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January 6, 2022 30 Minutes or less Meals

Kale Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage: Trader Joe’s Recipe!

This Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage & Kale Gnocchi one pan meal will have you sitting down to dinner in less than 30 minutes! With just 8 ingredients, and one pan, both the prep and the clean up will be a breeze! We like to use a large cast iron skillet to get a nice brown on the sausage. Because it is pre-cooked, all you need to do is brown it up for a nice crust!

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Trader Joe’s chicken sausage and kale gnocchi in a cast iron skillet with tomatoes

In this one pan wonder, in addition to the Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage, we use a bag of their frozen Kale Gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh cherry tomatoes. Of course, that is what we had in our fridge, but if you want to swap out the Kale Gnocchi for Cauliflower Gnocchi, make it happen! Love mushrooms? Add those!

One of the things we love about Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage, is it is a great grab and go item that we can keep in the fridge for a quick meal! It is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We used the jalapeño variety of sausage in this recipe, but any flavor will work!

What you will need to make this chicken sausage and kale gnocchi:

  • Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage: Adds savory, flavorful protein to the dish, with seasonings already infused, making it convenient and tasty.
  • Garlic Olive Oil (or plain olive oil): Garlic olive oil infuses extra depth of flavor, providing a rich, aromatic base. Plain olive oil works well too for a milder taste.
  • Frozen Trader Joe’s Kale (or Cauliflower) Gnocchi: These gnocchi options bring texture and a unique flavor. Kale adds a healthy, leafy green taste, while cauliflower keeps the dish light and gluten-free.
  • Cherry Tomatoes: Bursts of sweet and tangy flavor that complement the richness of the sausage and gnocchi.
  • Butter: Adds richness and a silky mouthfeel, balancing the acidity of the tomatoes and white wine.
  • Olive Tapenade: Provides briny, salty depth, enhancing the Mediterranean-inspired flavors in the dish.
  • Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil: Concentrated, sweet-tart tomato flavor with a slightly chewy texture, bringing complexity and a touch of luxury to the sauce.
  • White Wine: Adds acidity and depth, deglazing the pan and bringing all the flavors together with a subtle, refreshing finish.

How to make Kale Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage:

  1. Prepare the Sausage: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Slice the chicken sausages into discs and add them to the hot pan with a drizzle of garlic olive oil. Cook for a few minutes until browned on one side, then stir to brown the other side.
  2. Prepare the Sun-Dried Tomatoes: While the sausage is browning, dice the sun-dried tomatoes into pea-sized pieces and set aside.
  3. Add Gnocchi and Tomatoes: Once the sausage is browned, add the frozen kale gnocchi to the pan. Add the butter and diced sun-dried tomatoes along with a bit of the oil from their jar. Stir to combine.
  4. Add Cherry Tomatoes: Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan, arranging them so they contact the pan’s surface to start blistering. Cover with a lid and let them cook for a couple of minutes.
  5. Add Tapenade and Liquid: Add the olive tapenade and a splash of white wine (or chicken broth). Stir to combine, cover with the lid, and cook for about 4 minutes. Stir again and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until everything is heated through.
  6. Serve: Serve the dish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Three Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

  1. Quick and Convenient: This meal comes together in less than 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
  2. Flavorful and Satisfying: The combination of savory chicken sausage, tender kale gnocchi, and the rich flavors of sun-dried tomatoes and olive tapenade creates a delicious and hearty dish.
  3. Versatile and Customizable: You can easily swap ingredients to suit your preferences, such as using cauliflower gnocchi instead of kale gnocchi or adding mushrooms for extra flavor.

Storage Instructions:

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm the dish in a skillet over medium heat until heated through, adding a splash of broth or water if needed to maintain moisture.

