(Most of) my festive HelloFresh order (Image: Talya Honebeek) This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
I’ve always loved cooking. There’s nothing I enjoy more than spending an hour or two in the kitchen, music blasting, while I peel, chop and bake my way to a tasty meal. I don’t even mind doing the washing up, either.
But sadly, all good things must come to an end, and life with a toddler means my relationship with cooking has suffered over the past couple of years. It’s now all about the convenience, and getting food on a plate and chopped into child-friendly pieces in as little time as possible. While once I would have painstakingly made everything from scratch, I have to admit I now buy at least one tub of microwave mash a week.
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I was happy with the selection of recipes (Image: Talya Honebeek)
Time isn’t the only problem; I feel totally uninspired when it comes to planning our meals for the week. Keeping up with work, childcare, seeing friends, cleaning, and cooking means I end up rotating through the same old list of tried-and-tested recipes every single week.
And while there’s nothing wrong with tuna pasta or a ready-to-cook lasagne, I’ve been feeling pretty bored.
Enter: HelloFresh.
I’m no stranger to recipe subscription boxes, having previously used Gousto while pregnant. I’ve never tried HelloFresh before, however, so I was more than happy to give their new Christmas recipe kits a go when offered a sample box.
I opted for the three-person plan and was sent three of their new festive recipes: rosemary chicken schnitzel with roast potatoes and balsamic sprouts, caramelised onion and Brussels sprout mac and cheese and Cumberland sausages with parsnip mash and rosemary roasted carrots.
Everything arrived well-packaged and clearly labelled. In addition to the vegetables, there was a section dedicated to meats, cheeses, and ingredients to store in the fridge, as well as individual bags of pantry ingredients for each recipe, featuring items such as seasonings and stock paste.
No points for my presentation (Image: Talya Honebeek)
The first meal I tried was rosemary chicken schnitzel and roast potatoes with balsamic sprouts, almonds and a creamy leek and cheese sauce. Let me preface this by saying it tasted far better than it looked and presentation just clearly isn’t my forte.
The instructions were simple to follow, and I really liked how everything was pre-measured, meaning I didn’t have to waste time weighing out all of the ingredients. I loved every single element on the plate, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be the balsamic sprouts. Sticky and sweet, this is the only way I want to eat sprouts from now on.
I liked that the recipe featured twists I wouldn’t think to do myself (for example, crushed almonds as part of the coating for the chicken). It tasted completely different to the kind of thing I usually make, and even gave me ideas for future meals.
Basically, it went down a treat with all three of us, and I really can’t fault it.
On the second night, we tried the Cumberland sausages with parsnip mash, rosemary roasted carrots and red wine jus.
While my partner and toddler wolfed this down, this was less of a winner for me. Bangers and mash feature regularly in my meal plans, so I’m used to making them quickly and efficiently, with minimal dishes to wash afterwards.
Think bangers and mash, but with some added festive cheer (Image: Talya Honebeek)
While tastier than my usual fare, I thought this recipe was just a bit too much work and generated too much washing up for something that I tend to see as an easy midweek meal.
We saved the caramelised onion Brussels sprout mac and cheese with leeks and a cheesy crumb for our final night, and while I didn’t expect anything to beat the high of the balsamic sprouts from night one, this meal somehow managed the impossible.
I’ve actually never made mac and cheese before, so was glad to have a clear recipe with pre-weighed ingredients for my maiden voyage.
Luckily, despite my apprehension, this recipe came together easily and was, in our opinion, the best of the bunch. It was luxuriously creamy, with the sprouts and mustard giving it a nice kick. It also felt really festive, with my partner requesting a repeat of it for Boxing Day.
We got a full roasting dish (and a little extra one) out of our final recipe (Image: Talya Honebeek)
Overall, our HelloFresh experience was really positive, and we have since placed another order. The process was smooth, I liked the layout of the recipes and the dishes were all really well thought out, with some really interesting flavours perfect for getting you into the festive spirit.
With so many interesting-sounding dishes to choose from each week and no need to do a big food shop myself, this experience has really left me questioning why I’ve never tried it before.
HelloFresh’s 2025 Christmas menu features 16 new seasonal dishes, with a variety of options available to order each week. The meals and recipe kits on offer over the festive period include Christmas sausage stuffed tacos, festive pulled teriyaki beef bao buns and pancake snowmen.
Meals start from £1.62 per serving, and there is currently an introductory offer of 50% off your first box, as well as free dessert for three months.
Dining and Cooking