Potato Bake with Gnocchi

It has all the creamy, cheesy comfort of a potato bake but comes together faster, because the gnocchi replaces slicing potatoes and cooks through quickly. The bacon and cheese sauce is rich and satisfying, it is a genuine crowd pleaser, and it works as a hearty dinner or a generous side. It is proper indulgent comfort food.

Gnocchi stands in for sliced potato. Instead of peeling and thinly slicing potatoes and waiting for them to bake through, you use packet gnocchi, which gives you those soft potato bites and cooks in a fraction of the time. Stir it through the creamy sauce, top with cheese and bake, and you have potato bake comfort without the prep.

Make the sauce smooth by stirring the flour into the bacon and onion first, then adding the milk gradually so it does not go lumpy. There is no need to pre-cook the gnocchi, it softens in the sauce as it bakes. A good crack of pepper balances the richness, and grilling the top for the last couple of minutes gives you extra golden, bubbly cheese.

It is rich, so a simple green salad or some steamed greens on the side balances it nicely. It also works as a side to roast or grilled meats.

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a small splash of milk to loosen the sauce, as it thickens once chilled.

No. The gnocchi softens in the creamy sauce as it bakes, so it goes in straight from the packet.

Yes. It is still creamy and comforting without. You could add extra veg like peas or spinach in its place.

Definitely. It is rich enough to be a main, but it also works as a hearty side alongside roast or grilled meats.

The sauce thickens as it bakes and once chilled. Loosen it with a small splash of milk, especially when reheating leftovers.