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Frozen vegetables donโ€™t get much attention, but theyโ€™re one of the most useful ingredients you can keep in your kitchen! They streamline your prep and minimize food waste, plus theyโ€™re frozen at the peak of freshness for maximum flavor.

A serving of shepherd's pie on a plate with lettuce

Frozen veggies for the win!

cookbook author erin clarke of well plated

When Ben and I first got married, I always kept bags of Trader Joe’s frozen veggies in the freezer as a quick side. Steam โ€˜em in a pan with a bit of water and youโ€™ve got a serviceable, but not very exciting, side to round out your meal.

But then I started intentionally cooking with them, not just as a low-effort side, but as an actual part of our dinner.

  • They donโ€™t go bad halfway through the week, ruining your dinner plans. (Or if you change your dinner plans, you donโ€™t have to feel bad about that head of broccoli sitting sadly in your fridge.)
  • Thereโ€™s no washing, chopping, or mincing required.
  • While itโ€™s true that the texture isnโ€™t as good as fresh, the flavor and nutrition is still there. In fact, sometimes the nutrition is better because theyโ€™re frozen at their peak.

Below, I share some Well Plated recipes that incorporate frozen veggies to give you some inspiration!

A white plate with roasted frozen broccoli and lemon slices
Roasted Frozen Broccoli
Roasting frozen broccoli brings out crisp edges and deep flavor, proving you donโ€™t need fresh to get a great result.
Check out this recipe
A bowl of steak fried rice with beef, peas, carrots, scrambled egg, and chopped green onions.
Steak Fried Rice
A perfect example of how frozen vegetables make quick meals possible. They add color, texture, and balance without any extra prep.
Check out this recipe
Cowboy stew in pot
Cowboy Stew
Hearty and flexible, this stew uses frozen vegetables to build a meal thatโ€™s filling and easy to throw together.
Check out this recipe
Corn Chicken Chowder in a white bowl with peppers
Corn Chicken Chowder
Frozen corn adds natural sweetness and texture, without the fuss (and mess!) of slicing it fresh from the cob.
Check out this recipe
easy shepherds pie topped with mashed potatoes in a bowl with a spoon
Easy Shepherd’s Pie
A classic comfort dish where frozen vegetables fit seamlessly into the filling, adding both flavor and convenience.
Check out this recipe
Overhead view of baked chicken and rice in skillet
Baked Chicken and Rice
Everything cooks together, and frozen vegetables make it easy to round out the dish without extra steps.
Check out this recipe

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Smiling woman in a white shirt chops a red bell pepper on a cutting board with vegetables in a bright kitchen.

Erin Clarke

Hi, Iโ€™m Erin Clarke, cookbook author and the home cook behind Well Plated. Iโ€™ve helped millions of people cook healthier meals that actually taste amazing and sold over 190,000 books! Iโ€™m here to help you save time, dirty fewer dishes, and feel great about what youโ€™re eating, without overthinking it. Welcome!

Learn more about Erin

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