now this isn’t exactly mac & cheese.
it’s wayyy better.

you take out the pasta part and replace it with tender, comforting potato dumplings. gnocchi.
lovely gnocchi.
and it’s incredibly kid-friendly. i mean, the gnocchi is covered in crusty, melty cheese and each dumpling is the perfect size for little fingers to grab.

gnocchi mac & cheese

ingredients

1 lb gnocchi (purchased or homemade)
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp garlic, finely chopped (about 2 large cloves)
1 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk (i did about half of this milk and the other half, half & half. whoa lotsa halfs.)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese
1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
1/3 cup shredded parmigiano-reggiano
1/8 to 1/4 tsp dried basil (or 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped)
salt & pepper

directions

1. preheat oven to 375. spray a 13-inch (1 1/2 quart, shallow) casserole dish with non-stick spray (i used butter-flavored pam – it was awesome). prepare gnocchi according to package directions. drain & place gnocchi in prepared dish.

2. melt butter in a 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.

3. combine gruyere and fontina, then add by the handful to the milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. once all cheese has been melted, season cheese sauce with salt & pepper and chopped basil.

4. pour sauce over gnocchi & sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano over the top. bake until the gnocchi puffs and the cheese is golden and bubbly, 20-25 minutes. let gnocchi rest & cool for 5 minutes before serving.

enjoy!

recipe & photo via