Frozen Vegetable Main Dishes

beabria

I'm working on a freezer clean-out this spring, trying to use up a lot of old frozen foods - especially frozen veggies. Anyone have some favorite main dishes that use up a lot of frozen veggies? It doesn't have to be vegetarian (though it's fine if it is) - but I'd love recipes where the veggies are the star - or at least the bulk!
My long-standing favorite is "everything in the pot soup". Basically a vegetable soup, but often with bits of whatever leftover meats or beans I might have, and with variations on herbs depending on my mood. Sometimes I even give it a curry base if I want something richer or more flavor punch. But as much as I love soup (and I reeeeally love soup), this freezer clean-out is pushing me to look for more creative solutions.

beabria

(And as expensive as groceries are these days - frozen veggie meals also seem like an inexpensive way to get some healthy meals!)

SuzanneC1l9zz

I made this casserole last week with frozen veggies. Just popped them in the steamer for 10 mins at the start:

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/8024089/creamy-broccoli-cauliflower-chicken-casserole/

I used a deli rotisserie chicken, and I didn't have enough broccoli so I made up the difference with frozen corn. Don't see why other veggies wouldn't also work. Needs more garlic (I doubled it, still not enough).

beabria

SuzanneC1l9zz wrote: »

I made this casserole last week with frozen veggies. Just popped them in the steamer for 10 mins at the start:

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/8024089/creamy-broccoli-cauliflower-chicken-casserole/

I used a deli rotisserie chicken, and I didn't have enough broccoli so I made up the difference with frozen corn. Don't see why other veggies wouldn't also work. Needs more garlic (I doubled it, still not enough).

Looks tasty - and thanks for the tip about garlic! (I like a good garlicly punch!)

LifeChangz

gramsie used to simmer her fresh summer veggies like sweet onion, bell peppers, some of her overflowing zuchini with her overflowing fresh diced tomatoes (could use 1can diced tomatoes) and Italian spices, then some shredded cheese towards the end - for her veggie side dish with dinners. I love it for snacks too...

i have added other things beyond - asparagus, frozen mixed veggie blends.... it's the cheesy tomatoey flavor liquid saucy/gravy part of that i like - actual veggies in the dish can easily vary.and spices too - i use blackening seasoning for the snap, a lot.

SuzySunshine99

I use frozen veggies all the time for stir frys. You can add meat or tofu if you want.
I don't have a recipe, I just use whatever veggie mix I have in a large frying pan or wok with meat (usually chicken or shrimp) and add in whatever sauce I like, usually a bottled Asian-style sauce.
Its my go-to lazy, after-work, too-tired-to-really-cook, too-hungry-to-wait-long, kind of meal.

LisaMoxon155

For me it is -soups-pasta with pasta sauce and veggies- curried vegetables-
Look in your cupboard for a spice/herb pot you have.
I found a jar of five spices yesterday and made a five spice veggie mix thing 👌.

I usually eat meat but enjoying veggie dishes at the moment.

acpgee

Cheat's soup au pistou. Bring several handfuls of mixed frozen veg to a boil with a chicken or vegetable stock cube. Make or buy some pesto. Before serving the soup, throw in a rounded tablespoon of pesto into each bowl. To make this a filling meal, throw in a tin of white beans.

MFPbuttoni

I like to use up frozen green beans past their prime in a quick low-carb Tuna Casserole. It's a comfort food at my house. This was one of my earliest low-carb recipes back when I began low-carbing in 2009. It's a pretty good take on an American classic IMO:

Tuna Casserole
MARCH 2011
Photo here: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/tuna-bean-jicama-casserole/

Back in 2009 when I began my Atkins journey, there weren’t all the low-carb noodle options out there we have today. And since tuna casserole was a personal favorite, I had to get creative. This was one of my early creations when I got started on this way of eating. I threw this together one night with some leftover frozen green beans and decided I didn’t need noodles to enjoy a favorite comfort food. It came out tasty and had a new twist. I added in some jicama. The jicama gives a crunch similar to water chestnuts, which I have always liked in my tuna casseroles..........but jicama has even fewer carbs! The jicama adds no flavor, just crunch, so you can omit it if you like.

INGREDIENTS:

6.5 oz. canned or foil pouch tuna (I use oil pack)

2 c. cooked frozen green beans (French style or cut whole)

½ c. jicama, peeled or water chestnuts, julienne sliced (or slivered almonds)

½ c. canned mushrooms (2 small cans), with their liquid

½ c. cream

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend below (key ingredient, so don’t skip)

2 slices American cheese

½ c. grated Cheddar cheese

Dash pepper

1/4 tsp. xanthan gum

VARIATION: I like to also add some finely diced red bell pepper or pimiento to the picture for a slightly different flavor. You can also add in a few low-carb fettucini noodles of your choice if that texture is a must for you. As always, be sure to recalculate your nutritional info if you make variations.

