Essentials

Make this Christmas easier with meal kits

By Tom Horton

Edited By Leslie Gornstein

November 21, 2023 / 5:37 PM EST / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

If you haven't already put up holiday decorations or checked up on your family's Christmas lists, you probably don't want to hear anything about Christmas dinner yet. But time waits for no one, so you should get a head start on all things Christmas dinner related. Thankfully, meal kits can help with that.

(And if you're not a meal kit person, no worries; we've found a few other food delivery services that will make your Christmas feast a snap to prepare.)

Meal delivery services like the diverse HelloFresh or vegan-friendly Purple Carrot are great for securing nutritious and delicious meals without all the hassles that come with a home-cooked meal. With the holidays fast approaching, being able to free up your time like this can be a real life-saver.

Toss in limited time exclusive like holiday meal boxes and some big savings and you have plenty of reasons to consider pairing up with a meal delivery service for Christmas this year.

Make this Christmas easier with meal kits

The best meal kits have you covered when it comes to preparing an elaborate meal with ease. We highlighted some of our favorite meal delivery services below and showcased a selection of holiday gamechangers.

Read up on the meal delivery services and meal kits that can (and should) fit into your Christmas plans this holiday season below.

The top three meal kits for Christmas dinners

Christmas doesn't need to be stressful -- at least not around the dinner table. Here are the best Christmas meal kits to help you bring everyone together during the most festive time of the year:

Best restaurant meals: GoldBelly
Best holiday boxes: Blue Apron
Best gift baskets: Harry and David

From conventional meal kit dinners to intriguing services that may be new to you, here are the meal delivery services we're obsessed with when it comes to the holiday season.

Best restaurant meals: GoldBelly

At the top of our nice list this year is GoldBelly. Technically an ecommerce platform rather than a meal kit company, this site hosts more than 1,000 restaurants across the country and connects customers to deliciously cooked meals -- regardless of location.

That means you can order a deep-fried turkey dinner ($130) from the restaurant Uncle Ray's in Dallas, or "Oprah's favorite" homestyle chicken pie ($80) from Centerville Pie Co. in Massachusetts to be delivered right to your door.

Simply browse the page to find holiday dinners, sides, desserts and bundles to find the perfect dishes to cover your dinner table this Christmas. Just make sure to plan ahead for deliveries this year if you want your food in time for the holidays.

Be aware that some meals come with free shipping, but others can come with fees that vary based on things like location and which delivery service is used. First time customers can save $20 off their first order by signing up via email.

Build your Christmas meal plan with GoldBelly

Best holiday boxes: Blue Apron

If you missed out on Blue Apron's Thanksgiving dinners, we have some good news: You still have time to sign up for one of the meal delivery service's robust Christmas boxes. These limited time meal kits ship everything you need for a memorable Christmas dinner right to your door.

Front and center in the Christmas spotlight is Blue Apron's holiday roast box. This one delivery comes with a whole host of dishes, sides, and desserts: roast beef tenderloin, cheesy baked potatoes, orange-glazed rainbow carrots, spinach and kale bake, and apple-cranberry trifle.

Are you more of a ham dinner household when it comes to the holiday season? Then Blue Apron's holiday ham box is for you. Sign up for this meal kit and enjoy a whole honey-baked ham, three-cheese pasta bake, roasted brussels sprouts, arugula and orange salad, squash, and chocolate mousse pie. Vegans and vegetarians can also opt for the vegetarian holiday box, which offers the same selection as the holiday ham box without -- surprise! -- the ham.

First-time customers can save $200 off their first six orders and enjoy free shipping on their first Blue Apron box by signing up with their email today.

Build your Christmas meal plan with Blue Apron today

Best gift baskets: Harry and David

Need to help someone else lay down a massive Christmas spread?

Need a host gift sent in advance?

Harry and David has a mouth-watering selection of gourmet foods at the ready including prepared entrees, sides, charcuterie boards, and more. Want a whole spiced brown sugar ham ($220)? No problem. Interested in a chicken pot pie meal ($110)? Also available.

We love the traditional meal kit menu, but what sets Harry and David apart for us is the long list of extravagant holiday gift baskets and boxes that are available. Like GoldBelly, prices here can be high due to shipping costs and the quality of what you're getting. For example, the founder's favorites gift box starts at $110 but this is everything it comes with:

Six Royal Riviera pears
Two seasonal apple pies
A six-ounce container of premium milk chocolate popcorn
Gouda cheese
Busseto Milano Italia dry salami
Olive oil and sea salt water crackers
Raspberry galettes
Pepper and onion relish
Milk chocolate-covered cherries
Milk chocolate mini mints
An assortment of chocolate truffles: white coffee, dark cherry, dark raspberry, milk almond, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate

If you want to host a party to remember or give someone you love the most extravagant food gift box imaginable, start browsing the impressive menus of Harry and David today.

Build your Christmas meal plan with Harry and David today

The benefits of using meal kits for Christmas

The right meal kit delivery service can open doors to new meals and recipe ideas for your next big holiday dinner. If the only thing standing between you and a fully prepared dinner table (and a house full of friends and family) is a busy schedule, meal kits can offer the convenience you need to really show out this year.

Whether you order something traditional like an entire ham dinner or go for something more creative like one of Harry and David's overflowing gift baskets, these meal kits are worth your time and money.

It's also worth considering price markdowns around this time of year. You can find Black Friday level deals on serving prices from meal kits like Blue Apron and EveryPlate, the second which offers new subscription prices as low as $1.49 per serving.

How we picked the best meal kits for holiday planning

Choosing the right meal kit is important, no matter the time of year. For a better understanding of how we review products, this is what we prioritized when picking the best meal kits for the Christmas season:

Meal variety: If you're hosting or attending a holiday party this year, you want something that stands out. That's why we sided with meal kits boasting an impressive variety of weekly meal offerings.
Convenience: We stuck with meal delivery kits that were quick and easy to prepare yourself -- that way you have more time to spend with your loved ones this holiday season.
High quality recipes: Let's be honest: you want healthy meals that are also delicious. We stuck to our guns and kept our standards high by picking meal kit companies that serve up unique and tasty recipes on a regular basis.