Friday, October 8, 2010

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese 2

Ahhhh mac and cheese.

Those mere words stir up feelings of comfort...home....the food you loved as a kid.

If you asked a 100 people what their favorite comfort food was, I'm guessing close to half would say mac and cheese. I'm sure meatloaf and mashed potatoes are right up there too.

Why is that the combination of cheese and pasta can make our mouths water?

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese 1

I'm all about trying different kinds of mac and cheese recipes and this one was no exception. I love gnocchi. I love cheese. Done deal.

I saw this one on Noble Pig's site and knew it would be in my oven.

The gnocchi get's a little puffy in the oven and the cheese get's a little crunchy.

It's heavenly.

Gnocchi Mac n' Cheese
From Cuisine at Home
1 pound purchased or homemade gnocchi
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
Salt and white pepper to taste
1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
Basil leaves for garnish, optional (I chopped fresh basil and added it in to my cheese sauce)

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

Combine Gruyere and fontina, then add by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all cheese is melted, season sauce with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano over top. Bake gnocchi until they puff and the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.

98 comments:

TKW said...

Wiping the drool off my keyboard...wow. That looks like an amazing bowl of goodness.

Anonymous said...

Cheese-y potato gnocchi on a cool Autumn evening to be followed by cozy reading under a big blanket, maybe a nap. Sign me up. Bet this would be great with sweet potato gnocchi, too.

*Heather*

Mollie said...

Wow. I just sent a link to your post to a bunch of my foodie friends. With the subject line "HOLY BALLS!!!"

I wish I had those right now! Great pics!

Sarah Says said...

OK, this has got to be the ULTIMATE comfort food! I seriously want to try this over the weekend...

Lisa said...

Oh this sounds heavenly. I love gnocchi even more than other types of pasta, so this mac and cheese is the one for me.

Corinne said...

Ok, this might be the greatest thing I've ever seen! Gnocchi is my FAVE thing to order whenever I go to an Italian restaurant, and you managed to mix it with my OTHER fave thing in the world, mac and cheese! LOVE IT! Hope you don't mind me linking to this on my puny blog! ;)

LimeCake said...

wow this looks so good! gnocchi is so delicious! the cheesier the better

Foodiewife said...

Wow! I've been spying gnocchi recipes I want to try. This one just took the prize. Beautiful!

My Man's Belly said...

Oh, you had me at gnocchi and then you had to throw that mac and cheese angle in there. My stomach is growling and my mouth is drooling! Great picture too.

my boyfriend cooks for me said...

This is officially decadent. Looks amazing.

Retrodiva said...

This looks absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to try it.

Megan said...

This looks stunning! I directed everyone to your site for the recipe and more photos. Can't wait to try it myself.

kat said...

Delicious! Can't wait to try it.

But just to point out: "The gnocchi get's* a little puffy in the oven and the cheese get's* a little crunchy."

*gets, not get's. There are no possessives involved in the gnocchi becoming puffy or the cheese crunchy.

Pet peeve, sorry.

Katie said...

Brilliant! I love gnocchi and I love mac n' cheese. This one's going in the oven sometime very, very soon...

Melissa said...

This looks amazing! I think I'm making it this weekend!!!! Thanks so much for this recipe!

Dina said...

what a great idea. looks great!

Anonymous said...

Holy balls. I'm so making this.

tea cupcakes said...

delicious, Im off to making some....

Doreen Frost said...

This looks fantastic Lisa..YUMMY!

Hugs, Doreen

BreeIAm said...

OH.EMM.YUM!!

Rebecca Jane said...

I shall eat this forever and for all of time.

Gloria said...

YUM! Immediately pushed to the top of my To-Cook list!

Amy said...

hehe, I like that two of the comments use "holy balls"

Anonymous said...

Kat, I think everyone is over the "punctuation/grammar police" bit. I'm sure that the author realized their mistake before you pointed it out. It is not a big deal. We were all still able to understand the meaning of the piece. It's not like she said tripe instead of triple sec.

I can't wait to try this recipe in a few days. I look at it daily and it makes my mouth water every time.

Kimmy Bingham said...

Just stumbled across your blog. Love finding other New Englanders... your blog is beautiful and I'm putting that mac and cheese gnocchi on my list!

Melissa said...

I feel like smacking myself in the head! Why did I never think of this? Two of my kids' favorite foods together in one bowl. We are having this ASAP.

Kam said...

I tried this tonight and it was yummy! I tasted the sauce before baking and was unsure about it, but all the flavors pulled together wonderfully after baking, and the salt really helped make the flavor more full bodied. Yum!

Andrea said...

I made this for dinner according to recipe, and it was delicious! My children, who I was not sure would take to the "exotic" cheeses, loved it also. Wonderful, falltime comfort food. Thank you so much!

Kasey said...

Brilliant! Two of my favorite things in one. Seriously want to make this asap.

Anonymous said...

There aren't enough words in the English language for how wonderfully decadent this dish is. I couldn't stop picking out the gnocchi with sauce before I put the final sprinkling of Parmesan on top.

