Who doesn’t need an easy dinner idea that tastes completely gourmet? This is my favorite way to use Trader Joe’s cauliflower frozen gnocchi, but any type will work with this recipe, gluten-free, potato, or fresh. Toss the gnocchi on a sheet pan with broccoli florets, sweet Italian sausage, olive oil, and garlic. After hands-off roasting your easy weeknight dinner awaits!
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Sheet Pan Gnocchi – Trader Joe’s Recipe Inspo
Whether you are looking for an easy recipe idea for Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi or weeknight gluten-free dinner inspiration, this versatile meal is an absolute hit. Our favorite way to enjoy sheet pan gnocchi is with sausage and broccoli because everything roasts together in one simple step, but it works well with different meats or veggies as well.
As far as using frozen Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi, roasting is the way to go. This is a secret sleuthy cooking method you won’t find listed on the package. Believe me, I tried those methods and was left with mushy pasta, strongly tasting of cauliflower. No thank you.
Roasting gnocchi, straight from frozen, gives a nice crisp, golden exterior with a creamy, soft and mellow-tasting interior. Once I perfected the method, I figured why not add meat and veggies with the gnocchi for an all-around complete sheet pan meal.
If you have other packaged gnocchi on hand, even if it is not frozen or gluten-free, it works just as well with this recipe. I like to roast gnocchi on a separate baking tray from the meat and broccoli to give it a nice crispy exterior. Otherwise it has a tendency to steam and not get as crisp.
Just like German-style dumplings with sausage or sheet pan coconut milk fish, this gnocchi recipe idea exemplifies how you don’t need a long list of complicated ingredients to get a perfectly-seasoned meal. The roasted broccoli, Italian sausage, and gnocchi are a flavor trifecta all tied together with toasty browned butter and a hint of lemon.
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(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Simple ingredients and best prep
When making sheet pan gnocchi, there are couple easy cooking hacks to ensure everything roasts together evenly. First, after chopping and rinsing the broccoli, pat it dry in a lint-free dish towel. This prevents steaming and gives it a slightly charred, crisp finish.
Any Italian sausage works for this recipe, sweet, spicy links, or ground bulk sausage. If using links, slice the casing and discard to use the ground meat inside.
If using Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi, or any other frozen gnocchi variety, let it sit out for a few minutes so the gnocchi separates from each other. I like to do this in a colander so any excess ice chunks fall away. This is another way to prevent steaming instead of roasting.
Prep the sheet pans
When testing this recipe I did experiment with roasting everything together on a single sheet pan, but it was crowded and lacked the crispiness I was looking for. Even separating it between two didn’t seem to do the trick.
The best way is to place the broccoli florets on one baking tray and toss with olive oil and salt. Spread it out and then nestle pinched off pieces of meat in between. On the other sheet toss the remaining gnocchi and salt, then spread it out evenly. I found the gnocchi needs more space for the hot air to circulate around.
Browned butter magic
While the two pans are roasting, it’s time to brown the butter. This will be tossed over everything with a squeeze of lemon at the end. Yes, you could stop with the olive oil and salt, but browned butter truly makes the taste over the top!
Once the butter melts, it will start to foam, then the milk solids will settle to the bottom of the pan. As the butter heats the solids go from white to golden brown. Pull it from the heat immediately at this point so the butter doesn’t burn.
After everything is roasted to perfection, transfer it all to one sheet pan, toss with the butter, lemon and serve!
Sheet Pan Gnocchi Anyway You Like It!
Who doesn’t love options? You can swap out the broccoli with any veggies that work well with roasting, such as Brussels sprouts, potatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or zucchini. If the vegetable has a longer cooking time, like potatoes or squash, I suggest they get a head start on a separate sheet pan.
For the meat, sliced Kielbasa sausage, bite-sized chicken thighs, breasts, or steak bites also work. It’s the same suggestion as the veggies though. Keep in mind how long they need to cook through and time it out accordingly.
