Pesto pasta is a quick-dinner go-to, but why not give this old favourite a fresh update? Our speedy pasta dish uses frozen spinach combined with cream, garlic and Parmesan for a satisfying sauce. Here, it's mixed through orecchiette (small, curved pasta shapes) but you could use anything you've got at home that's good for carrying sauce, like fusilli.
These lean, green fritters could be served in a bun as a veggie burger or on their own. Using frozen vegetables, like peas and spinach, they are simple to make and don't need a lot of complicated ingredients. It's worth making extra as they'll keep in the fridge for a couple of days and make a perfect light lunch.
Get the recipe for mint, pea, spinach and chia fritters here
You can make this simple casserole with leftover cooked turkey, ham or chicken, or a mixture. The meaty filling also uses frozen peas and spinach for a dose of healthy greens. You could also add a little broccoli if you wish. The topping is made from stuffing ingredients and comes out of the oven wonderfully crunchy.
Frozen peas are indispensable as they're such an excellent addition to myriad dishes, from breakfast omelettes to soups, noodles and this wonderful chicken curry. Infused with ginger, garlic, cumin and chilli, it's sure to become a household favourite. The finished dish will freeze really well too, so make a double batch and have portions on standby for another time.
This vegan twist on a Middle Eastern classic packs in a lot of green goodness, including frozen peas and spinach, and is ready in 30 minutes. If you're not catering for vegans, swap the plant-based yogurt for thick Greek yogurt. It serves two and is all cooked in one pan – such an easy meal solution for a lazy weekend breakfast.
Bursting with lots of fresh flavours, this quiche is perfect for a picnic, breakfast, brunch or even lunch. The recipe includes frozen peas to balance the saltiness of the feta and Parma Ham. For extra ease, use a block of frozen ready-made shortcrust pastry. Once you've nailed the base recipe, try a few different filling and flavour combinations.
An easy Spanish-style tortilla is a great way to pack five vegetables into one dish and have something filling and ready to eat in a matter of minutes. Frozen vegetables are absolutely perfect for this and you could even improvise a bit by adding mushrooms, broccoli or sweetcorn. Serve warm or at room temperature with a crisp, green salad on the side.
Get the recipe for courgette, pea and broad bean tortilla here
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Packing plenty of flavour with minimal effort, a good risotto should be in every home cook's repertoire. This version combines peas and prawns from the freezer with courgette in an irresistible dinner classic that's on the table in just over half an hour. The risotto freezes well too, if you have leftovers, and requires minimal washing up as everything is cooked in one pan.
This is an excellent way of using up different odds and ends – yesterday's leftover rice, that cabbage still lingering in the fridge, plus peas and prawns from the freezer. The leafy greens impart a sweet crunchiness and the meaty shellfish absorbs the soy and oyster sauce well. Move fast when you're making this stir-fry otherwise the prawns can become rubbery.
When you need something quick and nourishing at the end of a long day, this Malaysian noodle soup is just the ticket. Creamy coconut milk and sweet prawns straight from the freezer balance out the heat of the chilli. If you can't find laksa paste (the genius shortcut ingredient in this recipe), Thai red curry paste works well as a replacement. Leafy greens like pak choi, kale or spinach made a nice addition.
A simple take on classic French fish soup bouillabaisse, this comforting dish is so speedy because it uses a frozen seafood mix which is combined with a heady saffron-infused broth. Frozen seafood is often cheaper to buy than fresh and a little bit of everything – think mussels, calamari and prawns – is perfect for this soup. It's ready in just 15 minutes, but will transport you to the French Riviera instantly.
Any kind of meaty, white fish fillets, like cod and hake, are great to have in the freezer. Fish fillets defrost much quicker than meat and there are lots of tasty dishes you can make in minutes, including this one-tray wonder. It's big on flavour, bold in colour, easy to prepare and you can mix up the vegetables, depending on what you have at home.
Get the recipe for harissa and lemon baked fish with couscous here
The perfect family meal, this ham and rice casserole recipe includes a few handy shortcuts to make life as easy as possible. Using frozen diced mixed vegetables will cut down the prep time, plus you could also use frozen peas and sweetcorn. The sauce is a clever mix of cooked ham (although you can swap for chicken or turkey) and a can of cream of mushroom soup. It's unbelievably easy and most of the cooking time is hands-off while the casserole bakes in the oven.
This fragrant Sri Lankan curry has a creamy, coconutty base with cashews, chickpeas, frozen sweetcorn and fresh spinach, although you could use frozen as well – just drain the excess liquid once defrosted so it doesn't dilute the curry. Enjoy the hearty, comforting dish on its own or serve with rice, if you like.
Great to throw on the barbecue in summer or char in the oven for salads, frozen corn on the cob can easily be turned into a filling roast corn chowder too. It's rich, creamy and smoky, and will keep you satisfied for hours. The spiced maple corn topping isn't a necessity but it really does take the soup to the next level. If you only have frozen sweetcorn kernels, substitute two cobs for around 200g (7oz) of kernels, and watch the roasting time so the corn doesn't burn.
