Tex Mex Gnocchi …….Tex Mex meets Italy.
We l-o-v-e Mexican food. Now, I know this is not a traditional Mexican dish, but the flavors are spot on, for us anyway, and I think you will agree. We also l-o-v-e Italian food, so paring them is a match made in ethnic food heaven.
Gnocchi is traditionally Italian, but it’s made from potatoes and, well potatoes, kinda go with anything. In this dish I think the potato tones down balance to the spiciness of the rest of the dish and creates a nice balance.
Someday I will try to make my own gnocchi, but for this time I bought prepared gnocchi. Most stores carry it these days.
You all know my love of the grocery store, it’s just a given in my world. My newest passion at my new favorite grocery store, is their meat department. I had a plan in my head, which truly is filled with thoughts of food most the time….I know DORK!
I had the gnocchi, a jalapeño, Mexican spices, and the rest of the stuff on the recipe, I even had ground beef in the cart until I saw…….you know how in a movie the magical music play and a bright light shines on an object? Yeah it was like that!
The specialty meat counter had ground beef that was perfect, it was course ground and looked like real meat. They called it taco meat and it came seasoned or unseasoned. I chose to season my own. It was perfect for Tex Mex Gnocchi. If your favorite store doesn’t carry such an item, you can use regular ground beef or they may grind it super course for you if you ask.
Super easy to make, Tex Mex Gnocchi is a perfect midweek dish. Gnocchi cooks in a flash, so not only easy but quick.
Browned spiced ground beef, onion, tomato, pinto beans, sweet corn, and gnocchi, smothered in Pepper Jack Cheese. Garnished with cilantro and green onions is a dish thats sure to please!
I will admit that this is not the prettiest dish in the world and it was really hard to photograph, but I picked the best of the best pictures and hope you give Tex Mex Gnocchi a try…..it will not disappoint!
Tex Mex Gnocchi
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound package potato gnocchi
- 1 pound very coarsely ground beef
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small jalapeño. minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder, more if you like it spicier
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt & black pepper
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups sweet corn, canned or frozen
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
- Cilantro and green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
- In a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat, cook your ground beef with the onion, garlic, jalapeño,cumin, dried oregano, chipotle powder, salt and pepper.
- Add the can of Rotel tomatoes to the cooked beef drained pinto beans, corn, and tomato paste and cooked gnocchi. Continue cooking until almost all of the liquid is gone.
- Top with pepper jack cheese and place under the broiler to melt and slightly brown the cheese.
- Garnish with cilantro and green onion.
