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One way I’m saving money on groceries and dining out is by keeping a well-stocked freezer. Freezer staples like prepped vegetables and cooked rice keep me from running to the grocery store for “just a few items” and then somehow spending $100. Similarly, having some shortcuts like frozen pizzas and breaded chicken patties keeps me out of the drive-thru or from ordering delivery regularly.
While I love doing some bulk shopping at Costco for things like ground beef for my freezer, Walmart is way closer to me and has a huge variety of freezer products my family loves. Here are seven of my family’s freezer favorites from Walmart.
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I used to scoff at ready-made rice until I noticed how often I could turn leftovers into a bowl or fried rice if only I had cooked rice on hand, especially when I didn’t have the energy to turn on the stove. BetterGoods Organic Jasmine Rice is easy to microwave and makes just enough to feed my family without leftovers. The Cilantro Lime version is also delicious, and we often use it as a base for burrito bowls.
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Edamame is one of our go-to snacks between meals because it’s filling and easy to make. Seapoint Farms Edamame is the brand I buy most often, and while the larger packages are great for family meals, these smaller snack packs come in handy when I want to stretch leftovers or when one of my kids needs dinner. I can serve this alongside ramen noodles or dumplings.
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Bibigo Frozen Mandu Pork & Vegetable Dumplings plus edamame is a 15-minute meal that saves me when the chicken isn’t defrosted, or someone has a homework project they forgot about. I love these dumplings for their firm, flavorful filling and tender wrapper. While they’re great when cooked as directed, you can also throw them into soups or vegetable stir-fries for more variety.
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If I need a side but don’t have 40 minutes to roast potatoes, BetterGoods Oven Roasted Red Potatoes with Olive Oil, Sea Salt, and Cracked Pepper are my go-to. The potatoes are fully cooked and mildly seasoned, making them a blank canvas for any other herbs or spices you like. While you can microwave them, they get nicely crisped when cooked in a skillet. I’ve also turned them into home fries for breakfast-for-dinner. The Red Petite Potatoes with Olive Oil, Italian Herbs, and Parmesan are also delicious.
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BetterGoods Chicken & Maple Breakfast Sausage Links are by far my family’s favorite breakfast sausages for good reason. They are flavorful and have a great texture—no hard, crunchy texture here. Yes, of course, we eat them for breakfast, but they can be part of breakfast for dinner or tossed into a sheet-pan meal, and they make a really fun pigs in a blanket.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Walmart
Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Fillets are a staple in my family’s dinner rotation. I turn them into sandwiches, toss them with Japanese BBQ sauce to top ramen or rice, and I’ve even turned them into a lazy chicken parmesan. While I like Kirkland Signature Brand at Costco and Aldi’s “red bag” version, these are my favorites! They often go on “Rollback pricing” at Walmart, and then I stock up.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Walmart
You don’t know how much money you could be saving on pizza night until you need to feed four neighborhood tweens and realize you could have eaten out at a restaurant for the price of delivery! I now keep Motor City Pizza Co. Detroit-Style Pepperoni Pizza in my freezer at all times. The crust is deliciously crisp on the edge, while the interior is soft and chewy.
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