Gnocchi, if you're unfamiliar with it, is a style of pasta made in the shape of round little dumplings. You make gnocchi by rolling out the dough, cutting it into small pieces, and then pressing indentations into them for holding sauce. You can make and store them ahead of time if you like, or buy them prepackaged. They're soft, pillowy, and absolutely delicious.

While that sounds amazing, we understand that you're probably a busy person. Can you really take the time to make a gnocchi dish? Well, if you have a slow cooker, the answer is always yes. Slow cookers allow you to simply put your ingredients in the cooking pot, and then let everything simmer and cook slowly while you go about your business. When you return, you'll have— in this case — tender, tasty gnocchi intermingling with other flavorful dishes. Here are some outstanding gnocchi meals to make in your slow cooker the next time you get a chance.

Slow cooker gnocchi beef stew
Classic beef stew is hearty and delicious as is. Throwing gnocchi into the mix instead of cubed potatoes makes it that much more robust. Whether you make the dumplings yourself or use the packaged variety, you're going to love the richness of this exceptional stew. Get the recipe here.

Slow cooker chicken and gnocchi soup
Chicken noodle soup is a staple dish, especially when the weather turns chilly or you're coming down with something. While the traditional noodles used in this dish are pasta, gnocchi is an easy substitution. In fact, gnocchi is much more substantive than your usual noodle, so we think you're going to really like this as an upgrade. Get the recipe here.

Slow cooker gnocchi in pork sauce
This is basically a double substitution recipe. Instead of a beef sauce, you make it pork, and instead of spaghetti noodles, you use gnocchi. The remarkable thing about gnocchi, especially in a slow cooker, is that it soaks up all the savory flavors of the sauce. Get the recipe here.

Slow cooker gnocchi minestrone
Minestrone can be a pretty healthy soup. The broth is fairly thin and filled with nutritious vegetables like carrots, celery, onions and beans. Now, add a bit of gnocchi and some sausage if you want, and you have a satisfying meal in a bowl. Get the recipe here.

Slow cooker braised beef short ribs with gnocchi
OK, we're not going for super healthy here. However, one look at this dish, and you aren't going to care. Short ribs braised in a slow cooker can get tender and engorged with flavor, and then the gnocchi absorb even more flavor from the sauce as well. Get the recipe here.

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