20 Best Frozen Foods To Stock Up On For Easy Weeknight Meals

When it comes to getting dinner on the table quickly on a busy weeknight, you want to search for ways to make the process easier, less labor-intensive, and as cost-effective as possible. One hack for this is to stock up on frozen foods that you can keep on hand. Not only do many frozen foods last a surprisingly long time, but they can take the guesswork out of menu planning, which is a bonus for any busy human juggling all of the responsibilities of modern life.

That said, a random assemblage of ingredients doesn't exactly help expedite the dinner preparation process without a recipe to go along with them. That's where we at Daily Meal come in. We have your back with not only suggestions for the best frozen foods to buy, but how to use them creatively, yet efficiently. From entrées to side dishes to desserts, your weeknights are about to get a culinary makeover.

One of the most classic side dishes for a more elegant menu is a simple green beans almondine. While this version calls for fresh green beans, there is no reason why you cannot use frozen ones. Not only are they equally as flavorful, they can be just as nutritious. 

When opting to use frozen beans, skip the process of blanching them, as frozen ones have already been parboiled. Simply toss the frozen beans straight into the pan along with the sautéed aromatics and cook until they are thawed and hot, but still al dente.

Recipe: Green Beans Almondine

Many people are familiar with the edamame served shell-on at an Asian-style restaurant, but if you take a peek in the freezer section of your local grocery store, you'll find them already shelled, which makes them super simple and easy to use in myriad recipes. Score!

This spin on a classic succotash features edamame in place of lima beans. Edamame tend to be smaller, sweeter, and less starchy than lima beans, making them a more delicate option that pairs beautifully off the nutty grilled corn and the salty cheese.

Recipe: Warm Grilled Corn And Edamame Succotash Salad

While there is certainly nothing quite as delicious as freshly harvested sweet corn in the summer, when making creamed corn, the frozen variety works swimmingly well. It is also infinitely more convenient. 

One of the hurdles of making creamed corn with corn on the cob is that you have to remove the corn kernels from the ear, which is labor-intensive and super messy. Frozen corn takes this step out of the equation, making this a quick and easy dish. If you'd like to add a little savoriness to this dish, swap the butter for three or four slices of diced, rendered bacon.

Recipe: Easy Creamed Corn

This recipe uses frozen, chopped broccoli to produce a casserole that is reminiscent of the classic green bean variety served at most Thanksgiving dinners. It combines cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, and a crunchy Ritz cracker topping for a creamy, yet crispy, delight that would pair well with any protein as a simple side dish. 

If you are wanting to amp up the umami notes, try adding a dash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to the recipe. Note that you might want to swap a low-sodium variety of cream of mushroom soup to help prevent the dish from becoming overly salty.

Recipe: Broccoli Casserole

Mashed cauliflower is a fantastic, low-carb, keto-friendly stand-in for potatoes in this creamy side dish. This recipe features a number of flavorful additions that help to boost the complexity of the mash, notably garlic, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and fresh thyme. 

To expedite this process and create less clean up, try using an immersion blender to purée the cauliflower rather than a food processor. Also, though it is convenient, avoid using pre-grated Parmesan cheese in this recipe. It is encased in an anti-caking agent that can leave this mash gummy rather than creamy.

Recipe: Mashed Cauliflower

While frozen spinach is but one component of this satisfying soup, it is an important one. That said, fresh spinach not only spoils quickly, you'd need a semi truckload of it to equal the same volume as that contained in a 10-ounce package of the frozen variety. 

While you can add frozen spinach to this soup, as it thaws, excess water will be added to the dish, which dilutes the flavor. Thaw and drain the spinach before incorporating it into the soup first so that the full flavor of the dried herbs are retained and the finished dish requires less salt.

Recipe: Sausage And Spinach Tortellini Soup

If you live anywhere in the Midwest and are attending a potluck, chances are you will find a tater tot casserole on the menu. This easy, yet delicious, dish is the ultimate comfort food. 

While this is a relatively standard recipe in some ways, it offers a few twists that give this version a bit of a Tex-Mex spin. To really heat things up, try using a spicy salsa and swap the Mexican cheese blend with shredded pepper jack. You can also toss in a can of drained, chopped green chiles or a couple of minced, canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

Recipe: Tater Tot Casserole With Taco Seasoning

While fresh cranberries are seldom available year-round, frozen ones are generally always on sale. That makes this salad one that you can bust out during any season. 

Before adding frozen berries, make sure you thaw them so that they do not produce a sorbet-like consistency to this dressing. You will also likely be able to forgo adding any water to thin this dressing out as the frozen berries will provide adequate moisture to create a looser texture. For added flavor and to enhance the nuts in this recipe, try swapping the olive oil with walnut or almond oil.

Recipe: Fall Favorites Salad With Cranberry Dressing

Who says that sweet potato pie is only for the holidays? This Southern staple is a fantastic and simple dessert to bust out as a sweet treat for any meal, especially if you keep pre-made pie crusts handy in the freezer. 

Though this recipe calls for freshly cooked sweet potatoes, there is no reason why you couldn't use canned ones, as long as they are not packed in syrup and have no sugar added to them. If you do decide to use fresh sweet potatoes, try baking them instead of boiling them for a more complex flavor.

Recipe: Southern-Style Sweet Potato Pie

While fresh peaches in season are delicious, it can be hard to find good ones, and even if you do, peeling and seeding them can be quite labor-intensive. The easiest and best option for virtually any peach-flavored dessert, like this cobbler, is to use frozen ones. 

