36 Recipes Using Frozen Vegetables That Make Dinner So Much Easier

Using frozen vegetables is budget-friendly, reduces stress, and saves prep time.

By

Kaitlyn Yarborough

Updated on June 25, 2024

Southern Living Chicken and Biscuit Casserole spooned out on plates to serve

We prefer our vegetables to be farmers' market fresh all the time, but it's not always in the cards. Be it a busy weekday, a hectic holiday, or merely off-season, we know how to harness the power of a bag of frozen broccoli, peas, corn, or carrots when needed. Not to forget, our favorite comforting casserole base is shredded potatoes. And what's not love? Frozen vegetables are budget-friendly, save on prep time, and—when used correctly—taste just as good in a casserole or stew as the fresh stuff. These frozen vegetable recipes will save you time when making dinner.

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One-Pan Ranch Chicken And Vegetables

Sheet-Pan Ranch Chicken And Vegetables — Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Ranch seasoning is the true star of this recipe. Just four ingredients are needed to pull this sheet pan dinner together.

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Hamburger Soup

Southern Living Hamburger Soup in bowls to serve — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Enjoy the flavors of a hamburger in a bowl with this hearty recipe. It's perfect for company and quick enough for a weeknight dinner.

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Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie — Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Refrigerated pie crust shortens the prep time for this recipe. The filling incorporates frozen vegetables for even more time-saving tricks.

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Broccoli Cornbread

Broccoli Cornbread in baking dish - Southern Living — Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Jasmine Smith; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Combining broccoli with cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, and corn muffin mix makes this cornbread a dish everyone will love.

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Tuna Noodle Casserole

Southern Living Tuna Noodle Casserole in a casserole dish ready to serve — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

We call for frozen peas on the ingredient list of this classic casserole, but you can also use a trio of corn, peas, and carrots if desired.

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Spinach Dip

Southern Living Spinach Dip in a bowl to serve with pita chips — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

There are few snacks more versatile than spinach dip. This recipe starts with a base of frozen chopped spinach and can be made up to three days in advance.

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Cowboy Casserole

Cowboy Casserole in a dish with a single serving on a plate — Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

If you're not preparing this potato-topped casserole for a crowd, this dish provides plenty of leftovers. You'll find both canned and frozen veggies under the Tater Tots.

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Stuffed Shells

Southern Living Stuffed Shells in the baking dish to serve — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

The frozen spinach in these shells is covered with so much cheesy goodness that every member of the family will enjoy eating their greens. Make this casserole on Sunday and it'll set you up for a few days of delicious leftovers.

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Chicken And Stuffing Casserole

Southern Living - Chicken and Stuffing Casserole — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Enjoy the flavors of Thanksgiving during any time of the year with this comforting chicken casserole recipe. Putting the chicken atop the stuffing ensures it develops plenty of flavor as it bakes.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Southern Living Chicken Tortilla Soup in bowls to serve — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Combine chicken, frozen corn, canned veggies, and plenty of spices for home-cooked comfort food. Serve with avocado slices, tortilla strips, and lime wedges.

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Cornbread Cowboy Casserole

Southern Living Cornbread Cowboy Casserole in the skillet with a serving scooped out — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This recipe takes a classic and comforting to a whole new level. You can prepare the chili layer ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or freezer until you're ready to add the final layer and bake.

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Chicken-And-Biscuit Casserole

Southern Living Chicken and Biscuit Casserole spooned out on plates to serve

Chicken, cheese, and biscuits make this casserole an easy way to want to eat your vegetables. In addition to frozen veggies, rotisserie chicken makes it even easier to pull together.

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Cheesy Broccoli-and-Rice Casserole

Cheesy Broccoli-And-Rice Casserole — Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

When the freezer aisle calls you, feel free to swap out the fresh broccoli for frozen in this recipe. There's no canned soup used, so you deserve the break anyway.

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Hamburger Stew

Hamburger Stew Recipe - Southern Living — ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLIST: KAY E. CLARKE; FOOD STYLIST: MARGARET MONROE DICKEY

This hearty stew cuts down on the prep time by throwing in canned tomatoes, and frozen vegetables. It's perfect for filling up your family on a hectic weeknight. Hot sauce adds some heat if desired.

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Home-Style Butterbeans

Home-Style Butterbeans in a dutch oven — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This veggie side dish uses the three B's—butter, brown sugar, and bacon—to make frozen butterbeans taste Thanksgiving-worthy. Use the same recipe for home-style lima beans.

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Creamed Spinach

Southern Living Creamed Spinach in a bowl to serve — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

Keep frozen spinach on hand in your freezer and you'll be able to whip up this side dish whenever you need a veggie to serve with dinner.

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Any-Season Succotash

Any-Season Succotash — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Enjoy succotash year-round by using frozen vegetables to replace the traditional farmers' market fresh selection. This colorful dish pairs perfectly with any main meal. Choose fresh or frozen corn and okra, depending on availability.

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Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole

Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole - Southern Living — Caitlin Bensel

This slow-cooker recipe adds a twist to your traditional casserole. It uses Alfredo sauce (instead of cream of mushroom soup), water chestnuts, Parmesan cheese, and toasted pecans for a unique take on this green bean classic. Grate your own Parmesean cheese to help it melt properly.

