We were smoking some meats on the grill because we had a couple hours and wanted to hang out back in the warm September sunshine. Naturally I wanted mac and cheese because, duh, it had to go along with the BBQ! C was trying to limit the questionable carbs. So… I remembered the frozen bag of Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi https://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/cauliflower-gnocchi we still had in the freezer. Hmm… can we make cauliflower gnocchi mac and cheese?? I thought… this is either going to turn out like mush or it will be delectable. But, either way, it’d still be cheesy, right?
Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
I was starting to get more excited about the sides than the main course- brussel sprouts and this cauliflower gnocchi mac and cheese. Really, aren’t the sides usually the best? But again, I really didn’t know how this would turn out. The last time I made the Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi they got sticky and gummy (still tasted good, just definitely not pretty). Not at all the nice sear I had hoped they’d get. I read comments somewhere that said to disregard the package instructions and let them defrost. So, I set them out to chill on the counter for a few.
Most of these measurements were approximations. This isn’t a fancy mac and cheese, just a no frills side. I used whatever cheese I had on hand, but naturally you can choose whatever cheese you’d like for your cauliflower gnocchi mac and cheese. The mixture of cheese and milk didn’t really “mix” so much before cooking as you can see in the before picture. But, the finished product cauliflower gnocchi mac and cheese stayed intact and tasted “mixed”, so I will consider it a win.
Cauliflower Gnocchi Mac and Cheese- before cooking
Since we were cooking on the grill anyway, we just put the skillet on the grill for about 15 minutes or so (that is the beauty of the skillet, so versatile!) before we were ready to eat. This quick spin on a comfort food classic really was satisfying. I’m not going to say it is “healthy” because there’s still butter and cheese, but it is a slightly healthier alternative. And, let’s be honest, I could have totally used WAYYYY more cheese than that!
Cauliflower Gnocchi Mac and Cheese
Cheers!
- Prep Time: 15m
- Cook Time: 15m
- Total Time: 30m
Ingredients
- 1 Frozen bag of Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi mostly defrosted
- 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
- salt, pepper, parsley, and paprika to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup milk (I used 1% but whatever you have is fine)
- 1/2 cup cheese- I used a Mexican blend and a couple slices of American
- olive oil to saute onions and garlic
- 1/4 red onion diced
- 2 small cloves of garlic diced (or to taste)
- 1 Frozen bag of Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi mostly defrosted
- 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
- salt, pepper, parsley, and paprika to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup milk (I used 1% but whatever you have is fine)
- 1/2 cup cheese- I used a Mexican blend and a couple slices of American
- olive oil to saute onions and garlic
- 1/4 red onion diced
- 2 small cloves of garlic diced (or to taste)
Instructions
- Saute garlic and onions directly in skillet then let cool.
- Saute garlic and onions directly in skillet then let cool.
- Once cooled, begin adding all ingredients through milk and lightly mix. You want to be careful not to smash the gnocchi.
- Once cooled, begin adding all ingredients through milk and lightly mix. You want to be careful not to smash the gnocchi.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper on top. Likewise, dollop the butter throughout.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper on top. Likewise, dollop the butter throughout.
- We threw this on the grill for about 15 minutes. If you prefer to bake- probably around 425 for about the same amount of time.
- We threw this on the grill for about 15 minutes. If you prefer to bake- probably around 425 for about the same amount of time.