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.Â
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.
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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 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!
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. 🙂
This was so yummy! Thank you for the recipe!!!
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!