5 Tasty Recipes That Use Frozen Vegetables

Frozen veggies are a great way for older adults to get the nutrients they need. Here's what to know

Abigail Seaberg,

AARP

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Published December 27, 2024

Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust

Emily Weeks

We all need vegetables to stay healthy, but sometimes it can be hard to eat enough of them. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only 12.5 percent of adults 51 or older eat the recommended daily amount (2-3 cups).

An easy fix: Stay stocked with frozen veggies. They are easier to manage than trying to stay on top of using fresh vegetables before they go bad. Plus, they have the same nutritional benefits as fresh vegetables, says Ashlee Carnahan, the manager of nutrition and education services at Henry Ford Health, an academic medical center, adding they offer antioxidants, iron and vitamins. They also have fiber — something extra important for older adults, she adds. "It's even more important as you age, for that regularity of your digestive tract."

But frozen veggies often get a bad rap for being mushy or watery when you cook them. So, we talked to experts about how to work them into your meals with the best results. Plus, five delicious recipes to get you started: Lemon and Green Pea Risotto | Frozen Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup | Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust | Spaghetti with Broccoli-Miso Sauce and Toasted Walnuts | Frozen Cauliflower Oatmeal

Expert tips to making delicious frozen veggies

Get steamy. Looking for the healthiest way to cook your frozen vegetables? Carnahan says steaming is the best. "If you can tolerate a more hard vegetable and you don't like them mushy, that's actually better because the less time you cook them, the more nutrients stay in it,” she says. Pro tip for peas: Thaw them in a strainer with cool water. "This actually helps keep them plump and sweet and doesn't take much time," says Courtney Hill, a recipe developer at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street.

Watch out for ice! Feel your bag of frozen vegetables for ice blocks or large chunks of vegetables iced together before you buy, recommends chef and cookbook author Alyssa Brantley. "This usually indicates that the vegetables have thawed and refrozen at some point in the shipping process," Brantley explains. "The best quality frozen veggies for your recipes are those that are flash frozen and stay frozen until you are ready to cook with them!"

Plan ahead with denser frozen vegetables. Even if you're careful about choosing your frozen veggie bags from the grocery store, denser options can still pose problems. Frozen veggies like spinach or squash that are packed tightly when frozen usually have water crystals trapped within, says Hill. She recommends thawing them overnight in the fridge and patting them dry with a towel before cooking, if you don't plan to boil them. "This keeps them from being water-logged and will help if you want any browning when you cook them," she says.

Don’t forget the salt. Just like fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables need salt "to really make them sing," says chef, author and TV host Nikki Dinki. Just be sure to not overdo it if you have high blood pressure — something affecting more than half of adults age 40 to 59 and 75 percent of adults 60 and over, according to the CDC.

Opt for organic, if you can. Carnahan says choosing frozen vegetables marked as "USDA organic" is ideal if they're in your budget (they are sometimes more expensive) and available at your market, because they tend to have fewer chemicals. But buying non-organic options is still great, she adds.

Ready to get cooking? Try these five delicious recipes

LEMON AND GREEN PEA RISOTTO

Lemon and Green Pea Risotto

Connie Miller

By Laura Russell, recipe developer at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street. Serving size: 4 people.

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth OR vegetable broth
3 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, divided
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1½ cups frozen peas, thawed and patted dry
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup), plus more to serve
Finely chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley OR basil OR mint, to serve

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the broth and 2 cups of water to a covered, medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. Bring the mixture to a simmer before reducing the heat to low to keep warm.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

4. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt to the large saucepan and cook until softened, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes).

5. Add the rice to the large saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are translucent at the edges (1 to 2 minutes).

6. Add 3 cups of the hot broth mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

7. Reduce to medium heat and cook, stirring often and briskly, until most of the liquid is absorbed, (10 to 12 minutes). Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer.

8. Add ¼ cup of the broth at a time, until the rice is al dente and loose but not soupy (8 to 10 minutes). You may not need all of the broth.

9. Take the large saucepan off the heat, and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, peas, lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan.

10. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve sprinkled with parsley and additional Parmesan.

FROZEN VEGGIE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Frozen Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup

Andreana Bitsis

By Nikki Dinki, chef, author and TV host. Serving size: 8 people

One 12-ounce package egg noodles
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
Two 10-ounce bags of frozen onion, carrot and celery blend
1 tablespoon minced, fresh thyme leaves plus extra to garnish
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock
¾ pound cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

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DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil before adding the egg noodles.

2. Cook the noodles according to the package directions

3. Drain and set the noodles aside. (Add a splash of olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking if not using them immediately).

4. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the garlic and cook until tender (5 minutes).

