Meat Lovers Pizza Gnocchi & RV

When I saw this recipe for Meat Lovers Pizza Gnocchi back in January on Kevin’s “Closet Cooking” blog, I knew it had to be tried.  The only problem was that Bev doesn’t care for gnocchi (the store bought version at least) so while she was in the Caribbean, it seemed like the perfect meal for our Friday card night.  Here is Kevin’s description of it – “Soft and pillowy gnocchi done meat lover’s pizza style with pizza sauce, pepperoni, bacon, and beef all smothered in plenty of melted cheese!”  You can see Kevin's original recipe and pics by clicking on the above link.

Since I’m alone, I like to make meals with leftovers and to ensure I did, I made a recipe and a half to get the one below.  I made the sauce in the morning so all I had to do at mealtime was reheat it, cook the gnocchi, stir it into the sauce, and top with the cheese.

Meat Lovers Pizza Gnocchi - Adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. gnocchi (gluten-free for gluten-free)

6 oz. bacon, sliced

4 oz. of pepperoni, sliced

1½ lbs. ground beef (or Italian sausage)

1½ c. onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, chopped (1/4 tsp dried)

1 pinch red pepper flakes

3 c. pizza sauce or marinara sauce (I used Rao’s)

3 tsp. Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

3 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Cook the gnocchi as directed on the package.

2. Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium heat before setting aside.

3. Cook the pepperoni in bacon grease in the pan and set aside.

Optionally cook the gnocchi in the bacon grease until crispy and set aside.

4. Add the beef and onion to the pan and cook, breaking the beef apart as it cooks, until cooked through, before draining off any excess grease.  See Note 1.

5. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

6. Add the pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, gnocchi, bacon and pepperoni, and simmer for a few minutes.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle on the cheese, cover and let it melt.

 

Note 1. I have a system for browning meat that works very well.  I cut it into 1” thick slices and put the wide side down over medium heat and when it is brown (don’t let a crust form).  I flip it over and cut it with a spatula in both directions.  

When browned again, I do the same thing. 

Since the spatula hits the pan bottom before cutting all the way thru, I stack it up for the next step and cut again with the spatula then flip again and repeat.

Finally, I spread it out and cut up any chunks I missed and I end up with a nice crumbly texture.

The Verdict:

Not surprisingly for a Kevin recipe, we all thought it was great and I had a big bowl of leftovers.  The ingredient proportions were all just right.  You really need to make this. 

And you know I had to do this.

RV

You may not recall, but last November our motorhome broke down on the way home from a rally in Chattanooga, TN and we had to be towed home then after several weeks in the shop and a few thousand dollars, it got home just prior to my toe surgery.  We spent that rally with no hot water as our Aqua Hot (supplies heat and hot water) sprang a leak.  So, after sitting all winter, we are finally getting ready to travel and trying to get everything in good shape for when we want to quit RVing and sell the coach.  I’m happy to report that the Aqua Hot is back in business.  Now it’s time to take it for a check-out ride to make sure the chassis is all okay.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

04/14/23 meal date