Day 57 - Gnocchi au Gratin

Gnocchi au Gratin

 
Alright, alright, I didn't take this to lunch.  I cooked it at home and it was good.  Decadently so.  And trust me, you want to know about this recipe.  Whether you take it to lunch or not, you'll love it.

Inspired by a number of dishes I've been served recently, I chose to make Gnocchi au Gratin.  If you're not familiar with gnocchi, it's a type of pasta most usually referred to as potato dumplings...potato flour in little grape sized nuggets.  You can buy them frozen or in the regular pasta section of your store, and they cook up very quickly.  They're great with just a little olive oil or a red sauce....or, in a gratin.  Cooking something "au Gratin" means, of course, that you cook it in a gratin dish and it has some sort of breadcrumb type topping that gets brown and good.  And, usually, cheese is involved.  It certainly was this time.

Pictured above is one entree serving, about 1.5 cups.  The recipe below is for twice that...so, either two entree servings or 4 side servings.  I had trouble eating an entire entree size, so be warned...this is very rich.  And good. 

Serve with a big green salad and you are good to go!

Gnocchi Au Gratin

1 lb gnocchi
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup emmental or gruyere cheese
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 T butter, divided
1 T flour
dash or two of nutmeg, salt, and pepper

Cook gnocchi according to package directions; set aside.
In a non-stick  pot or double boiler, melt 1 T butter.  Whisk in flour until just blended; do not let this mixture burn or brown.  Slowly pour in milk and heat over low heat until thickened.  Now, slowly stir in the cheddar cheese until cheese is melted and well incorporated into the sauce.  Add dashes of salt, pepper, and nutmeg as desired.  Remove from heat and stir in gnocchi.  Transfer into a buttered 3 cup dish or two 1.5 cup dishes.  In a separate pot or pan, melt remaining butter and stir in breadcrumbs.  Stir, over medium heat, until crumbly and lightly toasted.  Sprinkle over gnocchi mixture.  Bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden and crispy.

Enjoy!  Nap.  Work out.