When using frozen peaches, do not thaw them before adding them to this recipe, otherwise they will become too mushy in the baking process. If peaches aren't your jam, you can easily swap any frozen fruit you prefer in this recipe with fantastic results.

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler

While ordering a pizza to-go is certainly simple enough, making one at home is infinitely less expensive and far more satisfying. A great way to expedite this process is to keep frozen pizza crusts on hand. There is no shortage of decent brands to accommodate virtually any dietary need, from classic thin crusts to those that are gluten-free or even made from cauliflower. 

This particular pizza recipe is surprisingly easy and just a tad bougie, featuring assorted mushrooms and delicate greens. To jazz up the flavor, garnish this pizza with a drizzle of truffle oil for a fantastic aroma and a dash of umami-richness that is sure to elevate both weeknight and weekend dinners.

Recipe: White Pizza With Mushrooms And Garlicky Greens

If you are a fan of pasta, especially stuffed pasta varieties, like ravioli, you can obtain a variety of types of frozen ones in different flavors from the grocery store. Try upgrading a simple cheese ravioli by topping it with a classic meat and vegetable-based Bolognese sauce. 

Unlike store-bought varieties of this sauce, which are typically glorified tomato sauces with a sprinkle of meat in them, this one showcases the protein and vegetables, using tomatoes as more of an accent. Try swapping the ground beef with pork, lamb, veal, or bison for something even more gourmet.

Recipe: Simple Bolognese Sauce

If you want to surprise your loved ones with a little dessert to cap off a nice meal on a warm summer night, this recipe is for you. It features fresh blueberries and peaches tucked delicately into store-bought puff pastry. These are baked and drizzled with an almond glaze, producing something that resembles a fancy, grown up Pop Tart. 

The key to perfecting these is to work with puff pastry that has been thawed and is at room temperature. This will make the pastry easier to roll out and cut into even squares.

Recipe: Almond-Glazed Blueberry Peach Hand Pies

When it comes to basic recipes every household should have at their disposal, a simple Italian tomato sauce is a great one to perfect. It is versatile and can be used to throw together a quick spaghetti with meatballs dinner in a flash. 

The key is stocking up on a quality frozen meatball that you can thaw quickly. Among my personal favorites are the ones from the Kirkland Signature brand, which you can obtain from Costco if you have a membership. They are fantastic reheated in the air fryer, where they become just slightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Recipe: Italian Tomato Sauce

Frozen shrimp are an incredibly versatile staple to keep on hand. They are particularly amazing when turned into this flavorful shrimp cocktail salad, which would make an equally impressive appetizer as it would a main course served with tortillas, rice, and beans. 

Make sure to get shrimp that are already peeled and deveined. This will save you a lot of time and effort. I also recommend choosing shrimp that are tail-on for a more elegant presentation. And, don't forget the pitcher of margaritas to really liven things up for an island-inspired menu sure to put everyone in a relaxed state-of-mind.

Recipe: Shrimp Cocktail Salad

Frozen, sustainably-caught salmon filets are yet another great seafood item to keep on hand in the freezer. They thaw rapidly and cook even more quickly. 

You can use skin-on or skinless filets, wild or farm-raised. The biggest difference between the two is how rapidly the salmon cooks, as the farmed variety has a slightly higher fat content, which means it has a tendency to take longer to cook. Additionally, it has a milder flavor, so if you have finicky eaters who don't like overly fishy fish, you may want to seek out the farmed variety.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Grilled Salmon

If your dinner plans involve watching a football game and you are hunting for a recipe that can carry you beyond half-time, this recipe is for you. It is super easy to assemble and requires very few ingredients, most of which either come from a jar, are canned, are frozen, or are leftover. 

Frozen hash browns form the base of this recipe, though you could also use frozen tater tots if that's what you have on hand. If you are pressed for time, try picking up a rotisserie chicken to repurpose for this recipe. These are a great shortcut in a pinch.

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Casserole

One of the frozen items that can be used in a multitude of recipes is frozen, fully cooked chicken. This is available in many iterations, including whole, diced, and sliced portions, nuggets or tenders, and various preparation methods, like blackened, grilled, oven-roasted, or roasted. 

Among the easiest recipes to use frozen, cooked chicken in is a hearty chili. This cheesy, spicy white chili is especially flavorful and can be served as-is with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and green onions for a one pot meal that can be ready in minutes.

Recipe: Easy White Chicken Chili

The best way to describe this dish is as a lasagna with a little Latin flair. It features tortillas as de facto noodles and is incredibly simple to throw together in a pinch, making it the perfect easy weeknight meal. 

The ideal lean-to-fat ratio of ground beef for this dish is 80/20. You don't even have to thaw the meat before browning it. It will just take a little more time and attention to cook thoroughly and brown evenly. I recommend draining the meat well before combining it with the remaining ingredients to make sure the bake isn't too loose and soggy after it comes out of the oven.

Recipe: Southwestern Taco Bake

Who doesn't love breakfast for dinner? This dish is ideal to assemble before going to work so that it is ready to pop into the oven when you get home. 

It works beautifully with frozen breakfast sausage, which can easily be cooked from a frozen state before the dish is assembled. Though this dish calls for potato rolls, any bread you might typically use for French toast will do, including challah or brioche. Serve this with a light green salad and a fruity dessert for a simple, yet satiating weeknight dinner. And, to really drive home the breakfast for dinner theme, don't forget the mimosas!

Recipe: Breakfast Casserole With Sausage