The ultimate comfort food to soothe the soul, this tasty bake combines cauliflower and beans with plenty of mature Cheddar and a crispy breadcrumb topping. Best of all, it requires almost zero effort as the beans come from a tin and the cauliflower florets and diced onions come already prepped, courtesy of the freezer. It's especially brilliant when the weather is colder.
Get the recipe for cauliflower cheese and white bean bake here
It's great when you can make breaded fish from scratch, but sometimes there isn't time so a pack of good-quality fish fingers or breaded fillets is just the ticket. For this recipe, skip the steps for making the fish, and just whip up the sauce while the fish fingers are cooking. You'll be ready to tuck into fresh and tasty tacos in no time.
Similarly to fish fingers, breaded chicken fillets are also a great freezer staple when you need to pull together a meal quickly. While obviously homemade crispy chicken katsu with panko breadcrumbs is much better, sometimes you have to cut corners where you can. The rest of this noodle dish comes together really easily while the chicken is cooking. You can also use frozen breaded chicken to make a quick-cook chicken parm or to top a Caesar salad.
Making your own regular or sweet potato fries can be quite time-consuming. This recipe is a great way to jazz up a frozen bag straight from the supermarket. Spicy pulled barbecue jackfruit pairs well with sharp, melted Cheddar and the sweetness of the potato. There are many ways you can upgrade this too – swap Cheddar for mozzarella, sprinkle chopped spring onion on top, or for a more substantial dish, add black beans.
Great in poke, noodle and rice bowls, in salads and with Japanese-inspired curries, edamame beans are hard to come by fresh, so a bag of frozen is your best bet. They're incredibly nutritious and filling so good to have on hand for a quick lunch. Serve them with this miso-crusted salmon recipe which has loads going for it – omegas from the salmon and sesame oil, plus fibre and polyphenols from the black rice and edamame.
A sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry is an absolute must to have on standby in the freezer. It's quick to defrost and can be used for many sweet and savoury dishes. This Italian ham and cheese pie is an excellent example of how humble pastry can be turned into a tasty lunch, with leftovers perfect for breakfast the next day.
Another easy way to use puff pastry is for tarts and nothing beats the classic combination of tomatoes and basil. This recipe combines tomato purée, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and a couple of spoonfuls of pesto (shop-bought is fine). It's best served fresh, but it'll keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
Don't forget that ready-rolled puff pastry is also your shortcut to classic pies. This chicken and bacon combo is simply perfect. To make life even easier, you could use a frozen vegetable mix instead of the onion, celery and leeks, and swap the mushrooms for sliced, frozen ones. If you do, you might have to cook the filling a little longer to make sure the excess liquid from the frozen veg evaporates.
You can, of course, also turn puff pastry into a quick dessert. This stunning tart features amaretto (a sweet Italian liqueur) and golden peaches. It’s incredibly quick and easy to make, ready in under 30 minutes. Want to save even more time? Make two and pop the second in the freezer, so it’s ready to go in an instant another day.
The secret to making healthy ice cream in five minutes? Frozen bananas. The fruit is whizzed with cocoa powder and chocolate almond milk for instant ice cream. Mix and match your favourite toppings, but be speedy. This refreshing dessert melts quickly – although it's so delicious, it won't be hanging around for long.
A similar approach is taken in this showstopping ice cream cheesecake. Frozen, chopped bananas are whizzed with golden syrup, cinnamon and cocoa powder until the mixture resembles soft-scoop ice cream, which is spooned on top of the oaty cheesecake base and left in the freezer until ready to serve. The final flourish is an easy blueberry compote – you could use frozen berries too.
Most of us have mixed berries on standby for breakfast smoothies, but they're great for desserts too. Take this healthy version of a classic British sweet treat, for example. Crumbled ready-made meringue nests and zingy berries (you can use a mixture) are stirred through zero-fat Greek-style yogurt (usually it's whisked double cream).
You might think making jam is an hours-long affair that requires a lot of patience, but try our no-cook version which only involves combining defrosted berries, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice. You'll have to leave it for a full day before it's ready, but after that you can slather straight onto toast or freeze. If doing the latter, don't forget to label the jar and when you want to eat it, take it out of the freezer to thaw about an hour before you want to serve.
Sour cherries are key to many dishes, from Turkish desserts to classic German Black Forest gateaux, but they can be difficult to buy fresh and are much cheaper frozen. In our cheesecake recipe, the cherries are used in a tangy compote to balance out the sweet cream cheese filling and digestive biscuit base. To prevent the cheesecake cracking, turn off the oven while the dessert is still in and allow it to cool slowly with the door ajar.
Whether you use regular or sour cherries is up to you, but using frozen is much cheaper, doesn't depend on seasonality and usually the fruit comes ready-pitted. This traybake is big (it serves around 12) but with a soft sponge, studded with chocolate chips and cherries, you'll want it all for yourself.
Get the recipe for dark chocolate and cherry sheet bake here