Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi was the food craze of 2019, and my sheet-pan recipe for turning it into a tasty weeknight dinner was my top post of the entire year! When I saw the news that Trader Joe’s was releasing a brand new version this year — Kale Gnocchi — I couldn’t get to the frozen food aisle at my local TJ’s fast enough! I used a similar method for cooking the Kale Gnocchi (ignoring the instructions on the bag, which give a soggy, unpleasant result) and baked them on a sheet pan until warm and crispy. Also on my sheet pan, Trader Joe’s frozen turkey meatballs, sweet butternut squash, shallot slices, and cherry tomatoes that burst and release their flavorful juices. To finish the dish off, I drizzled the roasted kale gnocchi, meatballs and veggies with a thyme-infused brown butter and lots of fresh parmesan cheese. The result was delightfully tasty, and dare I say even a bit more addictive than its cauliflower gnocchi predecessor! Get the full recipe below:
- 1 Bag of Trader Joe's Frozen Kale Gnocchi
- ½ Bag of Trader Joe's Turkey Meatballs (6-7)
- 1 Cup of Butternut Squash, cubed
- 1 Cup of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, sliced in halves
- 1 Shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 2-3 Tbsp of Butter
- Fresh Thyme
- Parmesan Cheese
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, combine frozen kale gnocchi, frozen meatballs, butternut squash, tomatoes, and shallots. Drizzle ingredients with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, tossing all of the ingredients with a large spatula 1-2 times to ensure even cooking.
- During the last few minutes of cooking, warm butter and fresh thyme sprigs in a small pan on the stove until the butter is melted and just beginning to foam.
- Remove sheet pan from oven and transfer cooked ingredients to a bowl; drizzle with thyme-infused brown butter and garnish with parmesan cheese.
I bought these gnocchi, not really knowing what to do with them – so I found this recipe and tried it out. I happened to have all of the ingredients, sans tomatoes, so I bulked it up with extra butternut. It was so easy, and absolutely wonderful! Thank you for the great idea!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that!
Had no clue I could bake these! I’ve tried this recipe twice since finding it and I love it. Thank you!
oh I love to hear that! Enjoy!!
I’ve made this recipe a bunch times, and my wife and I love it! Thank you! I end up making my own meatless meatballs from beyond meat and some other ingredients because my wife has a gluten allergy and we’re vegan. I was thinking of using portabella mushrooms this time around for a different twist and an easier bake. Do you think I’d have to adjust anything for that?
So glad you like it! I think Mushrooms would work, you may just want to add them to the pan a little bit later in the bake — they may cook faster than some of the other ingredients!
Genius. I am so glad I found this recipe and didn’t follow the bag instructions. I am planning on using a butternut squash soup as sauce 🙂 I can’t wait to try it, Thank you!
Wonderful! So glad you’re trying it!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I added a few garlic cloves and next time I think I will add a bit more squash because I really love it. All the flavors came together really well and I will definitely make this again. I love the Kale Gnocchi and the Turkey meatballs. Thank you!