Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi With Onions, Peas and Turkey Bacon
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Published Mar 29, 2019, Updated Mar 20, 2023
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Looking for more ways to turn the Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi into a meal? Try this pan roasted cauliflower gnocchi with onions, peas and turkey bacon.
I think I’ve found my new favorite way to eat TJ’s cauliflower gnocchi. It’s a super simple combo, so flavorful and easy peasy to whip up. What more could you ask for?
A little backstory… last year around this time Trader Joe’s launched their cauliflower gnocchi and the world has become obsessed. I’m honestly not a huge gnocchi person so this product didn’t excite me much, plus it was always sold out at my local store so I was super late to the cauliflower gnocchi scene.
Don’t Follow the Package Instructions!
Yes, you read that right, disregard the package instructions! They say to boil or microwave the frozen gnocchi and they say to add water if you pan-sauté them. You’ll end up with a mushy, sticky cauliflower gnocchi which, to be honest, is super disappointing! Thankfully, I had the warning from other cauliflower gnocchi fanatics so I had to spread the message to you to.
Cooking Cauliflower Gnocchi
So far the best way I’ve found to cook Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi is to pan roast it in a little olive oil or butter.
The first time I made the cauli gnocchi I pan roasted it with butter and served it with Rao’s homemade pasta sauce. It tasted totally fine, but I wasn’t blown away. Isaac on the other hand LOVED it and couldn’t stop raving about how much it tasted like regular, potato gnocchi. Needless to say, I knew I needed to find a way to cook cauliflower gnocchi that both Isaac and I would enjoy. This pan fried cauliflower gnocchi with onions, peas and turkey bacon totally fits that bill!
I love the combo of the pan-roasted gnocchi with the caramelized onions, sweet peas, savory and crisp bacon and the parmesan cheese. These things are all great on their own, but they’re so amazing together. Now that I’ve found one way that I really enjoy the cauliflower gnocchi, I’m excited to experiment and try some different gnocchi recipes. I’m thinking I might try a cauliflower gnocchi sheet pan dinner next! My local Trader Joe’s better stock up!
If you make this Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they turn out. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers!
Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi With Peas and Turkey Bacon
Ingredients
- 12 ounce bag frozen Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi
- 3 slices cooked + crisp turkey bacon
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- sea salt and black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan + more for serving
Instructions
- Cook turkey bacon using instructions in the notes. Once cooked, chop the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until they begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and almost caramelized, about 10 minutes more. At this point, stir in the frozen peas and Italian seasoning and transfer to a small bowl.
- Using the same skillet, add the remaining 1 Tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the frozen cauliflower gnocchi and cook, tossing occasionally, until they’re golden brown on all sides, about 5-10 minutes. Gently add in the onion mixture, chopped bacon and parmesan. Serve warm, sprinkled with additional parmesan.
Video
Notes
- To cook turkey bacon: Microwave: place slices on a paper towel lined microwave-safe place. Cover with another paper towel and cook on high in the microwave for 2-4 minutes, using 1 minute increments. Every microwave is different so you'll have to experiment with the timing for this. You want the bacon to be cooked through and crispy enough that it snaps when you chop/break it into pieces. Of course, you can also cook the bacon the stove-top using the package instructions. I like cooking bacon in the microwave because it's fast and I hate bacon grease being popped all over my stove.
- Inspired and adapted from Fine Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excited to try this! Same scenario at our house. My husband loved it with just pasta sauce or plain and I wasn’t blown away. I also followed the instructions and added water…. So it was mushy. Thanks for the tips ❤️
Bacon makes everything better! 🙂 I will definitely be trying this soon! Hopefully I can find the gnocchi at my local Trader Joe’s!
I went yesterday and they had loads of it. Hopefully your local TJ’s does too! 🙂
Do NOT use a non-stick skillet for the gnocchi. After 10 minutes, it will be mushy and sticky and not brown at all. Follow Brittany’s photos and don’t make my mistake! So far, everything else seems to be going well with this recipe.
hmm! What kind of pan do you recommend? I used a ceramic non-stick pan it worked great.
Use a well seasoned cast iron skillet browns up the gnocchi perfectly. Cauliflower or potato.
If the skillet and oil aren’t already hot when you put the gnocchi in, it will stick to the bottom more.
I made this tonight and loved the flavor. I followed your instructions for the gnocchi but they just stuck to the bottom of the pan. I am not sure what I did wrongly
What kind of pan did you use? I used a non-stick pan.
It was a calphon pan not a non stick. I will have to retry with a non stick
Made it last night and it was delicious! I doubled it so that we could have it for lunch today too. Tastes like a healthier version of carbonara.
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it. 🙂
I have some in my freezer! Going to give your method a try soon! xoxo
I made this recipe last night and it came out so good! The flavors are great together, and it was quick and easy for a weeknight meal. My boyfriend loved it too!
Simple, easy, and tastes amazing! I substituted the turkey bacon for regular bacon and had to leave out the onions due to an allergy (substituted onion powder) and it was so good! Needless to say, there were no leftovers!
This is easy and quick – perfect for busy days. I didn’t tell my husband about the cauliflower until after he had a few gnocchi. Generally he is not a fan of cauliflower but he has been talking about how good this dish was for days. Yay!
This meal is so delicious! Hearty, filling, and satisfying! Great recipe!!
This is the only recipe I’ve used so far for cauliflower gnocchi, and I’m not sure I’ll find anything that compares! So good!
The gnocchi came out amazing!! Can’t wait to see your other recipes
I’m so so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Melissa. Thank you for coming back to leave a star rating as well. I really appreciate it.