I used whole wheat gnocchi made with sweet potatoes with great results.

This will definitely be made again in this house!

KellyW said...

I bird-tracked my way here from Pinterest. Oh my - this recipe looks and sounds like heaven. I think my personal chorus of angels rang out.

Maybe that is a little drastic or dramatic.

But still, all the yummy things I love in one dish....

dana Moos said...

THOSE are some gorgeous food photographs, nice job! I must make the recipe :)

Dana

Katie P said...

Oh MY that looks delish!!

Katie P
Food, Wine, & Mod Podge

Unknown said...

i made this and it was so good! the kids loved it. i changed the cheese so i could use what i had in the fridge but wow it was good! love the garlic!! thank you! susan

Breige said...

I'm actually drooling looking at these photos! Looks amazing

Mandy Bird said...

Are you serious? This looks incredible!

Anonymous said...

Just tried this a few nights ago (after seeing it on Pinterest) and OMG! I don't even like macaroni and cheese and we scarfed it down. A friend asked for a bite of leftovers to taste, but I pointed out that the three of us destroyed the entire pan. Ooops...

Peggy McPartland said...

wow! the ultimate comfort food! i can't wait to try this. thanks for sharing this yummy-ness!

handmeafork said...

Love it, can't wait to try the recipe. I've always like gnocchi in a tomato cream sauce. Perhaps i'll have to tweak the recipe a little.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your recipe -- I just made this for dinner and it made my day! :)

Anonymous said...

by the way i am making this on the next rainy day, but i am adding bacon. can you handle it??

Suki Lotti said...

Saw this on Pinterest. Must make now (I bought gnocchi on a whim). Don't have all the fancy cheese but a romano/something else blend will still be delicious--I'm SURE.

Heather said...

A friend linked me this 2 days ago and last night I made it for dinner. So delicious! I added a bit of crushed chilli flakes and breadcrumbs to the top.

Unknown said...

Made this for tonight's roommate dinner and it was a huge hit...thanks for sharing!

Paisley Print Shoes said...

Saw this on pinterest and will FOR SURE be trying it! Looks so delish!

Paisley Print Shoes said...

Saw this on pinterest and will FOR SURE be trying it! Looks awesome!

eilandkind/islandchild said...

I also found this on pinterest and have made it twice now. It is DELICIOUS, even my husband who does not really like gnocchi, licks the bowl out! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Harlan said...

The only thing missing, to take this over the top, is Bacon! I am making this asap.

Sherlly said...

I made this dish last night for dinner and made enough to take some to work for lunch today. This was sooooooo delicious! Cheesy and creamy which I LOVE!! Thanks for the recipe =)

Desi said...

This is such a beautiful dish. Love your photos. I am your newest follower :)

rana said...

That was a must make recipe, i will surely try this.



tampa water softener

SnoWhite said...

Just found this on Pinterest -- oh, my! It looks amazing.

Mel said...

This recipe is just as amazing as I expected! I made it a few weeks ago on a cold rainy night, and I loved it so much I'm doubling the recipe to make for friends tonight. Definitely a winner!

Anonymous said...

It's great with italian sausage

Brandon @ The Yummy Bits said...

Wow, this looks so delicious! I LOVE gnocchi, and who doesn't love macaroni and cheese? I must try making this sometime. Great post! I just discovered your blog through Pinterest, I'll have to come back again sometime!

Shannon said...

i have had this pinned on pinterest for a while... its finally in the oven right now... smells amazing... and i added bacon!!!

Della said...

This looks divine!! Can't wait to try it.

SUZY8-TRACK said...

OMG that looks heavenly! Perfect for a cold winter night!

Rachel said...

Made this with my boyfriend last night--so delicious and perfect for a snowy night in! My only suggestion would be to make a double batch because it will be gone FAST!

Unknown said...

I found this on Pinterest weeks ago and finally made it tonight. It was AMAZING! I have an incredibly intense and incredibly irrational fear of cooking, but this was goof-proof. Definitely making this again!

Anonymous said...

Made this as soon as I saw it on pinterest, it's incredible! We plan on making it once a month or so.

Anonymous said...

This looks fantastic, but definitely doesn't look slimming!

and, BTW, I agree with Kat. Pet Peeve here too. PLUS this misuse of the possessive is becoming more & more common on the Internet! It's going to become standard usage just by it common usage! too bad.

Anonymous said...

okay everyone that's flipping out about the grammar, calm down. and anyways, if you're going to make a big deal about it, maybe you should spell check your OWN stuff before you post ;)

"It's going to become standard usage just by -it- common usage!" ?? hmm..

anyways! i literally gasped when i saw this.
made it.. it was outstanding. thankyou for this recipe!

KTLang said...

one word...A-MAZ-ING!i could barely put the fork down! Never used gruyere chz b4, but i plan 2 in the near future now thx 2 this recipe. Delicious paired it w/ a nice bottle of red wine =)

Barb said...

Do you use ricotta or potato gnocchi?

Barb said...

Did you use ricotta or potato gnocchi?

Pat Dohaney said...

