Starting from the Bottom: The Whipped Goat Cheese
Underneath all the pumpkin gnocchi and beefy goodness sits an extra layer of protein and flavor in the form of whipped cottage cheese, goat cheese, and honey.
The flavor of goat cheese pairs perfectly with the other components in this dish. It’s also so strong you’ll never know cottage cheese is at the party.
I like using an immersion blender since it’s a thick mixture. You want to whip some air in so make sure to really give it a good blending.
Roasted Pumpkin Gnocchi and Kale + Maple Balsamic Beef
Combining elements from my crispy gnocchi with sausage and peas and fall harvest bowls, this starts by air frying or roasting some chopped kale and Trader Joe’s pumpkin gnocchi. All you need to add is a bit of olive oil and salt.
While those two are cooking, you throw together a maple balsamic sauce for a pound of extra lean ground beef. The trio gets mixed together and served over the whipped goat cheese.
Optional garnishes include freshly grated parmesan cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds (Trader Joe’s currently has pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds), chili flakes, and an extra drizzle of honey.
Crispy Pumpkin Gnocchi Protein Bowls
Ingredients
For the Whipped Goat Cheese
- 6 oz Goat Cheese
- ¾ cup (170g) Low Fat Cottage Cheese
- 1 ½ Tablespoons (32g) Honey
For the Beef
- 16 oz Extra Lean Ground Beef
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 2 teaspoons Coarse Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
For the Pumpkin Gnocchi and Kale
- 4 cups (128g) Chopped Kale
- 1 pack (14 oz) Trader Joe's Pumpkin Gnocchi, or any packaged gnocchi
- 1 ½ Tablespoons (24g) Olive Oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Make the whipped goat cheese by blending the goat cheese, cottage cheese, and honey together until smooth, light, and airy. Set aside.
- Make the beef by adding the ground beef to a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and cooking for 2-3 minutes to brown one side before breaking apart with a spatula and fully cooking. Mix the remaining beef ingredients together and add to the fully cooked beef. Cook until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the beef, another 1-2 minutes.
- Crisp the kale. While the beef cooks, add the kale to a large mixing bowl and drizzle ½ tablespoon olive oil over the top. Use a hand to massage the kale to coat in the oil. Add the kale to an air fryer basket and cook for about 5 minutes at 350ºF until it's crispy but not browning too much. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Crisp the gnocchi. Toss the gnocchi with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Air fry for 5-6 minutes at 400ºF or until the gnocchi is crispy on the outside and cooked through inside.
- Serve the gnocchi, kale, and beef (toss the three together) over the whipped goat cheese. To make 4 servings, each serving gets a heaping ⅓ cup (90g) of cheese with ¼ of the beef, gnocchi, and kale (about 185g).
