Harvest Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Crispy Kale
Sheet pan season is here! This one has a variety of flavors and textures thanks to our seasonal veggies and the crispy kale is the perfect crunch. I love sheet pans for mid week meals, you just chop, dump, and bake — couldn’t be easier. Try this one out with some seasonal butternut squash, or any hard squash you may have on hand.
Harvest Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Crispy Kale Ingredient Notes:
Butternut Squash: This seasonal squash brings natural sweetness and a creamy texture once roasted, making it a perfect balance to the savory sausage and crispy kale. It’s rich in beta-carotene, fiber, and vitamin C, which adds a nutritious boost to the dish. Diced into small cubes, it roasts evenly on a sheet pan and caramelizes beautifully at the edges.
Frozen Cauliflower Gnocchi: Made primarily from cauliflower, these gnocchi are a great gluten-free alternative to traditional potato versions and add an extra serving of vegetables without sacrificing texture. They require no pre-boiling—just toss and bake for an effortless addition to sheet pan meals. Their mild flavor pairs well with bold spices and savory toppings.
Shredded Kale: The kale roasts into crispy little bites that bring that crunch—perfect for balancing the rich sausage and tender squash. It’s a nutrient-dense green, full of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as antioxidants and fiber. Shredding it thinly ensures it cooks quickly and evenly alongside the other ingredients.
Pre-Cooked Apple Chicken Sausage: Slightly sweet and savory, this lean protein caramelizes in the oven for a satisfying, flavorful bite in every forkful. Apple chicken sausage is typically leaner than pork, with a juicy texture that caramelizes in the oven. The hint of apple complements the roasted vegetables and warming spices perfectly.
Harvest Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Crispy Kale
4
servings15
minutes25
minutesSheet pan season is here! This one has a variety of flavors and textures thanks to our seasonal veggies and the crispy kale is the perfect crunch. I love sheet pans for mid week meals, you just chop, dump, and bake — couldn’t be easier. Try this one out with some seasonal butternut squash, or any hard squash you may have on hand.
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Ingredients
12 ounces pre-cooked sausage of choice (apple chicken sausage recommended), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
12 ounces frozen cauliflower gnocchi
2 cups butternut squash (about half of a medium squash), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups shredded kale (about 2 ounces)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast, for topping
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Add the sliced chicken sausage, gnocchi, squash, kale, olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, thyme, ground black pepper, and paprika to the bowl and toss to coat.
- Transfer the sausage and the gnocchi and vegetable mixture to a large sheet pan and spread out in single layer. Bake until the squash is tender and slightly crisp on the outside 24 to 26 minutes.
- Cool on the sheet pan for about 5 minutes. To serve, top with the grated parmesan or nutritional yeast and divide evenly among 4 plates or bowls.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. Air fry at 350ºF until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Tip: If your sausage is pork-based, reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon, and add more after baking, as desired.
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I almost forgot to add the gnocchi. It isn’t mentioned in the recipe steps.
Thanks for updating the recipe! I made it last night and it was so yummy!
Hi Pam! Updated the recipe to clarify that the gnocchi is included in the vegetable mix in step 3!
Immediately added these ingredients to my grocery order when this was posted because I knew it would be delicious and it exceeded expectations! Easy to cook and minimal clean up!
Can I use dried gnocchi and frozen butternut squash?
For dried gnocchi I would recommend cooking it according to instructions (likely boiling for a couple of minutes) then adding it to the sheet pan for the last 5 to 7 minutes. For the squash, frozen squash will release more liquid and will take longer to bake. If you have it on hand, I would bake it separate and give it some extra time in the oven, then combine with the other components before serving!
Love the baking tray! Where did you get it?
the sheet pan and silicone liner are from Our Place!
This is insanely good! Like I can’t say enough about it. All of my favorite fall flavors. I subbed sweet potato for the butternut squash because the squash I bought was slimy, and I absolutely love this!
