The 7 Best Frozen Vegetable Side Dishes at Trader Joe’s

Look beyond the typical-yet-trusty bags of frozen peas at Trader Joe’s and you’ll see that the freezer section is a gold mine when it comes to fun-and-surprising vegetable side dishes. We’re talking items like flavorful bags of greens, perfectly seasoned potatoes, roasted corn, and so much more.

Ready to find your next dinner shortcut? These are seven of our favorite veggie sides that you can pair with any meal. Warning: They just might be more of a showstopper than the main course. 

What’s great about these roasted Brussels sprouts is that they’re seasoned with a light-enough hand that you can still add your own twist — be it a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or a splash of lemon juice. Of course, they’re great as is, if you don’t want to bother.

This vegetable trio is the perfect side for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Serve it with a hearty steak dish or top off a homemade fried egg. Lightly seasoned with pepper, paprika, and parsley, this veggie combo finds most of its bursts of flavor naturally in the meaty mushrooms, thinly sliced potatoes, and tender green beans.

Trader Joe’s frozen Mexican food is largely what helped me get through the past year. While TJ’s Pollo Asado Autentico was the star of every weekly fajita night in my house, the Mexican Style Roasted Corn was the quintessential side dish. The combination of smoky and sweet corn, plus sour cream, lime, and cotija cheese can also make a filling vegetarian taco — just add beans, rice, and guacamole. 

Step aside, roasted potatoes and carrots! These greens are the new veggie power combo. The medley of broccoli florets, green beans, peas, and zucchini quarters is the tastiest way to pack your meals with healthy greens. I love to color my lunch bowls with this base and top it with grilled chicken or salmon.

This Asian vegetable medley wins all the points in the chock-full-of-flavor category. Not only does it take less than 10 minutes to make, but it also comes with Beijing-style soy sauce to drench the broccoli, green beans, snap peas, and baby corn in. Now that’s the best way to eat your veggies. Paired with Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken, this frozen bag will make for one wholesome dinner. 

With this classic Italian veggie mix, there’s no need to fire up the grill. The marinated eggplant, zucchini, and red peppers are already grilled to perfection. Just roast them on a sheet pan before serving with your choice of pasta. Looking to upgrade your vegetable game? Dunk the trio in tomato sauce and serve on top of pasta for an even more satisfying side (or, you know, dinner).

Sure, we know cauliflower is the top-reigning versatile veggie right now (think: TJ’s Organic Rice Cauliflower and Cauliflower Gnocchi). But this Organic Rainbow Cauliflower takes the cake for most unique variation. Green, orange, white, and purple florets make for a kid-friendly side and a parent-friendly option when you’re under a time crunch — microwaving them takes under four minutes! 

What are you go-to veggie sides at Trader Joe’s? Tell us in the comments below!