DIRECTIONS: Cook the frozen green beans until just, drain and put in a mixing bowl. Peel and dice the jicama and add to the bowl. Add the canned mushrooms, cream, tuna and all spices. Stir in xanthan gum and blend all well. Pour into microwaveable baking dish. Top with American cheese slices first and then with the grated cheddar. Pop into a 350º preheated oven for 20-30 minutes to blend flavors and thicken up.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains (using jicama):

307 cals, 22g fat, 9.53g carbs, 3.55g fiber, 5.98g NET CARBS, 19g protein, 450 mg sodium


SEAFOOD SPICE BLEND: Stores in airtight jar months. Good for all seafood & many seafood recipes.

7 T. paprika

4 T. garlic powder

2 ½ T. crushed oregano

3 T. ground thyme

3 T. onion powder

2 T. black pepper

1 T. cayenne pepper

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serving = 1/4 tsp. which has 5 cals., 1.5 g carbs

MFPbuttoni

This is a great way to use up spinach that has been in the freezer for awhile. The spices add so much flavor they will mask any freezer taste the spinach may have picked up over time in the freezer.

Indian Chicken Saag (creamed spinach)


I first tasted this delicious chicken dish when a new Indian restaurant opened here in my town. I had eaten Saag and Saag Paneer many times before, and make it often at home. However we had never seen it served as a combination with meat included, like an entrée curry. Needless to say, we both loved it! It was served with a cup of basmati rice and was enough to serve both of us generously. The chef served it with the saag already spooned over what appeared to be butter-seared chicken breasts, but it was not very attractive served that way, to be quite honest. I could clearly tell the breast meat had been seared first in butter as a bit of meat was peeking out from under his spooned over saag in the pretty copper & brass serving dish. I chose to serve the butter-seared chicken slices on top of the saag at home, for a little nicer photographic effect. I think you Indian food fans are really going to like this one!

This recipe is suitable for most ketogenic diets. Paleo followers will need to sub in coconut milk for the cream and omit the cream cheese entirely. won’t be quite as authentic, but still pretty good, I imagine.

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz. skinless chicken breast, cut into 6 servings

2 T. unsalted butter + 1 T. extra light olive oil

16 oz. frozen chopped spinach

Water to just cover spinach

3 oz. cream cheese

1/3 c. heavy cream

Dash each salt and black pepper

1 tsp. my Garam Masala spice blend below

½ tsp. finely minced ginger root

½ c. cilantro, chopped

¼ tsp. onion powder (2 oz. fresh onion if you prefer)

½ large jalapeno, seeded, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350º. Melt butter with oil in large skillet. Sear chicken pieces in pan over high heat for about 5 minutes on a side or until golden as shown. When fully done, remove meat to a paper plate. Drain off all grease but 1 T. Add spinach and water to the same pan. Bring to simmer and cook until done, or about 5 minutes. Pour into a sieve to drain off water. Press with back of spoon to get as much out as possible. Replace spinach in skillet. Add cream cheese and with back of your spoon, press it out to melt it and stir well into spinach. Add all other ingredients and let simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Now it’s time to place the seared pieces of chicken on the top of the bed of saag. Pop into 350º oven for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve at once. I serve mine over steamed cauliflower pressed slightly with a fork. Non now-carbers at table can enjoy over a bed of 3/4 c. basmati rice. This dish pairs nicely with my Mint-Cucumber Salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

326 cals, 16g fat, 11g carbs, 2g fiber, 9g NET CARBS, 29g protein, 226 mg sodium

6 T. coriander seeds
3 T. cumin seeds
2 T. black peppercorns
1 T. whole cardamom pods (outer part and seeds inside)
5 small cinnamon sticks broken into small pieces
2 tsp. whole cloves
1 whole grated nutmeg (about 1 tsp.)

DIRECTIONS: In a dry skillet, over low heat, heat the first 6 spices until they become very fragrant. This step is most important, so do not skip it or your results won’t be as good. When fragrant, turn off heat and remove pan from stove. Using a spice/coffee grinder (I have a cheap dedicated coffee grinder for spices only), grind all toasted spices to a pretty fine grind, but it doesn’t have to be as fine as salt. Add grated nutmeg at this point. When adding this spice to curry recipes, I once again heat the dry skillet and reheat these until they become fragrant and then proceed with whatever recipe I’m making. This is outstanding in all chicken, beef and fish curries. It’s great on charcoal grilled, buttered fish and chicken, too!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Each teaspoon contains and is already included in the above stats for the total recipe:

6 calories, 0.31g fat, 1.1g carbs, 0.6g fiber, 0.23g protein, 0.5g NET CARBS

RenaTX

A lot of veggies work well with pasta sauce and you can make a vegetable lasagna using them.