. Every cook should have her favorite method for roasting a whole bird memorized. Next time you’re preparing a poultry feast, try our method for easy trussing, no butcher’s twine required.
No-Bake Banana Cream Tiramisu Recipe
Tiramisu is an all-star dessert. This creamy spiked treat rose to popularity in the U.S. in the 80s, but a classic never gets old—we’re still enjoying its creamy coffee-soaked layers in our favorite Italian restaurants today. To celebrate our love, we’ve created a spin that combines the flavors of two beloved desserts: banana cream pie and tiramisu.
Food you can feel good about
From pasture-raised beef to certified sustainable seafood, we’re raising the bar on animal welfare standards.
