No time to defrost? No problem! There are plenty of freezer foods that can be cooked without any thawing beforehand. Both ingredients and full meals can go from bricks of ice to warm and satiating dishes in under an hour, or far less. Stock up on these frozen items for last minute meal prep (no defrosting required), or grab them from the store and start cooking.
And no, it’s not just microwave dinners that should be cooked from frozen. Keeping a stash of frozen vegetables in the freezer means you always have ripe, seasonal produce on hand for an improvised soup or a more intricate recipe. And so many delicious recipes can be crafted from key types of produce, proteins, and more stored in the freezer. Here are a few of the best foods you can cook straight from frozen to save yourself plenty of time and money:
Peas
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A bag of frozen green peas is so much more than an impromptu ice bag. Frozen peas can be stirred into soups, stews, stir fries, and pasta and rice dishes to add a pop of green, and they defrost in mere seconds while keeping their texture. Frozen peas can also be quickly microwaved or steamed to heat them, and served with butter or olive oil for a quick side dish. Toss frozen peas into a simple Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie, or a verdant Gnocchi With Spring Vegetables.
Edamame
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Edamame, soybeans in the pod or not, can be cooked from frozen similarly to peas. Quickly zapping or steaming edamame in their shells and seasoning them with salt or your preferred seasoning makes for a great healthy appetizer or snack.
Corn
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Corn kernels are a great food to cook straight from frozen. In fact, defrosting them can make their texture too soft, so cooking them from frozen is ideal. Heat them on the stove and serve with butter or cheese for a quick side, or add them to a sheet pan or one-pot meal for another serving of veggies. A bag of frozen corn can be easily whipped up into Chile Corn Chowder or stirred into Hearty Black Bean Chili.
Kale
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Frozen kale leaves can add so much nutrition, quickly. Add frozen leaves to a sauté pan with a bit of oil or butter and cook to your liking, stir frozen kale into soups or stews, or toss it into your pasta water as it boils or rice as it steams for an extra green element. While frozen kale won’t work for a salad, it can be a great swap for fresh spinach or other leafy greens like in this Herby Chickpea and Rice Stew.
Berries
Frozen berries are great for smoothies (and they’re often much cheaper to buy frozen than fresh), but can also be cooked from frozen. Add frozen berries to oatmeal as it simmers, or pancakes after pouring the batter in the pan. Whip up a big batch of Baked Berry Oatmeal for a week’s worth of breakfasts.
Chicken Breast
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Defrosting chicken breast is standard practice before cooking, but it’s definitely not necessary. Chicken breast can be removed from the freezer and cooked immediately, typically by roasting it, braising it, or poaching it. The latter two methods submerge the chicken in warm liquid, which helps the white meat stay moist. Boneless chicken breast (or turkey breast) works best for this method, and can then be used to make Chicken Noodle Soup.
Fresh Pasta
After a few days in the refrigerator, fresh pasta (that is, pasta that hasn’t been dehydrated) needs to move to the freezer. Don’t defrost that fettuccine or tortellini before adding it to boiling water, that will ruin the texture. Cook fresh pasta straight from frozen for the best results. Use that pasta for a quick and satisfying Tortellini en Brodo, which is ready in under 30 minutes.
Herbs
Freezing herbs is a great way to preserve them, and they can instantly be added to any dish while it cooks on the stove or in the oven. Add a bunch of frozen sage to butter to infuse it, frozen rosemary or thyme to simmering stocks for an herbaceous flavor, or frozen basil to pasta or risotto for an extra element of freshness.
Cheese
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If you’re buying cheese in bulk, shredding it and freezing it is a great way to save time and money. Bags of most shredded cheese can also be tossed in the freezer, as can blocks of cheese, which will slice or shred more easily when frozen. Cook these cheeses directly from frozen, whether you’re topping a casserole, making a cheese sauce, or warming up a plate full of nachos. Make a simple Cheesy One-Pot Pasta with frozen cheese, and enjoy!
