Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Gnocchi Are Even Better When You Bake Them

Nothing radiates fall energy quite like the humble sweet potato. One grocery store brand, however, has taken the hearty root vegetable to a place we'd never thought possible — after all, who ever heard of sweet potato blended into pillowy, Italian dumplings? Flavored with butter and sage, Trader Joe's sweet potato gnocchi has become the kind of seasonal product shoppers begin hunting for each autumn (move over, pumpkin spice latte).

Soft, savory, and seasoned with hints of Parmesan-adjacent Grana Padano cheese, it's easy to understand why this bag of frozen gnocchi has generated something of a cult following. But to truly get the most out of the gnocchi, it's best to skip the microwave or stovetop and pop these frozen gems into the oven at high heat. You'll wind up with crispy, caramelized bundles of starchy satisfaction — and, you'll quite possibly fool your friends or family into thinking you've made these from scratch.

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread some oil over a lined sheet pan to encourage browning and to prevent any ingredients from sticking and scatter the frozen gnocchi over the pan without overcrowding it, which would steam your ingredients and prevent them from browning. From there, it's a choose-your-own-adventure type thing. To add variety and more nutrients, toss in fall-appropriate veggies like cubes of butternut squash, sliced broccoli, or small, quartered Brussels sprouts. Stick with ingredients that are chopped into fairly small pieces: Since the frozen gnocchi will only take about 25 minutes to bake and crisp up, you'll want to end up with vegetables that cook in roughly the same amount of time. Once they're nestled into a hot oven, the frozen gnocchi will only take a few minutes to defrost. Take a peek after 20 minutes to check whether the gnocchi has browned to your liking.

What makes the baking method so much better? Roasting your frozen gnocchi in the oven, rather than cooking them on the stovetop, brings on the Maillard reaction — a chemical occurrence that combines sugar, proteins, and high heat, resulting in crunchy, browned edges. Without the Maillard reaction, your French fries would be soft, your bacon would be limp, and your sheet pan gnocchi would be nothing more than soft globs of flour and potato. So as you dig into your crispy gnocchi masterpiece, remember that shout-out to science is well overdue.