Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi with caramelized onions, sausage, and a creamy Parmesan sauce makes for an indulgent, gluten free meal. With a crisp outside and soft pillowy middle, I’m showing you the best way to make Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi, no thawing required!
Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
If you haven’t heard of it by now, you might be living under a rock. I feel like at least one person a day cooking up some TJ’s gnocchi. It’s widely beloved and hugely popular.
When it was first released there was a frenzy to buy it and it was constantly out of stock. There was a limit on how many you could purchase at one time and people were throwing elbows at the store just to get their hands on a bag.
If you haven’t made the trip to your local Trader Joe’s, I highly recommend you do so, swing by the frozen food section and grab a bag or two to stash away in your freezer for an easy meal.
Ingredients in Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi:
- Cauliflower
- Cassava Flour
- Potato Starch
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea Alt
The Best Way to Cook Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi:
Pan-Satué:
Finally Trader Joe’s has updated their packaging and suggesting this as the preferred method! When it first came out the package told you to boil it which resulted in mushy, less then desirable gnocchi.
The best way to cook Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi is to pan fry it with just a couple tablespoons of butter or oil for about 10 minutes. Stir it occasionally until the outside of the gnocchi is golden brown and it’s pillowy in the center.
The package suggests adding some water to the pan, but in my experience all you need is some cooking oil or butter and you’re good to go!
How to pan-fry cauliflower gnocchi:
Heat two tablespoons of oil or butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the outsides are golden brown.
Oven:
This is a great way to get something in the oven while you work on the sauce. It’s a great method if you don’t want to tend to a stovetop. But, it doesn’t crisp the outside quite like when you pan-fry it. So, in my opinion pan-frying is still the best.
How to cook cauliflower gnocchi in the oven:
Preheat oven to 425F. Toss the frozen gnocchi with oil and desired seasoning, or just keep it simple with 1 tablespoon olive oil, some salt, and pepper. Place the gnocchi on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Microwave:
Quick and easy way to zap some heat into your gnocchi. But, you really aren’t doing much texture-wise to nurture these gnocchi, so it’s not my fave.
How to cook cauliflower gnocchi in the microwave:
Place the gnocchi on a microwave safe plate or dish. Cover and cook until heated through, about 5 – 6 minutes.
Air Fryer:
This may be my second favorite way to make Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi. It adds some crispness to the outside, it puffs them up.
However, I’ve noticed they stick together and are more pillowy than crispy. Pillowy is great, but I love the contrast of the crisp outside with the pillowy middle. Texture adds so much to the dish and for me, pan-sautéing Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi is the clear winner.
How to cook cauliflower gnocchi in the air fryer:
Set your air fryer to 400F. Spray the basket with your favorite cookie spray. Place the gnocchi in the basket and spray them. Cook for 10 minutes.
Other easy dinners you’ll love:
- Low Carb Caprese Chicken Skillet
- Easy Skillet Chicken Enchiladas
- Vegan Lentil Bolognese
- Vegetarian Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers
- Vegan Zucchini Chickpea Burgers
- Vegetable Cashew Curry + Cauliflower Rice
Recipe
Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi with Caramelized Onions and Creamy Parmesan Sauce
The best way to cook Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi is pan-frying them! I love them with caramelized onions and a creamy Parmesan sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 package Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, divided (ghee or your favorite cooking oil also works)
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 14 oz. sausage cut into circles of half moons (I used vegetarian sausage)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 7 leaves of sage, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream (coconut cream also works)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (dairy free grated cheese may be a good sub)
Instructions
- Place two tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once melted, add the frozen gnocchi to the pan. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes until the outsides are golden brown and the inside is warmed through.
- Remove the gnocchi from the pan, place it in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan along with the chopped onion.
- Turn down the hear to medium-low and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are reduced and caramelized.
- Add the sausage, minced garlic, and half the chopped sage to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sausage is golden brown.
- Add the cream, Parmesan, and gnocchi to the pan. Stir to combine for about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat, plate the gnocchi, and garnish with the remaining chopped sage and an extra sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
Nutrition Info:
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 509
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 1218mg
- Fat: 43g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Protein: 14g
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