I have just entered your site and am so at home. Your header is delightful and so welcoming. I will be back many times. Now to check out the recipe that enticed me to enter.
Have a wonderful day.

Unknown said...

This looks SO yummy! Found it on pinterest.

Laura said...

Any tips if using frozen gnocchi?

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary said...

Laura I would thaw if frozen. I'm not quite sure how baking it frozen would work? If you try it, let me know!

Anonymous said...

Is it possible to do the night before? Don't want gnocchi to turn mushy

Jarrett Billingsley said...

This was just amazing. I had to use swiss instead of the fontina and gruyere, but it still came out incredible. I really shouldn't make this more than once a month.. it's too decadent.

Erika said...

I made this yesterday well half way made it. I changed it up a bit because tomorrow (when I make it the rest of the way) my kids will be eating it and I don't think they will like the cheese that the recipe calls for so I used the normal cheese sauce recipe I make when I make homemade mac and cheese. I also added some frozen broccoli to the water when I boiled the Gnocchi. I plan to just bake it in the oven tomorrow. Thank you so much for the idea to use the Gnocchi!!!

Anonymous said...

I've tried your delicous recipe. So yummy!
Greets from Germany.

sharon said...

This is my husbands new favorite. I made it with smoked gruyere... Really good. Best gnocchi ever!

Anonymous said...

Would it come out okay in the oven if I pan cooked them to make them crispy (my favorite way) instead of boiling them first?

Anonymous said...

This was SO yummy! My husband and I made this tonight for supper and LOVED it! We doubled the cheese and added crumbled bacon on the top. Thank you for sharing this! Love a happy couple in AZ :)

Anonymous said...

SOOOOO good! We had fresh sage and rosemary from the garden that I added instead of the basil - totally delicious! My husband is Italian and I'm American so it is the absolute perfect dish to represent our family - although I'm sure his mother would cringe :)

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for this recipe.. Made this for my 15 yrs old vegetarian son and his friends and they absolutely loved it... They all said that it was the best dish EVER!!

Kimberly said...

My friend and I made this last night was it was absolutely delicious! I used swiss instead of fontina because I couldnt find it. I also topped it with a breadcrumb mixture (panko, tony chacheres, and garlic powder) before baking ... yum! My friend and I have a "pinterest night" once a week where we make meals we found on pinterest ... we both agreed that this is the best one yet! And it was SO EASY! thanks!

Unknown said...

I found your recipe on Pinterest and made it this evening and it is fabulous! I paired it with an "autumn salad" and a bottle of white wine and my husband and I loved it. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

Unknown said...

I found your recipe on Pinterest and made it this evening. I paired it with an "autumn" salad and a bottle of white wine and it was amazing! My husband and I thank you for your fabulous recipe ;o)

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to let you know I have made this recipe 6 times now and it has become a family staple and favorite and I rarely find recipes of this quality on the internet. Thank you so much for sharing. xoxo

Anonymous said...

What type of milk did everyone use? Just curious thanks!

Anonymous said...

AMAZING! It's like fondue cheese over gnocchi. My husband loved it, I loved it, I would eat this every night but then I'd be 300 lbs and they'd have to cut me out of my house to take me to the hospital. This is going to be a special occasion, congratulations, treat dinner FOREVER in our home. Thank you so much for the clear instructions, and to die for photos! I'm a forever subscriber now!

Anonymous said...

Has anyone tried making this in the crockpot?

Annie said...

Has anyone tried this with whole milk? Is it too rich the extra milk fat?

Raeanne said...

This is spectacular! My husband and I are both under the weather and this was the perfect thing for tonight!

Anonymous said...

Made this!! So yummy! I have to make this again

Anonymous said...

This sounds so delicious for a winter meal. I'm going to add some crumbled bacon to make a little bit heartier.

Lorena said...

i tried this recipe once and fell in love! Congrats!! Its one of my favorite dishes to serve at parties :D

Lizardbeth Lulu said...

Had this the other night after my brother's girlfriend made it. It was so delicious, I was actually thankful that we had 5 people sharing a half-recipe or else I would easily have eaten way too much! I'll be making it myself soon, I can't wait. :D

Julia said...

Thanks for the recipe, I made this tonight for my family and it is amazingly good. This is deffinately one Im going to pull out for special guest to impress! and whenever I feel like endulging!

Anonymous said...

Has anyone ever tried freezing the leftovers? I've noticed that pasta sometimes goes mushy if you freeze it and thaw.

Unknown said...

This is Heaven for the mouth! I used green mustard (the French mustard with herbs in it) and it was great. My hubby is lactose intolerant and I love cheese. He was out of town, so my friend (whose hubby was traveling) came over and we had this together with a small side salad and some nice Sicilian wine. To say we were delighted would be an understatement. The scent while cooking was also divine. Scrumptious!

Kari Lindsay said...

A bowl of this would keep me warm, full and comfy all night.

Dawn S. said...

Just made this for dinner this evening. Oh my gosh, words can not express how good this was. My husband even loved it. Definitely a thumbs up!

Robin {Mom Foodie} said...

This looks knock your socks off amazing!