Karla Walsh, food researcher/writer for www.eatingwell.com, did the research, and I’m doing the reporting. So, can you guess which frozen food is the most underrated? Here are some hints:

• It happens to be one of the most budget-friendly items in the entire frozen food section.
• It’s a pale food.
• Folks either love it or hate it—there’s no middle ground. The haters likely have come to their opinions from eating it over-cooked. It’s commonly over-cooked.
• Over-cooking creates a terrible aroma.
• The over-cooking and accompanying aroma have given it a bad rap.

Did you guess FROZEN CAULIFLOWER? Here’s why Karla says it’s the most underrated food in the freezer section of your store. In other words, frozen cauliflower deserves more respect, because:

It’s one of the best budget buys in the entire store. For example, a 12-ounce, four-serving bag is under $2 at my local Target. And the freezer lengthens its life span from a few weeks to many months, which helps cut down on wasted food (hello, money in the trash!).

It's convenient. How can you turn up your nose at a vegetable that's already prepped and ready to go? The stems and leaves have already been trimmed away so the cauliflower is ready to go right out of the bag. Talk about a time-saver!

It's Remarkably Versatile. Frozen cauliflower can become the MVP of your freezer with all the ways it can be used. For instance, it can be used to add extra nutrients and fiber to frozen meals. To do so, just steam some, toss it with seasonings, and then once your frozen meal is heated through, pile the steamed cauliflower on top and voila—more food and nutrients, boosting your frozen meal’s health factor and adding another taste layer as well.

Or thicken up a soup. Just stir in ½ to 1 cup of mashed frozen cauliflower per serving of canned soup to create a thicker, creamier soup. And then there’s how it makes a great base for bowls involving grains (especially fried rice or risotto). Don’t over look the possibility of adding it to smoothies. It adds a creamy texture with less carbs than a banana, and it’s mild enough that there’s no way you’d know your smoothie contains cauliflower!

Next, let’s look at how to prepare it so it doesn’t turn soggy. Sogginess is one of the most common complaints about cooked frozen vegetables. But it is totally possible to get frozen vegetables to taste just as good as fresh. It’s all in the technique.

First, there’s steaming. This method works just fine, especially when it’s seasoned well. Add a little sauce and you’d think you were eating the fresh version.

Then there’s air frying. Air-fryer cauliflower is scrumptious (says hundreds of air fryer users who were polled on this topic). Simply toss unthawed frozen cauliflower with olive oil and seasonings and pop it into the air fryer, then cook at 360°F for 18 to 22 minutes, shaking the pan or basket halfway through. The florets caramelize beautifully as long as you don’t crowd the pieces.

Finally, there’s roasting. Try roasted-from-frozen cauliflower. Leaving space on the pan and adding the olive oil and seasonings three-quarters of the way through the cooking time will score you the ultimate roasted cauliflower.

With the growing need to become more budget-conscious grocery-wise, it might be a good idea to give frozen cauliflower another look. It really is too good to be so underrated!

    Alice Osborne
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
    Email the author! alice@dvo.com