Frozen mixed vegetables... What to do with 'em?
March 11, 2020 10:28 AM Subscribe
Food question. I ended up with a large, Costco-size bag of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans, peas)... what can I cook with them?
I'm not a frozen food person. Most of my cooking is with fresh vegetables. What tasty, delicious things can you make using frozen mixed vegetables?
I'm not a frozen food person. Most of my cooking is with fresh vegetables. What tasty, delicious things can you make using frozen mixed vegetables?
Risotto type stuff.
posted by koahiatamadl at 10:32 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by koahiatamadl at 10:32 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
I add them to mac-n-cheese
posted by terrapin at 10:33 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by terrapin at 10:33 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
Add some canned diced tomatoes, vegetable or beef broth, browned ground beef (if that's how you roll) and the seasonings of your choice (e.g. garlic powder, onion, etc) and simmer on medium low til happy for a super easy vegetable (beef) soup.
posted by somanyamys at 10:43 AM on March 11, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by somanyamys at 10:43 AM on March 11, 2020 [8 favorites]
Fried rice! (Rice, egg, veggies, soy sauce)
posted by amy.g.dala at 10:45 AM on March 11, 2020 [15 favorites]
posted by amy.g.dala at 10:45 AM on March 11, 2020 [15 favorites]
For quick lunches, I add frozen vegetables to canned soup to make a more hearty meal. A similar concept can be applied to any base meal with a sauce that can be used to flavor the veggies.
posted by bruinfan at 10:50 AM on March 11, 2020
posted by bruinfan at 10:50 AM on March 11, 2020
Tomato rice (aka Mexican rice). A Thai place near me puts them in green curry. They are also good in an Indian-style curry. Basically I throw them in anything stewy or casserole-like.
posted by cabingirl at 10:55 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by cabingirl at 10:55 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
Samosa filling
posted by unstrungharp at 10:56 AM on March 11, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by unstrungharp at 10:56 AM on March 11, 2020 [7 favorites]
You can cook and then puree them into a savoury sauce by adding herbs and spices. One of the best vegan mac n cheese sauces I've made used uses pureed carrots and potatoes.
posted by mayurasana at 10:56 AM on March 11, 2020
posted by mayurasana at 10:56 AM on March 11, 2020
Perfect in fried rice - my favorite is kimchi fried rice but any variation works.
If they're very much not freezer burnt you can give them a quick blanch and shock to thaw them and mix with beans, shallot or onion, and dressing for a marinated side dish bean salad thing.
If you do a baked potato you can pop a scoop on there and then top with your cheese of choice for a nice variation on the broccoli cheddar potato - bake the potato, break it up and rough it up with a fork, season it, put your toppings on and stick it back in the oven to melt and crisp up.
To enjoy them plain I find they're best if you steam them in the microwave, covered with vent holes and some water added, and then drain and toss into a pan with butter and seasoning to taste. Really not bad as a side dish for anything that's like a basic protein and starch. But they're better for mixing into soups, stews, and starches. Pot pie, definitely.
posted by Mizu at 11:09 AM on March 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
If they're very much not freezer burnt you can give them a quick blanch and shock to thaw them and mix with beans, shallot or onion, and dressing for a marinated side dish bean salad thing.
If you do a baked potato you can pop a scoop on there and then top with your cheese of choice for a nice variation on the broccoli cheddar potato - bake the potato, break it up and rough it up with a fork, season it, put your toppings on and stick it back in the oven to melt and crisp up.
To enjoy them plain I find they're best if you steam them in the microwave, covered with vent holes and some water added, and then drain and toss into a pan with butter and seasoning to taste. Really not bad as a side dish for anything that's like a basic protein and starch. But they're better for mixing into soups, stews, and starches. Pot pie, definitely.
posted by Mizu at 11:09 AM on March 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
Nthing pot pies, shepherd's pie, and fried rice and soups. You can throw together a quick-and-dirty minestrone by combining some broth, a can of beans, a handful of elbow macaroni and a couple handfuls of those veg. Gild the lily by adding a couple of spoonfuls of pesto.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:11 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:11 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
They would be good to put into a Japanese curry, or any curry really as noted above.
I know you say that frozen vegetables aren't your thing but you should check out if your grocery store carries frozen mirepoix. Saves you from a lot of dicing and peeling.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:17 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
I know you say that frozen vegetables aren't your thing but you should check out if your grocery store carries frozen mirepoix. Saves you from a lot of dicing and peeling.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:17 AM on March 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
Good way to add veg to ramen. If you really don't want to eat them, maybe a food pantry or meal program would like them - soup kitchen, meals on wheels, etc.
posted by theora55 at 11:22 AM on March 11, 2020
posted by theora55 at 11:22 AM on March 11, 2020
I add frozen mixed veggies to many of the foods I cook for an easy nutritional boost. For example, I have a peanut sauce noodle recipe that's mostly carbs and peanut sauce--I add frozen mixed veggies to that. I have a cauliflower coconut-tomato curry recipe--I add a cup of frozen mixed veggies to that.
Basically, you can add a cup to any recipe that's sauce + carb to get more veggies in.
If you happen to have a baby who's starting to eat solid foods, frozen mixed veggies are usually perfectly sized (since they often come pre-diced) and are easy to steam in the microwave. Put the veggies in a bowl, add a bit of water, cover with a plate, and microwave five or so minutes until the veggies are soft enough for your baby.
posted by saltypup at 11:41 AM on March 11, 2020
Basically, you can add a cup to any recipe that's sauce + carb to get more veggies in.
If you happen to have a baby who's starting to eat solid foods, frozen mixed veggies are usually perfectly sized (since they often come pre-diced) and are easy to steam in the microwave. Put the veggies in a bowl, add a bit of water, cover with a plate, and microwave five or so minutes until the veggies are soft enough for your baby.
posted by saltypup at 11:41 AM on March 11, 2020
Frozen veggies mix plus can of garbanzo beans plus Indian summer sauce of choice in a pot until heated through. Serve with naan, rice, whatever.
posted by crunchy potato at 11:51 AM on March 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by crunchy potato at 11:51 AM on March 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
My "sick in bed" cooking is to boil up some macaroni, goes into a strainer, start a can of chicken stock going in the now empty pot, pour in frozen vegetables, when stock simmers/ boils, dump the macaroni in. Add a little white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder.
If I'm fancy, I'll open up a tin of protein as a side.
posted by porpoise at 12:01 PM on March 11, 2020
If I'm fancy, I'll open up a tin of protein as a side.
posted by porpoise at 12:01 PM on March 11, 2020
Soup time!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:11 PM on March 11, 2020
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:11 PM on March 11, 2020
Chop them up small and add to chili or taco filling.
posted by telophase at 12:46 PM on March 11, 2020
posted by telophase at 12:46 PM on March 11, 2020
Curry curry curry!
Thai curry! Indian curry! Japanese curry! Caribbean curry! So many curries, each more delicious than the last!
posted by bile and syntax at 1:41 PM on March 11, 2020
Thai curry! Indian curry! Japanese curry! Caribbean curry! So many curries, each more delicious than the last!
posted by bile and syntax at 1:41 PM on March 11, 2020
Tater Tot Hotdish is a comfort food classic.
posted by superna at 8:18 PM on March 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by superna at 8:18 PM on March 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:30 AM on March 11, 2020 [21 favorites]