I’m a planner. I wasn’t always, in fact most of my younger life was very fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants. I’ve learned since then. Most often, I plan out the entire week’s meals based on what’s happening each night. Swim practice and meets, events, meetings, work schedules, I plan on how much time we have in the evening and then what’s happening the next day. Higher carbs for pre-meet nights, protein for recovery days, 10-minute meals for late nights, grilling out for sunny evenings.

Lately we’ve been using Hungryroot to plan and ship our groceries. Check out the article Going Gluten Free to learn more and grab a code for $50 off your first shipment. But even with that, I like to keep this recipe as a backup. The ingredients are pantry and freezer stable and it cooks up in under 10 minutes.

Pumpkin & Smoked Sausage Gnocchi

• 1 package GF gnocchi (we like DeLallo brand) or traditional gnocchi if you don’t need to be GF
• 1 can pure pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling!) – Check for BPA free cans
• Chicken or veggie broth- use empty pumpkin can to measure out 1 full can of stock or buy a can of stock that is roughly equivalent in ounces to the pumpkin purée
• 1 cup full fat coconut cream, dairy free half and half, OR regular half and half if you tolerate dairy
• 5-6 leaves fresh sage or 1 tsp dried
• 2 large sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem or 1 tsp dried
• 1 clove minced garlic or 1/4 tsp dried powdered garlic
• 1 tsp onion powder or 1/4 fresh onion minced
• 1 package of GF smoked sausage, GF smoked sausage plant based alternative, chopped smoked chicken, or smoked tofu; large slice or dice, approximately 2 cups
• Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Heat a 2 tsps of olive oil in a large skillet, add protein of choice and saute until heated and lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Add stock, pumpkin, coconut cream (or half and half), and spices. Stir slowly until combined and smooth, taste and add salt and pepper to your preference. Depending on your stock and the protein used, more salt may be needed.

Add uncooked gnocchi to protein with sauce, cook according to package instruction time. Usually about 7-8 minutes. If your sauce gets too thick after gnocchi is added, simply add more stock until you have the desired consistency. You can keep it thick and more sauce like or thin it out to an almost soup like consistency. It’s delicious either way! Lost some of that creaminess? Add in an additional tablespoon of coconut cream or half and half until you reach what you want. This recipe is so forgiving, make it how you like!

Ladle into bowls and top with a sprinkle of thyme and Parmesan or cashew parm. Serve with a slice or two of GF garlic bread for soaking up the remaining sauce- you’ll want it, believe me.

This recipe can be doubled or even tripled easily for a large family or team dinner. Simply 2x or 3x each ingredient and you’re good to go!