This was really tasty, and I used the leftover in the morning to put under an egg 🙂
This is what my partner always does with leftovers. Warm it up and add a fried egg, it’s breakfast! 😀
Wow! Another fabulous recipe! I subbed red Kaboucha squash for the butternut and it was delicious. I love how crispy the kale was. Super easy, very flavorful and such an easy kitchen clean up afterwards. We’re huge fans!
I made today with frozen butternut squash and it didn’t get as much color on it but it did cook through. I’d probably roast on second tray next time to try to roast better.
This dish was so yummy that my whole family went back for seconds. My husband and I were fighting over who gets to eat the leftovers for lunch the next day!
Okay, this is amazing! I didn’t have gnocchi and it’s even delicious without it. Tempted to eat the entire pan! The roasted butternut squash along with the crispy kale! So good!
This was yummy! Although I think it would have been better to cook everything for 10 min, then add the kale and cook another 20+ min. My butternut squash wasn’t nearly ready but the kale was getting overcooked.
Maybe depends on how small the squash is but I got the precut ones from TJs which are about 1/2 inch dice.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, and thank you for the feedback! I find the TJs precut can be slightly too big for a simple dump and bake!
This meal was not only super easy, but super delicious! Love one pan meals that are actually flavorful. Thank you 😊
Another amazing recipe, Jenn! Thank you for this new Fall staple!
Sadly they didn’t have the frozen gnocchi at my store! Is it possible to use the dried kind? How would you modify the recipe to do that?
you could try preparing the gnocchi as instructed (likely boiling for a couple of minutes), then drain and add to the sheet pan for the final 5-7 minutes of baking to crisp up! I haven’t tested it this way, so let me know how it works out!
This was so yummy! I used chicken sausage with cranberries and goat cheese and it was so good! Each one of my three kids enjoyed a different part that I wasn’t expecting them to!
Hi! Would shelf stable gnocchi change anything? Thanks!
Shelf stable gnocchi can be a bit drier than frozen, you can absolutely sub for it in any of my sheet pan gnocchi recipes, but I would just watch the bake time on it, as it might need a bit less time. Alternatively, you could pop the veggies in first for 5-10 minutes, then add the gnocchi and finish baking.
Love love love this! I made it with sweet potato instead of squash a couple times, but tried it as written last week and was pleasantly surprised! I do find that it’s best to add the kale about 15 minutes before everything is done, otherwise it starts to get more burnt than anything else.
OMG…this was seriously amazing! All the flavors melded fabulously together! One of the best things I have had in awhile. I would not change a thing. Well,I am going to add more kale next time, but besides that, chef’s kiss. Thank-you for sharing.
And this is my first comment ever on a recipe.
Oops, actually I could not find cauliflower gnocchi or I would have used it. You can definitely use regular dry gnocchi and not boil it before, it was perfect. Ok,I am done, lol.
I used shelf stable gnocchi and it was great. I live all these main ingredients but the spices ruined it for me. I think the garlic powder and paprika are too strong for this dish. I missed the butternut squash flavor bc the spices were so strong. 🙁
Instant classic. I was skeptical until I added the parmesan. It’s like Thanksgiving in a bowl. This is going to go into regular fall rotation. I used a spicy Italian turkey sausage (it’s what the store had) and it added just a hint of heat that was perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m shocked at how good this was! It does taste like Fall!! I’d love to try this with fresh herbs and a Boursin round in the middle. I felt like it was a bit too dry and this would be a good substitute for a bit of sauce.
I’m confused about the gnocchi. If I use frozen doesn’t it create a lot of liquid defrosting in oven? I plan to use potato not cauliflower gnocchi.
We live in TX and I’m desperate for fall but it is still in the 90s here so chili and soup aren’t on the menu yet. This was great and fit the bill perfectly!
I had refrigerated pumpkin gnocchi from my TJs (only gnocchi they had but I figured it would work well here). I added it for just the last 5 minutes or so and it worked well.
Would it be possible to make this with impossible/beyond sausage?
Do you defrost the gnocchi before baking?
Very dry, it could really use something acidic and wet like balsamic vinegar. Our kale burned within the first 10 min, I’m not sure how others have avoided this. Definitely a good idea, but could use some tweaks imo to be great.