First time trying cauliflower gnocchi.Flavor turned out really well. Will definitely be adding this into the weeknight menu options!
Our first time eating cauliflower gnocchi, huge fan! This is delicious!!!!
Woo!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Nicole. And thank you so much for taking the time to come back here to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Great recipe! So delicious and easy to make! Thanks for sharing!
Woo-hoo! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Dianna. And thank you for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. The ratings are super helpful, so I appreciate it! <3
Incredible GF recipe. The texture is perfect. May be my new favorite!
Yay!! I’m so glad you tried and enjoyed this recipe, Rachel. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me! <3
This was my first time cooking the cauliflower gnocchi. This was an amazing recipe! So easy, perfect for a weeknight dinner!! So filling! Thank you!
Ahh! I love hearing that, Michelle! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Brittany, I can’t thank you enough for this recipes. Easy enough my husband can make it so I can go to the gym in peace and have dinner waiting when I get home. Delicious!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Megan!! I’m glad this recipe is a hit. Thanks for giving it a try and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating! I so appreciate it. <3
This is SO good! My husband who is a meat and potatoes kind of guy loves it too and wants to make it all the time! It is so easy to make while the kids play after school. A quick, delicious meal!
Thank you for this recipe! So easy and delicious. I’m not a fan of cauliflower and I usually have to drown it in sauce, but this was a whole different experience.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Heather!! I’m glad you tried this recipe and it turned out for you. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Um wow wow wow. This recipe is BOMB! I know what I am making next time I have guests over! The flavors are perfectly balanced with the savory from the gnocchi, bacon, and parmesan mixed with sweet light flavor of the peas. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Olivia. I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it!
This was so yummy! Thank you for the recipe!!!
Delicious! I subbed regular bacon for turkey bacon and potato gnocchi for Trader Joe’s, cause that’s what I had on hand. Plus, when I tried to go to Trader Joe’s there was a line out the door and not many people wearing masks. Anyway, I’ll be making this again. The whole family raved about it. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
So glad you were able to make this recipe work with what you had on hand, Michele!! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I NEVER write reviews but this was SO DANG GOOD I couldn’t not. Thanks for this recipe, I will be making this many more times to come and sharing with friends!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me, Kasydee!
I had the same issue as Sarah…these gnocchi came out mushy and icky. The rest of the recipe was great, flavors were good. I added garlic because I think garlic makes savory dishes better. I’ll try this recipe again with real gnocchi and see how that works. Thanks EBF.
Oh no!! Sorry to hear that, Sandy. And you followed the recipe instructions, not the instructions on the packaging, right?
I’ve made this recipe several times. My meat and potatoes loving husband declared last night that this is one of his favorite meals! It is so good! My 1 year old loved it too!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Jess! I’m so glad this recipe is a hit. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Delicious! Huge hit with our family. We had a different brand of cauli gnocchi but cooked it with these directions. And subbed prosciutto for turkey bacon. The kids (ages 7, 7, and 8) devoured it! Thank you! I also dumped a whole bag of the steam able frozen peas in and it’s so good!!
Ahh yay! So glad this recipe was a hit, Willow. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Such a great way to remix the usually boring side dish! I Used high quality bacon, baked it, and used the fat from it to sauté the onions & cauliflower gnocchi. Thanks for the great idea!
You’re so welcome, Lauren! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Hi Brittany! I just made your Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi With Onions, Peas and Turkey Bacon. I didn’t have turkey bacon so I used ham coldcuts instead. Holy cow, it turned out amazing!! Thank you very much for this easy idea. My family now has a new recipe to add to our rotation of dinners! (Thank goodness no more chicken). I can’t wait to try this with turkey bacon, it’s going to be even better! Thank you!!!
Ahh yay!! So glad this recipe was a hit with your family, Ashley. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I appreciate it. 🙂
Love this recipe 😋 Thank you so much for sharing it. I make it at least once a week and usually use what ever left over meat I have. Healthy, easy and quick for the middle of the week dinner.
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear, Priscilla! I’m so glad you’ve been loving this recipe. 🙂
Amazing recipe! Love the mix of vegetables and bacon. This recipe was quick to make for lunch and I threw in leftover veggies. The Italian seasoning adds so much flavor and makes it smell so good 🙂 I used half a bag but will probably end up using the other half to make this again!
So glad you loved this recipe, Louisa. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I SO appreciate it!
Made this and it was yummy! Fairly quick & hubby loved it too. Very filling. I best go to Trader Joe’s and stock up on more cauliflower gnocchi!!
Yay! So pumped to hear this recipe was a hit. Thanks for the review, Catherine. It means so much to me!
Hi! Looks incredible! Do you think it would work with sausage instead of bacon?.
I bet!!
Thank the heavens I finally have a recipe that makes this packaged gnocchi taste AMAZING! A simple recipe to whip together on a busy night.
Woo!! So happy to hear this recipe was a success, Kristen! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review and a star rating. It means the world to me!
Can I give it a 10? This was amazing! I think it is a top 5 meal of all time . Send more Trader Joe’s recipes😊
Thank you so much!
Ah yay!! This makes me so happy to hear! Thanks so much for the review and star rating. I really appreciate it!
We made this for dinner tonight! To me it tastes like a delicious breakfast hash. We are making it again tomorrow 🙂
Oh yay! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Katherine. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
So good!! On repeat in our house and we always double or triple it!
WOO! I am excited you are loving this recipe, Heather. Thanks so much for your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!