It’s starting to feel like Fall and I couldn’t be more excited. With the slight chill in the air, I pulled on a hoodie (A HOODIE!) and jeans (JEANS!) and marched over to the Coffee Devil (you know the one) to order my first of very, very many Pumpkin Spice Lattes this season.
With Fall also comes the cravings for comfort food. My favorite comfort food? By far, I’m a fan of all things Macaroni and Cheese. So when Tina of Mom’s Crazy Cooking invited me to join her Crazy Cooking Challenge in search of the ultimate Mac and Cheese, I screamed YES (well, actually I sent her a very calm email thanking her and expressing my interest).
So the ULTIMATE mac and cheese? I found it on The Cutting Edge of Ordinary, a new-to-me blog written by Lisa, a fellow curly haired mom who adores all things chocolate. This lovely dish replaces your ordinary noodle with mouthwatering, light and fluffy gnocchi. And just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, I made it even better. Because bacon makes everything better, right? And caramelized onions? Drool.
I even attempted to make my own gnocchi but I undercooked my potatoes so I used the packaged kind. The end result was rich and decadent and reminded me of a loaded baked potato. It’s the perfect “adult” mac and cheese, an elegant meal for a special occasion and a far cry from your ordinary Blue Box.
Gnocchi Mac and Cheese – adapted from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary
- 1 Lb. Gnocchi
- 6 Slices Bacon (I use Nueske’s – it’s the best!)
- 1 Sweet Onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 8 Sage Leaves, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Flour
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Tbsp. Ground Mustard
- 1/2 Cup (or more) Gruyere Cheese, shredded
- 1/2 Cup (or more) Fontina Cheese, shredded
- 1/2 Cup (or more) Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 375.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium low heat, turning frequently until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate, chop and set aside. Add onion to the skillet with the bacon grease and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, anywhere from 10-30 minutes.
Drop the gnocchi into a pot of salted boiling water and cook until they float to the top, 2-3 minutes. Drain in a colander then return gnocchi to the pot.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and sage and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk until it bubbles, then add the milk and ground mustard. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the gruyere and fontina and stir until melted. Mix in the bacon and caramelized onions. Pour over the gnocchi and stir until combined.
Transfer the gnocchi and sauce to a lightly oiled baking dish and cover with the parmesan cheese. Bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Don’t forget to check out the other entries below and vote for your favorite!!
I am thinking of all the ways I can whip up this recipe, like now! I so got to try this! I love how you used Gnocchi! I want this and a Pumpkin Latte now!
It’s the quintessential Fall meal!
Yummy! Lovely photo too! – Cares
This mac and cheese recipe looks great. A definite must try. I found you from the cooking challenge.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sounds wonderful and I love that it has gnocchi in lieu of traditional pasta. Great cheese combo and then bacon, well what more could one ask for, Delish!
My Crazy Cooking Challenge entry: Velvety Mac & Cheese.
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
OH. MY. WORD. this looks good! No bacon for me, but I want this mac and cheese TONIGHT!
I’ll bet it is just as wonderful without the bacon for those who don’t eat it.
This recipe looks amazing! I absolutely love the idea of using gnocchi instead of macaroni, definitely going to have to try this one! I also did the crazy cooking challenge. I have a Whisking Wednesdays link party that I’d love for you to stop by sometime and link up a few recipes!
http://pinchofthisthatandtheother.blogspot.com
I’ll definitely stop by and check it out!
Your version sounds wonderful! Love the presentation and love all the flavors! Great job!
Come see mine at http://www.willcookforsmiles.com/2011/09/crazy-cooking-challange-mac-n-cheese.html
I LOVE loaded baked potatoes! I can’t believe I’ve never seen mac and cheese made with Gnocchi until now! Just awesome!
Stopping by from the MACARONI & CHEESE Linky Party through Moms Crazy Cooking
I have never had Gnocchi, so I’ve booked marked this now! Thanks!
Thanks for joining us for the first month of CCC, stop by and check out my Mac & Cheese Bites!
http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/2011/09/macaroni-and-cheese-bites-crazy-cooking.html
I’ve always wanted to try Gnocchi, so this gives me an awesome reason to do so! Thanks so much for sharing!
Come check out my CCC post: http://kaylasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/2011/09/crazy-cooking-challenge-1-ultimate.html
Oh, my! This sounds WONDERFUL! Pinning so I’ll be SURE to remember it!! Fellow CCC participant stopping over to say hi (I’m #5) … nice to ‘meet’ you.
Hmmnn… Not sure how it can be called Mac n Cheese with NO macaroni in it. Gnocchi ‘n Cheese yes. You’ve though too far ‘out of the box’ for this one. :○
I’ll admit I took a little bit of a liberty with this one, but have you never had mac and cheese made with penne or rotini or shells? Gnocchi is just another type of pasta, even though it is made with a potato based dough.