The $1.25 Dollar Tree Freezer Find I Use All the Time

I mostly love the meditative act of chopping vegetables. When I have the time, the rhythmic thunk-thunk-thunk of the knife against the cutting board as I prep my mise en place is oddly satisfying.

You know what I love even more? Getting dinner on the table before everyone in my house becomes hangry. So I decided to take a chance on the $1.25 TJ Farms "seasoning blend," a frozen Dollar Tree vegetable mix that I thought might help me streamline dinner on the busiest nights.

This 12-ounce bag of pre-chopped onions, celery, and red and green bell peppers is essentially the "Cajun Trinity"—the backbone of countless delicious Louisiana dishes—with added red bell pepper. And in my house, it's been a convenient, affordable, ready-to-go mix that has helped form the base of many family dinners.

Why I Love Dollar Tree's Frozen Seasoning Blend

I'm typically a from-scratch cook who had the value of a French mirepoix and precise vegetable cuts hammered into her in culinary school, but life (and parenting responsibilities) have a funny way of not always aligning with our aspirations. Thankfully, my Dollar Tree gamble resulted in a win, with this frozen blend becoming a tremendous time-saver.

It has a flavor profile different from a mirepoix, a classic French vegetable mixture with a 1:2:1 ratio of onions, carrots, and celery (like in this recipe) that forms the base of soups, stews, and roasts. It's wonderful, but not always practical to prepare on busy nights.

When I'm short on time, I have been using this frozen mix to replace the meticulously diced mirepoix I have been trained to use—and maybe it's even for the better. The flavor is different (though negligible in a large dish), but the depth it adds to dishes is similar. It's mostly onion and celery, with a few peppers in there for color. I'm grateful to have these prepped aromatics in my freezer at all times. It's like having a sous chef on standby.

How I Use Dollar Tree's Frozen Seasoning Blend

This blend has become the starting point for the occasional busy weeknight meal. I cook the blend straight from the freezer in butter, oil, or ghee. I use it to make everything from quick soups and pasta sauces (including upgrading jarred sauces) to stews. It's particularly helpful in dishes like my version of lazy red beans and rice, which is not authentic (at all) but helps provide that New Orleans-style flavor base without all the prep work.

I've also used it to jumpstart a jambalaya-inspired stew with sausage, chicken, rice, and a trove of spices. It's ideal for those "clean out the fridge" soups and stews. And I've even used it to beef up the nutrients in a pot of chili, cooking it down with the ground beef. It was so good that I'll continue to do it with the Muir Glen chili starter—another great Dollar Tree find.

While I'll always have a soft spot for from-scratch cooking, this unassuming frozen mix has saved me countless minutes on busy weeknights. For $1.25, that's a win I'll happily take.

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