Spam and gnocchi w/sauteed onions in BBQ sauce

[DJ Davis]

I know...this is going to run the gamut from curiosity to gagging (for some) to a possible international incident. Please hear me out before anyone calls The Department of State.

I'm not a big fan of Spam, however I was intrigued by the Hickory Smoke version and wanted to give it a try, but not by itself. So, on our last camping excursion I brought along about 3/4 cup of chopped onions in a ziploc baggie and some fast-food BBQ sauce packets to add to this "unusual pairing" of Americana and Old World.

Prep: While the gnocchi were readied (heating the water then boiling the gnocchi for the prescribed three minutes), my wife cubed the Spam into 1/2" pieces and I sauteed the onions. The gnocchi were drained, the Spam and onions added to the pot used to boil the gnocchi, then the BBQ sauce packets last. The residual heat from boiling the gnocchi was enough to warm the Spam, onions, and sauce, but a colder day might necessitate a bit more time on a burner.

Opinion: Nothing spectacular, but inexpensive, travels well, and is relatively easy to prepare. For those trying to conserve fuel, the gnocchi are a good alternative to noodles as the cooking time is less than half of what it takes to boil pasta. The wife wants to try the gnocchi with chicken and some Alfredo sauce next time.

So there you have it...Spam, gnocchi, sauteed onions, and BBQ sauce. Would someone please tell those Vikings to SHUT UP!!!

[Steve T.]

This doesn't sound to bad, I may just try making it. The Land of Lincoln Chapter has been having an annual cooking throw down each year. We did Span a couple years ago and it was great fun. There are endless things you can do with Spam which made for an interesting contest. My biggest complaint with Spam is how salty it is. But adding the gnocchi would minimize that. Thanks for the post ! Bon Appetite.

[DJ Davis]

Ah! A "Spamathon!" I bet that was really interesting! Re: Spam..how salty it is That's for preserving it for longer shelf life, of course. The 25% less sodium version is better for daily use, but if you're a "Prepper," you want the original version for your bunker. The Hickory Smoke version must be pretty popular - it seems to fly off the shelves around here.

An adjust to my first post Re: my wife wanting to try the gnocchi with chicken and Alfredo sauce. I did some online checking and it appears one doesn't have to pre-boil gnocchi if you're going to add it to a sauce. So, if one wants to do gnocchi with marinara or any other sauce of choice, just throw 'em in about three minutes prior to serving time. How easy is that?!

[DJ Davis]

OK, I also shared this on another forum and someone pointed out a step that I forgot to write in. I browned the Spam cubes as I sauteed the onions. Everyone knows Spam is better browned. My apologies for omitting this step in the original post. Once again, it proves that as you get older, the first thing that goes is your...uh, your...ummm...what day is this...?

[Steve T.]

Ah! A "Spamathon!" I bet that was really interesting! Re: Spam..how salty it is That's for preserving it for longer shelf life, of course. The 25% less sodium version is better for daily use, but if you're a "Prepper," you want the original version for your bunker. The Hickory Smoke version must be pretty popular - it seems to fly off the shelves around here.

An adjust to my first post Re: my wife wanting to try the gnocchi with chicken and Alfredo sauce. I did some online checking and it appears one doesn't have to pre-boil gnocchi if you're going to add it to a sauce. So, if one wants to do gnocchi with marinara or any other sauce of choice, just throw 'em in about three minutes prior to serving time. How easy is that?!

Our group stopped in Austin MN on the way back from WY in August. We visited the Spam Museum. It was enlightening, it seems they have 14 flavors, but only manufacture 3 at a time. So flavors can be missing when you look. If you see the kind you like stock up. There is a Pineapple Spam , but only available in Hawaii. The guy at the Museum gave us a tip for cooking Spam. He said, fry it in Orange soda. So I did, and it was OK. Try it if you are a Spam lover.