Uncovering the Origin of HelloFresh’s Chicken Sausage

As one of the largest meal kit delivery services in the US, HelloFresh provides over 8 million meals each month to families across the country. Their convenient pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes take the stress out of meal planning and preparation. One of their most popular recurring ingredients is the Italian-style chicken sausage included in recipes like One-Pan Chicken Sausage & Veggies and Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup. But have you ever wondered exactly where HelloFresh sources the chicken sausage they send to millions of doorsteps? Let’s take a closer look at the origins of this popular component of HelloFresh meal kits.

Why HelloFresh Uses Chicken Sausage

Chicken sausage offers an array of benefits that make it a smart choice for meal kit companies like HelloFresh:

• Lean protein. With 10-15 grams of protein per link, chicken sausage provides a hefty dose of satisfying protein to keep you full. This makes it the perfect protein for everything from breakfast tacos to pasta dinners.

• Flavorful. Spices like garlic, paprika fennel seed and parsley give the chicken sausage big, bold flavor that enhances any recipe. The Italian-style seasoning makes it endlessly versatile.

• Quick cooking. Chicken sausage cooks up faster than raw chicken breasts or sausage made from pork or other meats. This helps streamline recipe prep for home cooks.

• Lower fat. Chicken sausage is lower in fat than pork sausage, supporting HelloFresh’s focus on recipes with lean proteins and fresh produce.

For these reasons, chicken sausage is the ideal choice to include as a versatile protein option in HelloFresh’s weekly recipes.

How HelloFresh Sources Their Chicken Sausage

So where exactly does HelloFresh get the savory chicken sausage they include in millions of meal kits? HelloFresh partners with large-scale food suppliers to source ingredients for their recipes. A few details on their chicken sausage supply chain:

• U.S.-based suppliers. HelloFresh’s chicken sausage comes from suppliers based in the United States. Keeping sources domestic allows them to better monitor factors like quality control and food safety.

• Preferred supplier standards. HelloFresh maintains a network of approved suppliers that meet their standards for responsibly raised meats, Seafood Watch approved seafood, and sustainably grown produce. Chicken sausage suppliers adhere to these same standards.

• Special HelloFresh recipes. While some meal kit companies use pre-made sausages from food manufacturers, HelloFresh worked with suppliers to develop exclusive chicken sausage recipes optimized for their recipes.

• Co-manufacturing facilities. HelloFresh’s chicken sausage is made according to their proprietary recipes at large co-manufacturing facilities that specialize in bulk preparation of proteins, sauces, and other items.

• Just-in-time delivery. To ensure freshness, the co-manufactured chicken sausage links are delivered “just in time” to HelloFresh facilities where they are portioned out for kits based on that week’s recipes.

By partnering with established U.S. suppliers and utilizing co-manufacturing facilities, HelloFresh can procure large quantities of high-quality custom chicken sausage to keep up with consumer demand.

What Goes Into HelloFresh’s Chicken Sausage

When you get that pack of perfectly portioned chicken sausages in your weekly HelloFresh delivery, have you ever wondered what exactly is in them? Here is a look at the main ingredients:

• Chicken. The primary ingredient is chicken thigh meat, prized for its rich flavor and juiciness when cooked. Using deboned thighs ensures the sausage has a smooth, tender texture.

• Spices and seasonings. Italian-style spices like garlic, paprika, fennel seed, oregano, basil, parsley, and black pepper give the sausage its characteristic zesty, herby flavor profile.

• Salt. A small amount of salt enhances overall flavor. HelloFresh keeps sodium in check to align with dietary guidelines.

• Canola oil. A touch of canola oil helps retain moisture during cooking.

• Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar adds subtle tanginess.

• Preservatives. The chicken sausage contains preservatives like lactic acid starter culture to extend shelf life and maintain food safety during shipping and storage.

• Casings. Natural casings give the sausage its signature rounded links. These sometimes split open when separating links or during cooking.

