'Cheesy' One Pot Baked Italian Meatballs and Cauliflower Gnocchi

An easy weeknight dinner with ZERO chopping required. Gluten, Grain, and Dairy-Free.

Hello Friends! 

I’m currently in the sky writing to you from somewhere over Kansas on my way to visit my best friend and her girls (Kezia’s best friends) for their spring break for a few days! Speaking of Kansas, I started something new with my younger two that I wish I had done with my oldest when he was little. We’re reading a chapter book together on the couch every night, and they chose The Wizard of Oz first.

We always have read a book at bedtime for all of my kids, but usually they were picture books, short and sweet, and read a million times over. The kind you could skip a few pages of to hurry things along and they’d never know. Which goes down the drain the minute they start reading. p.s.

But I regret the days of skipping pages to quicken bedtime because I’m loving this new tradition with them so much. Not only for the sweet snuggles on the couch (sans annoying cartoons in the background that I’ve seen over and over), but also because it is forcing them to use their imagination. We’re going to watch the movie afterwards and chat about what lined up with their imagination and what was different. 

And side note : that book is weird. I have never read it. I think I like the movie much more. But they’re totally enthralled! 

On to this week’s recipe - Crispy grain-free gnocchi, marinara sauce, instant meatballs, and dairy-free creamy ricotta cheese on top. It’s all store-bought and requires no chopping at all. Besides possibly for a salad, which you should serve alongside because we all need greens and fiber. And the cook in your life will be so happy it’s all made in one skillet (Ryan, our resident dishwasher, is equally thankful). Who doesn’t love a meal all created in one vessel?! 

Thank you for being here!

Danielle

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What We’re Making This Week

Give my kids anything with Raos marinara and they’ll devour it. Meatballs. Yep. Pasta. Yep. Lasagna. Absolutely. 

A slightly strange combo they love? Salmon, rice, and Rao's. But given all those amazing omega-3's they're getting, I'm not going to tell them it's a tad bizarre! They adore it. 

So, in an effort to add another meal with their sauce to our repertoire, I created this new skillet dinner. It’s so easy, only 6 ingredients (minus the things you have in your pantry like oil, salt and pepper), and a crowd pleaser every time. 

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Instant Meatballs

We start by making little mini meatballs from bulk sausage. I love using sausage as a shortcut because it’s already so well flavored and eliminates the need to knead (see what I did there) ground meat with a bunch of various seasonings (which would make the ingredient list significantly longer). 

If you can, buy “bulk” sausage, which just means it’s loose, raw sausage, not in casings. I love to buy organic chicken mild Italian sausage from Whole Foods, but pork or beef would be great as well. ButcherBox also sells a lot of great sausages. 

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Grain-Free Gnocchi 

Let’s chat about the gnocchi. I tried the Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi for years and didn’t love the gummy texture. But when I started pan frying it first and then finishing it off in a hot convection oven until it was crispy, I changed my mind. 

Speaking of Gnocchi. When we were in college we went to our favorite Italian restaurant at the time in San Francisco. They had bocce courts inside and we always went with groups of friends when we visited home from college. I ordered gnocchi and pronounced it like “donkey” and Ryan still teases me about it to this day. My Italian grandmother doesn't know. Please don’t tell her.

Back to TJ’s - you really could get this entire ingredient list at Trader Joe’s if you use dairy ricotta. Just pick a sauce that doesn’t have sugar or soybean oil in it. 

Enjoy the recipe this week, friends!!

xo

Danielle

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A Winter In New York - A silly wintery Rom Com that I was supposed to read over Christmas but opted for puzzling instead. I just finished this light read and it was entertaining and sweet. Up next is the new #1 NYT bestseller by my favorite author of all time - Kristin Hannah’s The Women. 

Beauty Lip Balm - It’s a bit high priced, but it’s so thick and creamy and I use it all the time. It gives your lips a nice little sheen too for the days where I don’t wear makeup (which is 95% of the days).

TJ’s chili onion crunch - I used to be fully a wuss when it came to spicy things but have grown to love all things spicy in the past 5 years or so. Hormones and lack of pregnancy/nursing? I have no research to back that up. Just curiosity. At any rate. I put this stuff on everything I make for my kids mild to spice it up and add a pop of flavor. And it’s made with a healthy oil for once! I even put it on this meatball recipe we’re making below.

Broadway Tunes - If we’re new friends. Hi. I’m Danielle and I’ve always been a musical theater nerd. Asher recently went to see Hamilton on Broadway on his school trip to DC and NY and so, of course, the soundtrack is on again for me nonstop after taking a break for a couple of years. “Some say that I’m intense or I’m insane.” I’m also doing all the Peloton runs and rides to it again and it’s bringing me joy this week. Oh and the soundtrack for &Juliet. If you’re a child of the 90’s, you will love.

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Roasted Garlic Cottage Cheese Alfredo Pasta , Pepperoni Pizza Pasta, Pepperoni Pizza Stuffed Chicken, Brookies (because chocolate.)

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'Cheesy' One Pot Baked Italian Meatball and Cauliflower Gnocchi

Servings 4 to 6