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Home » Recipe Roundups » 8 Easy Recipes with Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Recipe Roundups

8 Easy Recipes with Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

See how convenient it is to use frozen fruits and vegetables with this collection of easy recipes!

If you looked into my freezer right now, I can guarantee that you would find at least six bags of frozen vegetables and four bags of frozen fruit. There are probably actually way more, but I’m being conservative. I would show you a photo of my freezer to prove it, but it’s, well, kind of a disaster. We stock and eat so much frozen food that it’s crammed full and almost overflowing.

Besides all the fruits and veggies, there’s meat, bread, ice cream, frozen burritos, and more. Our freezer is an icy cold treasure chest.

Come see how convenient it is to use frozen fruits and vegetables with this collection of tasty, easy recipes!

Why We Love Frozen Veggies and Fruits

Recently, the Frozen Food Foundation teamed up with UC Davis to do an interesting study comparing the nutrition of fresh versus frozen fruits and vegetables. They found that frozen fruits and vegetables are generally as rich in nutrients as their fresh counterparts, often even more so. Since frozen fruits and veggies are frozen at the peak of freshness, it’s like putting a pause button on the season’s fresh produce. I love being able to pull things like cherries or peaches out of my freezer in winter when they are nowhere to be found as fresh fruit.

Frozen vegetables are a great way to get your daily servings of veggies each day!

My boys eat vegetables every day, but they stick to a pretty shortlist for the most part: Broccoli, edamame, sweet peas, salad, and carrots. Sometimes I might sneak some green beans or corn in there, but those are pretty much the regulars. I buy fresh lettuce and carrots, but the rest are always frozen. It’s so easy to just microwave the portion I need for their dinner each day and keep the rest “fresh” in the freezer.

8 Easy and Quick Recipes Using Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

When I’ve tried buying fresh broccoli florets instead of frozen, I always end up wasting half the bag because we forget to use it in time. Frozen vegetables are just more convenient and generate less waste in our house.

Skillet Meatball Broccoli Pasta
Skillet Meatball Broccoli Pasta

Frozen fruit is a standard smoothie addition, so I usually have an assortment of at least strawberries, pineapple, mango, and blueberries. Adding them into smoothies adds vitamins, flavor, and color that my family loves, and I like the way they keep the smoothie cold so I don’t need to add much ice.

Tropical Smoothie with Mango and Pineapple - wearychef.com
Tropical Smoothie with Mango and Pineapple

Not only are frozen fruit and vegetables perfect for quick side dishes, snacks, and smoothies, but they are also great for recipes! I want to share a few more of my favorite dishes using frozen fruit and vegetables to show you how convenient and versatile they are!

Green Bean Casserole with Onion Ring Topping - This delicious casserole is made with a homemade creamy mushroom sauce and topped with crispy onion rings for a holiday side dish to remember!
Green Bean Casserole with Onion Ring Topping
(Good-for-You) Meat and Potatoes Casserole - Ground beef or turkey is sauteed with vegetables, covered in potatoes, and smothered in a light, creamy sauce. Bake it up for a dinner your family will love!
(Good-for-You) Meat and Potatoes Casserole
Too Easy Fruit Cobbler
Too Easy Fruit Cobbler
Easy Chicken and Dumplings made with #Bisquick | The Weary Chef
Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Healthy Creamed Spinach - All the flavor, none of the guilt! | The Weary Chef
Healthy Creamed Spinach
Creamy Avocado Corn Salsa
Creamy Avocado Corn Salsa

Eat Your Frozen Fruits and Vegetables!

Nearly 80 percent of Americans don’t eat the recommended amounts of fruit, and almost 90 percent don’t get the recommended amounts of vegetables according to a study in The Journal of Nutrition. With a freezer full of nutritious fruits and veggies at the ready, you can help your family to eat their colors and stay healthy! Keep in touch to find out about more studies, recipes, and interesting facts:

Frozen Food Foundation Facebook | Frozen Food Foundation Twitter

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26 Comments

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Comments

  1. Meg @ The Housewife in Training Files says

    November 10, 2014 at 3:48 am

    Oh frozen veggies to the rescue! That meat and potatoes dish is calling my name as the cold weather is finally here to stay tomorrow and we need dishes to warm us up. You just sparked some imagination here!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 11, 2014 at 8:08 am

      Thanks, Meg! Cool weather sounds nice for fall, but I’m glad we don’t have to deal with super cold winters here in SF!

