Time to get cozy! This gnocchi “mac” & cheese is beyond decadent and I would highly suggest serving it with something green, like a light salad or steamed veggies!
- 2 packages potato gnocchi
- 6 cups whole milk
- 7 T butter, divided, plus more for buttering the dish
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups grated Gruyere (8 ounces)
- small block of Taleggio (about 6 ounces), rind removed, cut into chunks
- 10 slices bacon, cut into strips
- 4 green onions, sliced thinly
- Kosher salt
- olive oil
Butter 9-by-13-inch baking dish and preheat oven to 415.
Saute one package of gnocchi in one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil until brown and crispy on most sides. Remove from pan and repeat process with second package, set aside.
Heat milk in a sauce pot until warm.
Cook bacon in a heavy pot until crisp, remove and set aside. Remove all the bacon fat except one tablespoon and melt in 5 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until your mixture has thickened and is a pale brown color, but don’t let it get too dark. Whisk in warm milk and season with salt. Stir and let simmer for a few minutes until sauce has thickened.
Add cheese and cook just until everything is melted together. Add in gnocchi and bacon, stir to combine and pour mixture into your baking dish. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Let sit out of the oven for about 10 minutes, serve with green onions as garnish.
*Note : I added sliced green onions to this as a garnish, because it resembles a baked potato to me and I thought greens onions would add a pop of color too! I asked my good buddy Chef Braden about the sauce – he says he likes to whisk the butter and flour for several minutes over low heat to develop a nutty flavor and says ALWAYS go with warm milk over cold. One last thing – don’t leave your butter and flour alone too long, be sure to whisk somewhat constantly over a low heat so it doesn’t burn.
