Rediscover Your Freezer With A Fresh Look At Frozen

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pass the (Frozen) Peas please! Rev up your palates, it's time to transform mealtime in honor of National Frozen Food Month. Start with expert food advice on the art of making simple recipes that are fully loaded with flavor and deliver on expectations for quality and taste. Save time while making good on serving home-cooked meals for your family. Find the value in your freezer, this month and all year long.

MARCH INSPIRATION
More than 60 percent of respondents in a recent National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) survey said frozen vegetables were their number one go-to item in the frozen food aisle, but don't forget there over 3,700 different, tasty food options! Go beyond the basics on some family favorites with some tips from chef, new dad and recipe developer Billy Parisi:

• Top off your skillet or casserole dish full of potpie goodness with a sheet of frozen puff pastry for a flaky, tender crust.
• Break out of the norm, frozen shrimp is a perfect alternative to chicken, add to a soup or spice up an appetizer.
• Sear frozen hash browns in a little olive oil seasoned with a salt and pepper or make it a main course by folding in some cooked crispy bacon or ham with bell peppers and onions.

Foodie Bracketology. This month's madness shouldn't be limited to the basketball court. Follow the #FrozenChefMadness as dad bloggers compete to create frozen food masterpieces. Stay tuned to see which fan favorites make the #EatSixteen and #FinalFare to become the winning courtside cuisine.

CONVENIENCE FOR EVERY OCCASION
To avoid the temptation of ordering in, make sure the freezer is stocked with go-to ingredients that can bring a complete meal to the table. For example, a frozen Healthy Choice Oven Roasted Chicken entrée paired with a side of Seasoned Green Giant Vegetables is a quick, convenient meal that can be on standby for any night of the week. Need more inspiration during March Frozen Food Month?

Make Mealtime Magic. A "home cooked" meal takes an average of 34 minutes "hands-on time" and 52 minutes in total prep time; save more than an hour each week by incorporating frozen combinations into mealtime prep with this visual of how to conquer the frozen food aisle.

Entertain at a Moment's Notice. Discover frozen food ideas across all day parts with flavor in every bite: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and dessert. Find practical solutions to common mealtime challenges on EasyHomeMeals.com.

YEAR-ROUND VALUE
Frozen foods offer great value, from perfectly-portioned meals to ingredients and produce that leave nothing to waste, while meeting a wide variety of tastes and menu needs. Did you know:

• Frozen foods are picked at the peak of ripeness and flash frozen, sometimes right on the field, locking in all the beneficial nutrients and keeping them in their perfect, just-picked state.
• Frozen fruits and vegetables are equally nutritious as their fresh and canned counterparts.[1]
• Freezing acts as a natural preservative, so many of your favorite frozen foods contain no preservatives.[2]
• Frozen fruits and vegetables, properly blanched and packaged for the freezer can be stored for 8-12 months.[3]

NFRA's Cool Food Panel– influential, third-party storytellers – are available to provide further comments for recipes and tips this March Frozen Food Month. Visit EasyHomeMeals.com for more mealtime inspiration and enter to win the freezer giveaway!

About National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)
NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion and October Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program. NFRA provides consumer information such as food safety guidelines, meal preparation tips, recipes and sweepstakes opportunities at http://www.EasyHomeMeals.com. Further information available at http://www.NFRAweb.org.

[1] University of California Center for Excellence in Fruit & Vegetable Quality
[2] www.Culinary.net http://www.culinary.net/articlesfeatures/FeatureDetail.aspx?ID=1547
[3] National Center for Home Food Preservation http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/freezer_shelf_life.html

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140312/CG81300-INFO

SOURCE National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association

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