No one is above the freezer aisle. Not even chefs. They might not be reaching for TV dinners, but they browse the freezer section for staples (and ice cream) just like the rest of us. At Southern Living we’ll often suggest using frozen items, from puff pastry (nobody has the time to make their own from scratch), to frozen spinach (which is an economical choice since fresh cooks down to nearly nothing). We asked a few Southern chefs to let us know what they pick up frozen at the grocery store, and how they use those items in their cooking.
Some chef favorites might not surprise you, like frozen fruit, but other picks, including dino nuggets, goes to show that even chefs give in to store-bought convenience sometimes.
Vegetables
Multiple chefs we spoke to praised frozen vegetables. You might think “fresh is always best,” but frozen vegetables, which are harvested and processed when the vegetable is in season, are a reliable way to have great product year-round.
“It’s always great to have backup ingredients in the freezer or items that are time-saving hacks and won’t compromise the quality of a dish. I always keep a bag of frozen corn handy but am mindful about how I use it. For example, while it’s great in creamed corn where it slow cooks and breaks down. I wouldn’t use it in a salad or something fresh,” says Patrick Hart, executive chef at The Jones Assembly in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, executive chef Lawrence Weeks of North of Bourbon in Louisville, Kentucky, swears by frozen peas…