I Tried Dolly Parton’s Newest Southern Meal Kits, and I’m Shocked at How Good It Is
As a cookbook lover, I read them like novels and have an entire bookcase dedicated to just cookbooks. So when I saw that Dolly Parton — the Queen of Country — and her sister, Rachel, just published their cookbook Good Lookin’ Cooking I knew I had to have it. As excited as I am to dive in, with how often I buy new cookbooks, I’m the first to admit that it’s nearly impossible to cook my way through an entire book. The Parton sisters totally get it too, which is probably why they teamed up with meal kit service Home Chef to bring a few recipes inspired from their book right to my door.
This limited-edition partnership began late September and is running until mid-October. Home Chef sent me a few meals to test out for myself, and as soon as the box came in, I rushed to my kitchen to see how the recipes fare in-action. I love Dolly, so I was especially excited to dive into these newly launched seasonal treats and find out.
Home Chef Meal Kit Delivery Service, 6 Servings
Home Chef
$70.93
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What You Should Know About Dolly Parton’s Home Chef Collaboration
Home Chef’s collaboration with Dolly and Rachel Parton kicked off a few weeks ago with a collection of comfort dishes inspired by the sister’s latest cookbook. Recipes from the cookbook are rotating with Home Chef until October 18 where customers can choose between two to six meals.
Right now, the collaboration is rolling between dishes like Fried Chicken and Gravy, Sirloin Steak with Blue Cheese Butter, and Country Fried Trout with purple and white slaw. These dishes come with all of the ingredients and directions to make each recipe, and will only be available to order until next week.
What’s the Cost of Dolly Parton’s Home Chef Collaboration?
The collaboration costs the same as Home Chef’s standard plans — there are no extra costs. The smallest plan is three meals for two people per week, and the price starts at $41.96. There are regular deals and promotions for first-time subscribers that drop the price down significantly.
My Honest Review of Dolly Parton’s Home Chef Collaboration
I’ll preface this by saying I’m Florida-born, North Carolina-raised so I’m very familiar with Southern home cooking. I received boxes for the Rustic Chicken and Dumplin’s and Fried Chicken and Gravy. They each came with everything I needed to make each meal, down to the salt, pepper, and oil! I’ve tried a handful of home cooking delivery-based services and time and time again have marveled at how practical and descriptive Home Chef is. But now to the real meat of the review, how did each of them fare?
Rustic Chicken and Dumplin’s
The notecard for this soup said that it would take between 45 to 55 minutes and, in terms of skill level, it was one of the easier recipes. I laid out my ingredients and began with prepping the celery, carrot, and other herbs. The following directions were clear (especially with the accompaniment of pictures), and each step felt seamless. In the end, this recipe took me just under 45 minutes (I’m an overachiever), and my friend and I devoured this soup. It was hearty without being heavy and just felt like warm eating. And the broth? I could have happily sipped on it all day — it was liquid gold! Who knew Dolly’s magic extended to soup?
Fried Chicken and Gravy
The recipe card for the Fried Chicken and Gravy had the same format as the soup, claiming to take anywhere from 50 to 60 minutes to make and was also a level easy in terms of difficulty. I began with making the mashed potatoes. I won’t lie, I haven’t made too many mashed potatoes in my lifetime so I was a bit nervous about the entire process, but I really felt like Home Chef was spiritually there, holding my hand with its very descriptive directions and photos that made the process as smooth as possible.
The following directions included adding the chicken to a marinade, and optionally letting it sit overnight to get even more flavor. I appreciated the option, but I was on a mission for dinner and made it in one sitting. After all of the potatoes were mashed and the chicken fried, I was left with a visually STUNNING meal and that feeling of accomplishment after you tackle a gratifying task.
And again, this recipe was DELICIOUS. The chicken was beautifully golden-brown fried (which I like to think was all me, but was really in part to Home Chef’s help) and the mashed potatoes were fluffy with some chunks (just the way I like it).
The verdict: I’m genuinely bummed that these meals are only a limited-time release. Both of these dishes were so easy to prepare and so tasty that I’m keeping the recipe cards so I can make them more a part of my weekly meal rotation. These meals, in addition to a variety of others, are only available to order until October 18 (just a week left!) so if I were you, I’d get your order in ASAP.
Buy: Home Chef (3 meals for 2 people per week), $41.96
Have you tried Bush’s new baked beans? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Further Reading
We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Ice Cream, and They All Said the Same Thing
Reese’s Just Launched a Limited-Edition Peanut Butter Cup, and It Tastes 4x Better than the Original
