This Is the Best Way to Cook Frozen Vegetables

Frozen vegetables are extremely useful to have on hand in a pinch. Although fresh veggies straight from the farmers' market are always preferred, frozen vegetables are better than no vegetables, and in many recipes, you never know the difference. Frozen vegetables are easy on the wallet, and they often save precious time in the kitchen, especially when you can pop them in the microwave to steam (although that's usually after defrosting, which adds time). Whether you go for the microwave method or you follow package instructions for boiling the veggies, which takes more time than we have to spare, they often come out a bit soggy. Overall, when prepared according to package instructions, frozen vegetables are "meh" at best.

Luckily, our friends at The Kitchn let us in on a few tips for better ways to cook frozen vegetables. The best part? No thawing is required for either method.

The Trick to Cooking Frozen Vegetables

For small veggies like corn and peas, you're safe to immediately throw them in whatever you're cooking—straight from the freezer. These tiny bites thaw so quickly that whatever you're cooking them with, whether soup, stir-fry, or casserole, will do the job for you. For larger veggies like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, simply roast them like you would fresh. No thawing here either—the veggies can go on the sheet pan from the freezer and roast beautifully. The Kitchn offers a helpful three-step technique for roasting frozen veggies to ensure they come out just right.

So there you have it: Cooking frozen vegetables doesn't have to yield a disappointing, droopy result. With these simple ways to cook frozen vegetables, you can get your daily servings while saving time and money.