      Reply
  2. Nancy [email protected] says

    November 9, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    We always have a stock of frozen veggies in this house as well! Thanks for all of the ideas!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 11, 2014 at 8:05 am

      You’re welcome, Nancy. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  3. Ginny McMeans says

    November 9, 2014 at 3:57 pm

    This is a great guide to have. You know I am all about being prepared. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 11, 2014 at 8:05 am

      Thank you, Ginny! Hope you found some recipes you can convert to vegan. You are so clever about that!

      Reply
  4. Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says

    November 6, 2014 at 4:06 am

    I love stocking up on frozen veggies too! My kids beg for edamame at the store…I guess that’s not a bad problem. Great recipe ideas!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 6, 2014 at 8:41 pm

      Yes, that’s a good problem to have! Frozen edamame is so handy to have on hand for snacks, recipes, or a side on its own. Thanks, Jaren!

      Reply
  5. Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen says

    November 5, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    We always have frozen fruit in our freezer to use in smoothies. You have so many great recipes using frozen veggies and fruits! That Too Easy Fruit Cobbler looks delish!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 6, 2014 at 8:42 pm

      Thanks, Kristine! That cobbler is so good. I made it again last week for the 100th time, but I foolishly halved the recipe. I seriously thought my son was going to start crying when he asked for it for dessert a couple days later and I told him it was all gone. I need to make another batch!

      Reply
  6. Karen @ The Food Charlatan says

    November 5, 2014 at 2:06 pm

    You could not pay me to show a picture of my freezer to the internet. Ice col treasure chest indeed, though!! :)

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 5, 2014 at 3:13 pm

      I showed a picture of my disaster of a pantry last year. It wasn’t a proud moment.

      Reply
  7. Cate @ Chez CateyLou says

    November 5, 2014 at 12:43 pm

    Ha my freezer is an absolute disaster as well! I love these recipes – just what I need on busy weeknights, or when the fresh fruit just doesn’t look great!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 5, 2014 at 3:14 pm

      Thanks, Cate! I depend on frozen fruit especially in the winter when the pickings are slim.

      Reply
  8. Jen @ Yummy Healthy Easy says

    November 5, 2014 at 11:36 am

    I love having frozen fruit and veggies on hand! I love all these great recipes in one place, Andi. I’ve gotta try those dumplings!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 6, 2014 at 8:51 pm

      Thanks, Jen! I think you’ll love the dumplings. I need to figure out a GF version. I made them recently with spelt dumplings, and they were way too dense. That’s still a work in progress ;)

      Reply
  9. Angie S says

    November 5, 2014 at 11:17 am

    This is a great collection of recipes and I know I’ll be making several of these! One of my favorite frozen veggies is a 3 pepper onion mix – I use it in almost everything! Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 6, 2014 at 8:52 pm

      Hi, Angie. I need to remember to get some frozen diced onions. That does sound so handy! Have you seen those little frozen cubes of crushed garlic? I always keep those on hand because they are so convenient. Being able to pull just enough onions out of the freezer must be handy too!

      Reply
      • Angie S says

        November 7, 2014 at 9:29 am

        I have never heard of that, or seen it and now I must have it!!! Thanks!

        Reply
        • Andi says

          November 8, 2014 at 9:21 am

          They have it at Trader Joe’s for sure, and I’ve seen it at other stores too. It’s in a little flat red package, and each cube is one clove of garlic. Very handy!

          Reply
  10. Melanie | Melanie Makes says

    November 5, 2014 at 10:59 am

    I lost count of the number of recipes I wanted to try of yours that you highlighted using frozen fruits and veggies, Andi!

    Reply
    • Andi says

      November 6, 2014 at 8:52 pm

      Aw, thank you, Melanie!

      Reply
  11. Sara @ Bitz & Giggles says

    November 5, 2014 at 8:03 am

    Andi, you certainly found my weakness!! Vegetables! Believe it or not I LOVE vegetables more than fruit, sometimes more than desserts. Shocking, I know. These recipes look SO wonderful. I absolutely want to try the Meat and Potatoes Casserole for sure!

    Reply
    • Angie S says

      November 5, 2014 at 11:15 am

      I’m with you on the veggie’s over fruits and sweets!

      Reply
    • Andi says

      November 6, 2014 at 8:54 pm

      I enjoy vegetables, but I can’t say I’d pick them over dessert! I would pick cobbler over a super sweet cake though. Thank you, Sara!

      Reply

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