The $3 Target Freezer Find I Always Keep on Hand for Impromptu Grilling Nights

There’s a ridiculously amazing German-style butcher shop just three miles up the road from my house. They stock around a dozen different types of sausages, two kinds of burger patties (the brisket ones are not to be missed), regular and skinless hot dogs, steaks, chops, butterkäse (aka butter cheese!), buns, pretzels, and so much more. The only thing they don’t carry? Any sort of vegetable side dish, which is only problematic because the grocery stores and farmers markets are in the opposite direction.

I really do try to serve some form of veggie with every dinner and I don’t always have time to run around to various stores. So unless I already have veggies in my fridge, it either means multiple stops or a very weird side dish that’s got little to no nutritional value. And that’s what brings me to these Good & Gather Broccoli and Cheese Veggie Tots.

I’m a huge fan of Target’s Good & Gather line and I can honestly say I’ve tried nearly every product. (I wrote about my favorites when the line first launched, I wrote about the groceries that reminded me the most of Trader Joe’s, and I will keep writing about Good & Gather until someone makes me stop!) I bought these tots once on a whim, figuring they’d be a great side for impromptu grilling nights. After all, broccoli is the first ingredient! I’m happy to report that I figured correctly.

These tots are the perfect freezer find. And they’re just $5.39 for a 16-ounce bag! With them on standby, I know that I’ll always have something veggie-forward to serve, no matter how last-minute our grilling plans are. I’ve cooked them in both the oven and the air fryer and they come out great either way — crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. They taste shockingly cheesy, but I can also taste the broccoli in there (a nice little reminder that I’m being semi-virtuous). Even my husband, who doesn’t love veggies “snuck” into things and might be the only person in the world who doesn’t love the Trader Joe’s Kale Gnocchi, asks for these. In fact, I sometimes wonder if he suggests a grilling night just because he wants these tots.

Buy: Good & Gather Broccoli and Cheese Veggie Tots, $5.39 for 16 ounces at Target

What do you pull out of your freezer when you need a last-minute, veggie-centric option? Tell us in the comments below.