It’s so versatile and convenientlike having a sous chef on standby.

Simply Recipes / Getty Images

I mostly love the meditative act of chopping vegetables.

You know what I love even more?

A Dollar Tree storefront with two palm trees flanking the sign

Simply Recipes / Getty Images

Getting dinner on the table before everyone in my house becomes hangry.

Thankfully, my Dollar Tree gamble resulted in a win, with this frozen blend becoming a tremendous time-saver.

It’s wonderful, but not always practical to prepare on busy nights.

A bag of TJ Farms frozen seasoning blend, showing onion, celery, red and green bell pepper, and parsley in the mix

Simply Recipes / Kris Osborne

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.

I cook the blend straight from the freezer in butter, oil, orghee.

I use it to make everything from quick soups and pasta sauces (including upgradingjarred sauces) to stews.

It’s ideal for those “clean out the fridge"soupsandstews.

For $1.25, that’s a win I’ll happily take.

To learn more about our approach to product recommendations, seeHERE.