Look inside most Aussie freezers, and you’ll find a bag of frozen peas, a brick of spinach or the MVP – a tricolour carrot, corn and pea medley mix. Frozen vegetables have saved many a weeknight dinner, and while they are a fantastic way to get your five-a-day, they can also be the most dreaded part of the meal. That is, if you’re preparing them incorrectly.

Australian cook and TV presenter Justine Schofield is an expert on the topic. She’s recently published Cook Ahead, a book on batch-cooked freezer meals, and says the freezer is the unsung hero of every home kitchen. She’s also headlining a Good Food Events long lunch in May, which is all about frozen vegies, Deli Lane presented by Birds Eye Deli (see below for more details).

Here, she shares her tips for cooking with frozen veg and how to make your sides more interesting.

Crisp them up in the air fryer

The soft texture of frozen vegetables can bring back bad memories of school dinners past. Add crispness and crunch with a quick, hot blast in the oven or air fryer, Schofield says.

“Cooking frozen vegetables in either an extremely hot oven or in the air fryer (I find the air fryer works even better for this) gives vegetables a delicious crispness, with all those beautiful caramelised bits on the outside.”

Don’t thaw them first – cooking straight from frozen will stop them from going soggy, she advises.

Add a cheese sauce

Schofield says a cheese sauce will instantly lift your vegie sides, and her mum would often serve them with a Florentine-style sauce.

“Start by making a bechamel and then add some parmesan and nutmeg to it. Blanch your frozen vegetables, drain them, then add the bechamel and cheese on top and put them under the grill for a few minutes.”

Even just a sprinkle of cheese can help. “I use lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan – that trilogy always works a treat. It just brings everything back to life.”

Top with breadcrumbs or nuts

“Naturally, there’s going to be more water in frozen vegetables, so texture is key to livening them up,” Schofield says. One way you can do this is with a crispy breadcrumb topping.

“Steakhouses will often add a crumble to creamed spinach, but you can also do this with broccoli and beans,” she says. “Reduce some cream [by adding] a little mustard through it, and then fold through your frozen vegetables. Add a crumble – some leftover breadcrumbs or crushed nuts, and then pop it into the oven.”

Sauté in garlic butter

This is another trick from Schofield’s mum. “Blanch the vegetables quickly and finish them off in the pan with lots of butter and fresh garlic. It works with beans, peas, carrots and corn – you name it,” she says.

Seasoning is also important. “Don’t forget to add salt and pepper, they will give your vegetables their true flavour.”

See it in action

Schofield’s frozen beans with garlic butter is one of the dishes she’s cooking at the upcoming Deli Lane presented by Birds Eye Deli. The three-course Good Food Events lunch, curated by Schofield, celebrates the launch of two products in the Birds Eye Deli range, and the event includes matched wines and cocktails by MasterChef alumni Conor Curran. (It falls on the Mother’s Day weekend, in case your mum’s a fan). There will also be a Q&A with Schofield and Curran, hosted by Good Food’s Melbourne restaurant editor, Emma Breheny. It’s on Saturday, May 10, at Canvas House in South Melbourne. Tickets are available here.