5. Add the frozen vegetables, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the pot, stirring to combine.

6. Add the chicken stock, and bring the soup to a boil before reducing to a simmer.

7. Cook uncovered until the vegetables are very tender, but not mushy (15-20 minutes).

8. Remove two ladles (about 2 cups) of the veggies along with some stock from the pot, and transfer to a blender.

9. Puree this mixture until it is very smooth before transferring it back to the pot.

10. Add the cooked chicken to the pot, and cook until the chicken is warmed through (3-5 minutes).

11. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

12. Divide the egg noodles among serving bowls, and top with the chicken soup (I like to keep the soup and noodles separate for leftovers so the noodles don’t become soggy). Garnish with additional thyme and black pepper, and enjoy!

PRO TIP: Look for the delicious and nutritious high-quality bone broths that are sold in the freezer section. You can also add good-quality bouillon to regular boxed stock for a flavor bump.

TURKEY POT PIE WITH BISCUIT CRUST

Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust

Emily Weeks

From The "I Don't Want to Cook" Book: Dinners Done in One Pot, by Alyssa Brantley. Serving size: 6 people.

4 tablespoons salted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
⅔ cup heavy cream
1 pound leftover cubed or shredded turkey meat
1 (16-ounce) package refrigerated flaky biscuits

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Heat a 5.5-quart or larger Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Once the Dutch oven is hot, add butter. Stir until melted.

3. Add the onion and frozen vegetables, and sauté, stirring frequently (5 minutes).

4. Stir in the flour and spices, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes or until the flour begins to brown, stirring continuously.

5. Add the broth and heavy cream. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to bubble (1-2 minutes).

6. Immediately remove from the heat, and stir in the cooked turkey.

7. Arrange the biscuit dough on top of the turkey mixture so the biscuits are evenly covering the top of the pot pie. When arranging the biscuit dough, leave a little space between biscuits and around the edge of the pot pie as the sauce will bubble up when cooking.

8. Bake uncovered on the center rack for 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the biscuits are light brown on top.

9. Cool the pot pie for 10 minutes, and serve.

SPAGHETTI WITH BROCCOLI-MISO SAUCE AN TOASTED WALNUTS

Spaghetti with Broccoli-Miso Sauce and Toasted Walnuts

Connie Miller

By Rose Hattabaugh, recipe developer at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street. Serving size: 4-6 people.

Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Two 10-ounce bags frozen broccoli (either florets or cuts, a mix of florets and stalks)
3 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon white miso
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
1 pound spaghetti OR linguine
2 ounces Parmesan OR pecorino Romano finely grated (1 cup), plus more to serve
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup walnuts OR pine nuts, toasted

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil 4 quarts of water in a large pot.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, the frozen broccoli and garlic, and return to a boil.

3. Cook until the broccoli is fully tender (3 to 4 minutes).

4. Transfer the broccoli and garlic to a blender with a slotted spoon, keeping the water at a boil.

5. Remove 2 cups of the boiling water, and add 1 cup to the blender along with the miso and 1 teaspoon of pepper (reserve the rest of the water). Blend until smooth (about 1 minute).

6. Stream in the oil with the blender running, and set the broccoli puree aside.

7. Add the pasta to the boiling water, and stir until it's al dente.

8. Drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.

9. Add the broccoli puree, cheese, lemon zest and juice.

10. Toss everything, adding reserved water as needed so the pasta is lightly sauced.

11. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with additional oil and sprinkled with the nuts and additional cheese. Garnish with red pepper flakes, if desired.

FROZEN CAULIFLOWER OATMEAL

Frozen Cauliflower Oatmeal

Andreana Bitsis

By Nikki Dinki, chef, author and TV host. Serving size: 2-3 people.

1 cup whole milk
½ cup frozen cauliflower rice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the milk, 1 cup of water, cauliflower rice (no need to thaw) and salt in a small pot over high heat.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil.

3. Reduce it to a simmer, and cook until the cauliflower is mostly softened (2 to 3 minutes).

4. Add the oats, and continue to simmer until the oatmeal is soft and thick (about 6 minutes).

5. Serve hot.

PRO TIP 1: Add your favorite toppings, or follow Dinki’s daughter and top with her favorite combo of cranberries, honey, cinnamon and hemp seeds.

PRO TIP 2: Dinki calls frozen cauliflower rice “an easy add-in to your favorite dishes.” She recommends sprinkling some in your soups, sautéing it before adding to your eggs, mixing it into casseroles and even blending it into your smoothies.

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Abigail Seaberg is a freelance journalist based in San Diego. She covers subjects as diverse as oncology research, local news, celebrity updates, and health and wellness topics.