Breakfast Gnocchi Traybake | One Pot One Portion
Everyone knows the best dinner is actually breakfast and this single serve breakfast gnocchi traybake is the best of both worlds. It’s also the first recipe in a new mini series of single serve traybake, because when you’re cooking for one sometimes you just want to shove it all on a tray and into the oven. And thats essentially exactly what you do here. If you ask me all good breakfasts have some element of potato in them, hash browns, rostis, home fries, they’re all great but as this is technically dinner I’ve gone with gnocchi, baked on the tray so it gets gorgeously crispy. Then we’ve got all the best elements of a full English, sausages, tomatoes, eggs, and an upgrade from the classic, my spicy vodka beans. So whether you have this as breakfast for dinner, or dinner for breakfast- the joy of cooking for one is that you get to decide.
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About This Dish
This Breakfast Gnocchi Traybake is a crispy, comforting single-serve meal that combines the best parts of breakfast and dinner in one easy oven tray. Everything cooks together on a single baking tray, where gnocchi roast until golden alongside sausages and juicy tomatoes. Eggs are cracked onto the tray towards the end for a perfectly cooked yolk, and the dish is finished with a generous spoonful of spicy vodka beans. The result is a savoury, hearty traybake packed with flavour and texture. It’s ideal for solo cooks who want a satisfying meal with minimal effort and almost no washing up.
Why You'll Want to Make This Recipe
Single Serve
This traybake is perfectly portioned for one person, making it ideal when you want something hearty without cooking a full batch. Everything fits neatly onto a small tray so you get a balanced meal without leftovers.
Quick & Easy
With only a few minutes of prep, the oven does most of the work. Just toss everything together, roast, add the eggs and serve.
One Tray Cooking
This recipe is part of a new single-serve traybake series, designed for those evenings when you simply want to put everything on a tray and let the oven handle it. Minimal prep, minimal washing up, maximum comfort.
Comfort Food Energy
It has all the flavours of a full English-style breakfast — sausages, tomatoes, eggs and beans — but in a cosy roasted traybake form. Crispy gnocchi step in for potatoes, giving the dish a satisfying golden texture.
Eleanor’s Top Tips for the Perfect Breakfast Gnocchi Traybake
- Give the gnocchi space. Try to keep them in a single layer so they crisp up nicely in the oven.
- Roast before adding eggs. Let the gnocchi and sausages develop colour first so the traybake has plenty of flavour.
- Create space for the eggs. Push the ingredients aside slightly so the eggs cook evenly rather than running across the tray.
- Adjust egg doneness. Bake for 5 minutes for runny yolks, or closer to 7 minutes if you prefer them set.
- Finish with fresh herbs. Chives add brightness and balance the richness of the dish.
Ingredients and Tools You'll Need
Essential Ingredients
Olive Oil – helps everything roast and adds flavour.
Gnocchi – acts as the crispy potato element of the traybake.
Cherry Tomatoes – roast until soft and sweet.
Chicken Sausages – provide savoury richness and protein.
Dried Italian Herbs – add warmth and seasoning.
Eggs – baked directly on the tray for a runny yolk finish.
Spicy Vodka Beans – creamy, flavour-packed beans that elevate the dish.
To Serve (Optional)
Fresh Chives – add freshness and colour.
Extra black pepper – for seasoning at the end.
Essential Tools
• Small baking tray
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Spoon or spatula
• Kitchen scales (optional)
Dietary Variations
Gluten-Free
Use gluten-free gnocchi and ensure your sausages are certified gluten-free.
Dairy-Free
The traybake itself is naturally dairy-free if using standard baked beans instead of spicy vodka beans that contain dairy.
Vegetarian
Swap the chicken sausages for vegetarian sausages or roasted mushrooms.
Adding Extra Vegetables
Roasted peppers, mushrooms or spinach work well and can be added to the tray at the start of cooking.
Different Beans
If you don’t have spicy vodka beans, classic baked beans or butter beans in tomato sauce work perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I make this traybake with regular potatoes instead of gnocchi?
Yes. Small diced potatoes or pre-cooked new potatoes can be used, but they may need an extra 10–15 minutes of roasting.
What tray size works best for a single portion?
A small baking tray around 20–25 cm works best. It keeps the ingredients close together so they roast nicely.
Can I cook the beans on the tray?
You can if you like, though it would probably take longer and may make your gnocchi soggy.
Can I prepare any of this ahead?
You can slice the tomatoes ahead of time, but the traybake is best cooked fresh so the gnocchi stays crispy.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes — simply use a larger tray and double the ingredients. Make sure everything still sits in a single layer.
Cooking for one means you get to make the rules — whether that’s breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast.
Ingredients
2 Tsp Olive Oil
125g Gnocchi
100g Cherry Tomatoes, halved
3 Chicken Sausages (or Pork if you prefer)
1/2 Tsp Dried Italian Herbs
2 Eggs
100g Spicy Vodka Beans (or regular baked beans)
Salt
Black Pepper
Fresh Chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
- Add the gnocchi, halved tomatoes and chicken sausages to a tray. Drizzle over the olive oil and scatter the Italian herbs. Season with salt and pepper and toss everything together. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- After 20-25 minutes, the gnocchi and sausages should have started to turn golden and the tomatoes will have softened. Create two spaces on the tray and crack the eggs in. Bake for another 5-7 minutes depending on how well cooked you like you egg, leaving it in for longer if you want the yolk to be full set.
- Heat up the beans then once the eggs are cooked, serve the traybake up and spoon the beans onto the gnocchi. Top with chopped fresh chives and enjoy.
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Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
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Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This recipe book is stunning and fulfils its role brilliantly in catering for individuals who want to eat delicious meals, but don't want to prepare family sized portions or devote their entire evening to cooking. Who'd believe you could make an entire roast for one person and only use one pan in the process! She is a genius and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.
One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
This is the book I've been waiting for! I (very happily!) live alone, love to cook and read cookery books, but every recipe is for two people or more. This gorgeous book contains recipes perfectly proportioned for one person (and I'm always a very hungry one person!) which ensures more variety, less food waste, and pure, gluttonous joy.
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This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?