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Busy Day Soup

Busy Day Soup — Micah A. Leal

As the name implies, you can whip up this soup even on the busiest of days, thanks to the convenience of frozen and canned ingredients.

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Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut Squash Lasagna — Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Frozen spinach makes this vegetarian lasagna simple to assemble without sacrificing flavor. Using no-boil noodles makes prep even easier.

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Corn Pudding

corn pudding casserole - southern living — Courtney West

You'd never know frozen corn is the base of this savory, cheesy casserole. Corn pudding is a Southern holiday staple, but this recipe ensures that stress is kept low during the busy season.

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Classic Hoppin' John

Classic Hoppin’ John — Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton

Hoppin' John doesn't only belong at the start of the new year, in our opinion. This traditional dish with rice and peas is budget-friendly, uses frozen veggies, and tastes even better (if possible) the next day. Use thick-cut bacon for the perfect amount of smokiness in this recipe.

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Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole

Old-School Green Bean Casserole — Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Why not combine two favorite green veggies in a single side dish? This dish is a family favorite, with large chunks of bacon, browned Brussels sprouts, and water chestnuts. Use frozen Brussels sprouts and green beans (if desired) for stress-free cooking.

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Chicken Stir-Fry

Chicken Stir-Fry — Greg Dupree

Have this stir-fry ready quicker than you can call up the local Chinese restaurant. In just ten minutes, serve a delicious one-dish meal full of tangy Asian flavor, easy rotisserie chicken, and frozen stir-fried veggies. Serve with steamed rice for the complete dinner.

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Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup

Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup — Greg DuPree

The best part of this soup is the easy ingredient list of frozen vegetables. Switch up the ingredients according to what you prefer or have in your freezer, and add stew meat and a few spices in your pantry.

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Hashbrown Casserole

Hashbrown Casserole — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

It's incredible what Southerners can do with a bag of frozen potatoes. This cornflake-topped casserole has become a classic of many names, coming together with just a few staple ingredients. Garnish with fresh curly-leaf parsley sprigs for a beautiful presentation.

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Ham-and-Vegetable Cobbler

Ham-and-Vegetable Cobbler — Iain Bagwell

This cobbler is one of our all-time best weeknight warriors. The savory latticed casserole uses frozen vegetables, diced cooked ham, and store-bought pie crusts. These time-saving tricks make it—without a doubt—the easiest recipe ever.

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Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo — Southern Living

Time-saving frozen okra and canned tomatoes, paired with a few other hard-working ingredients, ensure an easy dish. Serve over rice.

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Corn and Jalapeño Dip

Corn and Jalapeño Dip — Hector Manuel Sanchez

We call in this slow-cooker dip when we need a dinner party starter, game day snack, or holiday appetizer. It takes eight ingredients, including frozen corn and two types of cheeses, and just 15 minutes of prep time. When ready to serve, stir in crumbled bacon and garnish with extra scallions.

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Taco Soup

Southern Living Easy Taco Soup — Jennifer Davick

Ready in just 55 minutes, this soup is our go-to for a leisurely night of entertaining. A few pantry and freezer staples later, and it's on the table, ready for tasty garnishes like shredded cheese, avocado, and corn chips. Serve with cheesy quesadillas if desired.

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Easy Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew with Pork and Chicken — Easy Brunswick Stew with Pork and Chicken. Photo Credit: Diana Rattray

This stew has all the makings of a family favorite: okra, pork, lima beans, corn, and a bevy of other canned and frozen veggies. The simple ingredients can be thrown in a slow cooker and left alone for hours, giving you a chance to tackle different tasks.

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Vegetable Beef Soup

Beef Vegetable Soup Recipes — Jennifer Davick

There's nothing quite as comforting as a warm bowl full of soup on a busy, wintery weeknight. Frozen mixed vegetables and a can of tomato sauce help this dish assemble in 15 minutes. This recipe also works well in a slow cooker, keeping your soup warm until you are ready to serve.

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Spinach-and-Broccoli Breakfast Bread Pudding

Spinach-and-Broccoli Breakfast Bread Pudding — Southern Living

Let the slow cooker do the work. Frozen broccoli, along with fresh or frozen spinach, gives the healthy green factor, while eggs, cheese, and Dijon mustard pack the dish with flavor. This recipe makes enough for a crowd—or plenty of leftovers.

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Cheesy Chili Hash Brown Bake

Cheesy Chili Hash Brown Bake — Jennifer Davick

If you've never made this five-ingredient dinner in a pinch, let us introduce you to your new favorite dish. The cheesy chili goodness, made in individual ramekins or a handy baking dish, is easy to enjoy. When almost completely cooked, sprinkle with extra cheese and cook for five more minutes.

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Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas

Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas — Victor Protasio

When dinner needs to be prep-to-table in 30 minutes, it's a job for this skillet gnocchi with frozen peas. Usually just boiled, gnocchi tastes even better when toasting the pillowy bites in a skillet for a little outer crisp.

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Heavenly Chicken Lasagna

Heavenly Chicken Lasagna — Lee Harrelson; Styling: Mindi Shapiro

Layer your ingredients, including frozen spinach, a day in advance and keep it covered and chilled until the following night. This ready-to-bake lasagna is ideal for freezing ahead of time but comes together just as quickly when preparing it on a busy weeknight.

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