By combining chicken with Italian spices, savory flavorings, and preservatives, HelloFresh provides a convenient sausage perfect for everything from soups to pastas.

Why Choose HelloFresh’s Chicken Sausage?

From a food quality and safety perspective, the controlled supply chain and oversight used by HelloFresh offers good reason to choose their chicken sausage over store-bought options:

• Traceability. HelloFresh can trace their chicken sausage back to approved domestic suppliers, unlike the convoluted supply chains behind many grocery store products.

• Greater transparency. HelloFresh openly shares their sourcing standards and manufacturing processes, which builds consumer confidence.

• Consistent quality. HelloFresh’s suppliers must meet strict specifications for every batch of chicken sausage to guarantee consistent texture, flavor, and safety.

• Minimized handling. With direct delivery from supplier to portioning facility, HelloFresh chicken sausage skips multiple stops in the supply chain that could compromise quality or safety.

• Fresher sausage. The “just in time” system means chicken sausage typically arrives at your doorstep within a week of manufacture, minimizing time in storage.

When it comes to taste, texture, and food prep convenience, HelloFresh clearly goes above and beyond grocery store sausage options.

How Chefs Recommend Cooking HelloFresh Chicken Sausage

Once that pack of chicken sausage arrives at your door, how do you get the best results when cooking it in HelloFresh recipes or your own dishes? Professional chefs recommend:

• Separate sausages gently. Use care when pulling apart links to avoid ripping casings (but don’t worry if they do split!).

• Preheat before slicing. For easier slicing, microwave sausages for 20-30 seconds to firm them up (optional).

• Sauté before simmering. Browning sausage in a skillet helps develop flavor.

• Simmer in sauce. Poaching in tomato sauce, broth, or soup allows it to absorb more flavor.

• Avoid overcooking. Chicken sausage dries out if cooked too long. Follow recipe time guidelines.

• Finish pasta in sauce. For pasta recipes, wait to add dried pasta until sausage is nearly done to avoid mushiness.

With a little care, the chicken sausage’s juiciness and flavor really shine through in finished dishes.

Chicken Sausage Adds Value to HelloFresh Kits

From meal planning and grocery shopping to prepping ingredients and following recipes, cooking dinner can feel like an endless chore for busy families. Meal kits like HelloFresh offer a welcome solution. Their pre-selected recipes, pre-portioned fresh ingredients, and straightforward instructions provide an on-ramp for home cooks seeking to put tasty dinners on the table without the hassle.

The inclusion of protein-packed, boldly flavored chicken sausage in many HelloFresh meal kits adds even more value:

• Protein power. With at least 10 grams per link, the chicken sausage packs a substantial protein punch to keep hunger at bay.

• Kid-friendly flavor. Chicken sausage skips the spiciness that deters some kids from foods like Italian sausage or chorizo. The mild seasoning profile suits most young palates.

• Cooking shortcut. No extra steps needed! The fully cooked sausage just requires quick reheating or simmering.

• Flavor booster. Italian herbs permeate the sausage, infusing any dish with flavor. No extra seasonings required.

• Fewer leftovers. The 3-4 small sausages for each 4-serving recipe means no leftovers linger in your fridge.

Thanks to these benefits, chicken sausage is one HelloFresh ingredient that home cooks are sure to keep sizzling in skillets even after their meal kit subscription ends.

The Takeaway: HelloFresh Chicken Sausage Delivers

To keep millions of HelloFresh customers satisfied each week, every recipe component has to pull its weight. From proteins to produce, their ingredients must offer convenience, reliability, and of course great taste. The Italian-style chicken sausage included in many of their recipes checks all these boxes and more.

By partnering with trusted U.S.-based suppliers to manufacture exclusive chicken sausage links customized for peak flavor and performance, HelloFresh has created a versatile pre-prepped protein that streamlines dinner prep for busy families. The controlled supply chain ensures a high-quality, reliably delicious product. For home cooks seeking to simplify meal planning and preparation, that savory sizzle of HelloFresh chicken sausage is one of the best sounds of dinnertime.