As for flavor finishers, sometimes I sprinkle with fresh parmesan right before serving or toss in a little crushed red pepper. Chopped fresh mozzarella is also great added the last couple minutes of roasting. Let me know if the comments below if you try anything else!
Best Tips For Using Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
I’m going to toot my own horn and say I’ve kind of become a TJ’s frozen gnocchi expert. I always have a supply in my freezer and my favorite way to prepare it, hands-down, is roasting. There’s some easy ways to finesse that bag of frozen gnocchi, though, to bake nice and crispy.
First, while it can be baked from frozen, don’t dump the bag directly onto the baking sheet. You will also deposit all the ice crystals along with the gnocchi. I place it in a colander first to let the ice chunks fall away and thaw slightly to release any ice stuck to the gnocchi.
After a few minutes it’s easier to separate the gnocchi too. Some become fused together during freezing. Transfer those pieces to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to separate before adding to the pan. Roasted perfection awaits! 🙌
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Broccoli and Sausage
Ingredients
- 2- 12 ounce packages Trader Joe's frozen cauliflower gnocchi , or shelf-stable gnocchi
- 1 large head broccoli , about 1.25 pound, florets cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ lemon , juiced
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450℉. Spray two sheet pans with nonstick cooking spray. Pat dry the washed broccoli florets with a lint-free dish towel to absorb excess moisture.2- 12 ounce packages Trader Joe's frozen cauliflower gnocchi , 1 large head broccoli , 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 garlic cloves , 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- On one pan, toss together the frozen gnocchi (see recipe notes for best prep) or the uncooked alternative gnocchi with 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon Kosher salt. On the other pan toss together the broccoli, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Spread out evenly on both pans.
- Slice through the sausage casings and pinch off pieces of the ground meat inside that are roughly the size of the broccoli florets. Discard the casings. Nestle the sausage pieces between the broccoli.1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- Roast both pans for 25-28 minutes. Halfway through switch the pans on the oven racks and toss to evenly roast on all sides.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet brown the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is fully melted watch carefully and stir occasionally so it doesn't burn. First the butter will foam, then the milk solids will start to settle at the bottom. Watch for the milk solids from white to turn brown. Once that happens, immediately remove from heat.3 tablespoons butter
- Once the gnocchi, sausage, and broccoli are crisp, combine them together on one sheet pan. Drizzle with browned butter and lemon juice. Toss to combine and serve immediately.½ lemon
Notes
Best Way To Prep Frozen Gnocchi
While it can be baked from frozen, don’t dump the bag directly onto your baking sheet because the ice crystals will come along with it. First, place the frozen gnocchi in a colander to let the ice fall away and thaw slightly. After a few minutes of thawing it’s also easier to separate frozen-together gnocchi. Transfer those pieces to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to separate before adding to the pan.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
I loved the broccoli & sausage. Not a fan of crispy gnocchi. I used fresh GF gnocchi. I would do a sheet pan with the sausage & broccoli and maybe add some other veggies like colored peppers.
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for the feedback. I love the crispy gnocchi texture because I’m not a fan of soft cauliflower gnocchi. However, if you are using other types of gnocchi that has an inherently better texture, I can see why you could skip the crispiness.
Best,
Melissa
I’m thinking about adding a can of garbanzos into the mix with the broccoli. 25 min might be too long to roast though. Opinion?
Also this is for a book club meeting where we decided to do an all trader joe dinner, so I may or may not need to make this a little bit in advance. What do you think?
Well, I love crispy garbanzo beans, so I think that would be a great idea! If you want them softer you can add them in towards the end. I love your book club theme!
Best,
Melissa
Omg. I do live in A Trader Joe town but bought gluten free gnocchi from somewhere else. This recipe the best gluten free meal I have made.
The broccoli was delicious and I loved the crunch on the gnocchi.
Thank you!!!
Love to hear this! I wish packaged gluten free gnocchi was more available to me. But I stock up and make a lot of sheet pan meals with it when I have it on hand!
Best,
Melissa