Tips:

  • Ingredient Substitutions: If you prefer not to use white wine, substitute it with vegetable or chicken broth. If olive tapenade isn’t available, chopped green or Greek olives can be used, or you can omit it and add a pinch of salt to compensate.
  • Make It Vegan: Replace the chicken sausage with a plant-based alternative or additional vegetables like broccoli, which browns nicely in this dish.
  • Enhance the Flavor: Using garlic-infused olive oil adds extra depth to the dish, but plain olive oil works well if that’s what you have on hand.

 

Trader Joe’s chicken sausage and kale gnocchi in a cast iron skillet with tomatoes

Trader Joe's Chicken Sausage & Kale Gnocchi

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 8 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Course: stovetop
Cuisine: stovetop
Keyword: stovetop
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 284kcal
Author: Bruce and Dina Miller

Equipment

  • pan
  • Knife
  • Spatula

Ingredients

  • 3 sausages package Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage
  • 1 tablespoon garlic olive oil or plain garlic oil
  • 12 ounces bag frozen Trader Joe’s Kale Gnocchi
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup Olive Tapenade
  • ¼ cup diced Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil.
  • Splash of white wine can substitute chicken broth

Instructions

  • Heat up a large cast-iron skillet. Slice the chicken sausage into discs. Add to hot pan, and drizzle with a little of the garlic olive oil. Allow to cook for a few minutes to brown on one side. Using a wooden spoon, stir the sausage around to turn them over.
    3 sausages package Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage, 1 tablespoon garlic olive oil
  • While the sausage is browning, cut up the sun dried tomatoes into bit size pieces about the size of a pea, and set aside.
    ¼ cup diced Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil.
  • Once you brown the sausage on one side, and turn it over, add in the bag of frozen kale gnocchi. It only takes 7 minutes to heat up! Add the butter &  sun-dried tomatoes and a little of the oil from the jar of tomatoes. Stir.
    12 ounces bag frozen Trader Joe’s Kale Gnocchi, 1 tablespoon butter, ¼ cup diced Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil.
  • Add the cherry tomatoes, and stir so that the tomatoes are on the surface of the pan so they start to blister. Give them a couple minutes to blister with lid on. Now add the olive tapenade and a touch of water, broth or white wine, and cover with a lid for about 4 minutes, then stir, and cook for another 1-2 minutes, till heated through.
    ½ cup cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup Olive Tapenade, Splash of white wine, ¼ cup diced Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil.
  • Serve with grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 359IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More tasty chicken recipes to try out!

Panera Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Easy Chicken Piccata

Grilled Chicken Wraps & Greek Yogurt Dipping Sauces

Spinach salad with oranges, strawberries, chicken, pecans, and feta, with a bowl of strawberries and pecans and an orange and a pitcher of poppyseed dressing
chicken piccata with lemons and asparagus on a white plate
Grilled chicken, sliced cold veggies, 3 yogurt sauces and lettuce.

Categories: 30 Minutes or less Meals Tags: Chicken Recipes, easy recipe, Gnocchi, healthy recipes, Kale, Trader Joe’s Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elaine G. says

    January 12, 2022 at 5:22 am

    5 stars
    Love a quick & delicious skillet meal and this one sounds amazing! Wish I could get to a TJ’s (closed boarders) so I’ll have to sub some of the ingredients. Can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
    • Bruce and Dina MillerBruce and Dina Miller says

      January 13, 2022 at 9:49 am

      Elaine,

      Oh I know you can find some tasty chicken sausage and gnocchi on your side of the border! When we visited a few years ago we were blown away by all the choices! Enjoy your week!

      Best,

      Dina and Bruce

      Reply
  2. Megan says

    March 28, 2022 at 3:17 pm

    I don’t see where you add in the butter and oil tapenade?

    Reply
    • Bruce and Dina MillerBruce and Dina Miller says

      March 28, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Megan,

      Thank you so much for catching these misses! I have updated the recipe to reflect when you add both of these in! We hope you give it a try! Let us know what you think! And let us know if you make any other additions, or updates! We love seeing the creativity of our followers!

      Have the best week,

      Dina and Bruce!

      Reply

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    January 8, 2025 at 7:32 pm

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