12 Frozen Vegetable Recipes for Budget-Friendly Meals You'll Love (2024)

Spinach Artichoke Dip Soup

With a can of artichoke hearts and a package of frozen spinach, you can recreate this luscious party dip in quick soup form. Mix broth, cream cheese, and half-and-half for a speedy creamy soup base. Then to counter that rich and savory trio, finish the spoonable frozen vegetable recipe with lemon juice and zest for brightness and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for kick.

Enchilada Verde Casserole

If you like the flavor of enchiladas, but not the fuss of stuffing and rolling, stack up a Mexican casserole with similar elements. We adore it just as much by the slice! This recipe for frozen vegetables (here, corn) is a terrific vehicle for leftover protein from earlier in the week. Corn tortillas, black beans, diced green chiles, plenty of cheese, and a zippy green enchilada sauce round out the easy, cheesy, big-batch recipe.

Homemade Cup Of Noodles

Mix up your meal prep routine with these choose-your-own-adventure make-ahead noodle bowls.“Since I found this recipe, I have been making noodle jars every 3 or 4 days. I love the variety and that we can make a simple lunch differently every day,” one BHG home cook says. Select a stock base and flavor boost, bolster it with protein and cooked noodles, and seal the deal with your choice of fresh or frozen veggies (frozen peas and carrots are favorites among our editors).

Veggie-Stuffed Pasta Shells

Shredded fresh carrots and zucchini meet defrosted frozen spinach in a cozy vegetarian Italian entrée like this one. Blend those garden goodies with ricotta and shredded Italian cheese, then stuff that inside cooked jumbo shells. Line a skillet with pasta sauce, top with the stuffed shells, and bake the frozen vegetable recipe for 10 minutes.

Bacon, Corn, and Cheese Frittata

A scoop of frozen corn lends a pop of sweet summer flavor to an Instant Pot frittata recipe, as we show you here. Salty, savory bacon and roasted sweet red peppers stud each bite of this hearty morning meal. During the slim 18-minute cook time for this egg recipe for frozen vegetables, toast some bread and assemble a fruit salad to complete the easy yet company-worthy brunch.

Weeknight Chorizo and Shrimp Paella

Frozen peas are one of those ingredients that we think are almost better than their fresh counterparts. Since peak fresh pea season is usually just a few weeks long, we prefer to stock up on frozen-when-fresh peas to toss into a wide variety of frozen vegetable recipes—including this Spanish-inspired skillet dinner. The rice recipe includes both chorizo sausage and shrimp for double the protein and double the satisfaction.

20-Minute Ramen Noodle Bowls

Round up four ingredients and carve out a mere 20 minutes and you’re all set to toss together this mixed frozen vegetable recipe. Bottled peanut sauce lends a lovely nutty element to amp up the flavor in these extremely semi-homemade noodle bowls. Once you’ve mastered the basic ramen bowl recipe, try one or all of our eight other variations, including teriyaki, Italian, sweet-and-sour, and beyond.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

We don’t even try to deny our adoration for any recipe that features ranch dressing. Inspired by a popular deli wrap trio of chicken, bacon, and ranch, we found a way to sneak some extra nutrition into this family-sized casserole. Frozen broccoli as well as fresh mushrooms, tomatoes, and green onions guarantee that this cheesy chicken pasta bake is far from bland.

Parmesan Chicken and Broccoli

If you have chicken and rice, you have the makings for a marvelous meal that you can transport to any corner of the globe by choosing your sauces, herbs and spices, and protein accordingly. For this healthy chicken casserole, we recommend frozen broccoli, fresh tomato, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.

Ravioli e fa*gioli

Psst… the best soup and stew recipes need not simmer all day and don’t even need to be 100% from scratch. Ready in less than an hour, a few cans (tomatoes, beans, stock), frozen lima beans, and refrigerated ravioli or tortellini make this soup a breeze to pull together. A splash of red wine, dried Italian seasoning, garlic, sausage, and pancetta make this frozen vegetable recipe taste like you fussed over it for hours. No one needs to know you got a head start at the supermarket.

Quick Pork-and-Vegetable Fried Brown Rice

Fried rice is one of those special dishes that’s even better when you use pre-cooked rice. Instead of leftover grains, we call for frozen brown rice to get the party started for this 20-minute dinner idea. Then frozen peas and carrots, leftover pork tenderloin (or chicken, ham, tofu, or steak), and seasoning elements join in the fun. With ginger, soy, green onions, and Chinese five-spice in the mix, everyone will think you ordered takeout—but you can take all the credit!

Make-Ahead Korean-Inspired Chicken with Broccoli

Double-duty dinners can be a busy cook’s BFF. This make-ahead dinner is designed to help you create one full meal for four to enjoy tonight and another complete four-serving feast to freeze and enjoy at some point within the next three months. Both portions are jam-packed with protein (chicken), produce (frozen broccoli), craving-busting carbs (white or brown rice), and flavor by way of a zingy Korean sauce that features ginger, garlic, and sesame notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are frozen vegetables healthy?

  Even though frozen vegetables may be considered “processed,” this is simply a common practice for packaged foods. Frozen veggies are actually healthy, and they have as many nutrients and vitamins as their fresh counterparts. Though taste-wise, frozen vegetables may lose their texture or flavor, they generally have a delicious, ripe bite as they’re usually frozen right when they’re ready to be eaten.

• Do I need to thaw frozen veggies before cooking?

  Not necessarily. Frozen veggies, when thawed, can produce extra liquid that may be good for soups or stews, but not so much for stir-fries. You’ll be good to go just by using it straight from the freezer to your cooking pot or skillet, saving you a great deal of time.

• How long do frozen vegetables last?

  Frozen vegetables have a long shelf-life, up to 8 months in the freezer. However, the longer they’re stored in the fridge, the more ice can accumulate, leading to loss of flavor or texture.