I’ve only cooked gnocchi (little potato dumplings) a few times, and always topped them with a simple marinara sauce. They were good, but tonight’s Baked Four Cheese Gnocchi w/Broccoli were pretty amazing! A food blogger friend of mine wanted needed a few more recipes for a round-up post that she was doing, so I thought I’d cook some up. I knew I needed something a bit more than a simple red sauce and wasn’t quite ready to attempt to make them homemade, so I decided on a “grown up mac & cheese type gnocchi.” And, I’m sure glad I did! Just imagine soft little potatoes dumplings and tender fresh broccoli, baked in a creamy four cheese sauce. It’s gets a little better when you top it with a sprinkling of bread crumbs and more parmesan before baking.
I wish I could take credit for making homemade gnocchi, but honestly, it felt a little too time consuming. I went with a packaged gnocchi and they were delicious! To elevate the flavor from just a simple “mac & cheese” sauce, I used four cheeses (cheddar, gruyere, fontina, and parmesan), added fresh garlic, and fresh broccoli. Enjoy this Baked Four Cheese Gnocchi as a main course with a simple salad or as a delicious side dish.
If you’re a fan of a good mac & cheese, you need to give this Baked Four Cheese Gnocchi w/Broccoli a try!!
- 2 #'s Gnocchi (sotre bought or homemade)
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 6 TBSP butter
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 3½ TBSP flour
- 2½ cups milk (I used 2%)
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
- ¾ cup gruyere cheese (grated)
- ¾ cup fontina cheese (grated)
- 1½ cup med sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1½ cup parmesan cheese (reserve 1 cup for sprinkling on top)
- 2-3 TBSP Italian bread crumbs
- Preheat oven to 400*
- Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain. Set aside.
- Steam broccoli florets until just al-dente. Drain and set aside.
- In medium sauce pan, melt butter over low heat. Add crushed garlic and cook for a couple minutes.
- Whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking consistently.
- Raise heat to med. Whisk in milk, nutmeg, and pepper. Bring to a boil, whisking regularly.
- Once milk is at a low boil, reduce heat to simmer and whisk in cheeses (add about ⅓ at a time until melted).
- Place cooked gnocchi in glass baking dish (9x13).
- Pour cheese sauce over gnocchi (I had a little sauce left over as my dish was a little smaller. Use as much as you can. It will seem very saucy, but will thicken after baking).
- Nestled cooked broccoli into gnocchi.
- Top with remaining parmesan and bread crumbs.
- Bake for approx 20 minutes or until hot, bubbly, and light golden brown.
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