Gnocchi Bacon Mac 'n Cheese
Comfort food at it's best! Creamy, rich mac 'n cheese made from scratch, with gnocchi and bacon.
Servings 5 bowls
Calories 640kcal
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp tapioca starch or corn starch
- 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sage leaf
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 8 oz cheddar cheese Buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself
- 6 oz fontina cheese Buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 packages gnocchi
- 1 package bacon
Instructions
- Cook your bacon according to package directions and chop into bits.
- Whisk together the tapioca starch and chicken broth and let sit while you grate the cheese. Grate the cheese and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sage leaf and saute for a few minutes. Discard the sage leaf. Add the starch/broth mixture and the milk and whisk to combine. Whisking constantly, cook the mixture until it begins to boil.
- While waiting for the milk mixture to boil, cook the gnocchi according to package directions and drain. Typical cooking time for gnocchi is only a few minutes and I don't like my cooked pasta to sit out which is why I didn't do this at the beginning.
- When the milk mixture reaches a low boil, remove the pan from the heat and SLOWLY whisk in the cheeses. I did this a handful of cheese at a time, whisking well in between. It's important to do this step slowly rather than adding all the cheese at once to avoid getting clumps that don't melt correctly. Add the salt and pepper, and stir.
- Stir the gnocchi and bacon bits into the cheese mixture. Serve immediately!
Notes
Note: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Note: You can reheat this in the microwave or stove. I recommend adding a splash of milk when reheating to help the cheese sauce become smooth again.
Note: It's important to buy the cheese in blocks and grate it yourself - something about pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt quite right in recipes like this and nobody wants clumpy, lumpy cheese sauce!
Nutrition
Calories: 640kcal