Seven Reasons Why Every Parent Needs to Keep a Bag of Peas in the Freezer

If you're a parent and you don't have a bag of frozen peas in your freezer, you're doing it wrong. I'm kidding (kind of)! But really, frozen peas are crucial in a household with kids, up there withpasta and canned tomatoes. (They also make an excellentBoo Boo Buddysubstitute.) "I seriously don't know what I'd do without them," says my editor and wise parentAnya Hoffman.

Frozen peas keep for months in the freezer, andthey're as good as fresh peasin terms of nutrition and, I would argue, flavor. And let's be honest:Fresh peasare kind of a pain, what with all that shelling. Frozen, never. More than that, frozen peas are the opposite of fleeting. You will never not find them, unlike, say,rampsorTrader Joe's cauliflower rice.

In Chicago, where I live and endure what feels like eight months of winter, this is crucial. Frozen peas represent the hope that warmth and green things will come again. Yet, even in summer, when my farmer's market is ridiculously bountiful, I still buy frozen peas because they are convenient and dependable when I'm not—when I didn't make it to the market after all or I'm running late or just feeling uninspired about dinner. This is not to say that frozen peas can't be the basis for inspiring meals that your kids will dig. Here's how to put them to work.

1. Add to pasta and risotto

Two reasons I always added frozen peas to my kids' boxedmac and cheesewhen they were little: I felt better (about myself) when they ate something green along with their artificial flavors and colors, and peas andcheesy, creamy pastataste really good together. (Some would disagree.)

Last I checked, peas with orecchiette or any small pasta shape and a generous amount of grated cheese still works wonderfully—bacon makes it better—as do peas withshrimp scampi pasta, non-traditional but a hit nonetheless at my house.

2. Throw into a pan of fried rice

When there's little else in your fridge or brain space that screams, "Dinner!," there is alwaysfried rice. At a bare minimum, you could make fried rice with scallions, garlic, orrandom leftoversand it would be more than adequate. Add that bag of frozen peas and some scrambled eggs, and it's a complete, colorful, nutritious meal.

3. Mix into frittatas and fritters

Frittatasare like fried rice in that you can add whatever moves you and they'll turn out fine. I like the combo of peas and diced potatoes, which gives a frittata more structure and takes care of a serving of veggies for the kids. Along those lines, mix together peas, rice or another grain, eggs, and cheese, and you've madefritters—perfect for those days whenno one feels like using a fork.

Servepea butteron toasts, toss with pasta, or even spread on sandwiches.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks

4. Serve as a mash or purée

我们不是说婴儿食品。醉酒的食品专业cessor with a few other ingredients, frozen peas can be turned intohummus, guacamole, pesto, evenbutter, which can be used in various ways—on toast or pizza, in sandwiches, with pasta. Just don't try to be cute and call itShrek Pasta.

5. Add to stews

Hearty meals such asbeef stewandchicken pot pieneed those tiny but necessary bursts of green sweetness that frozen peas provide.Spicy, creamy curriesalso benefit aesthetically and gastronomically from a smattering of peas.

6. Turn them into soup

My mom's go-to first course for fancy holiday meals when I was a kid was cream of [insert random green vegetable] soup—usually broccoli or pea. She'd use the frozen version of the vegetable, no doubt for the convenience. It made no difference to me because all I remember is how verdant and elegant the soup tasted. Point is, you can make a big pot ofpea soupany time of year from frozen peas, or use them toliven up other soups. Addsheet-pan sandwiches or crispy chickenand be done with it.

7. Eat them on their own

Because whoever sayspeas with butter and creamare bad is also doing it wrong.