Gnocchi Mac and Cheese with Crispy Kale.
This is how we do Monday.
I feel like this is kind of a terrible but wonderful thing to do to you. Gnocchi is so pillowy and delicious on it’s own, and then I went and gave it a gigantic cheese bath.
But I added kale.
I added kale!!
That helps, right. Green cancels out cheese baths. GIRL MATH.
Putting gnocchi in your mac and cheese instead of regular noodles is taking this old school casserole to another level. It makes it richer and more decadent, which probably isn’t really needed but at the same time is totally needed. I know you know what I mean. I know. This time of year makes you feel some kind of way.
This right here is the second way we love to enjoy kale – crispy and crunchy and layered on things like pastas and pizza – aside from the deliciously marinated version. Speaking of, I made a huuuuuge kale Caesar on Halloween and we are so super in love with the recipe. I will share it soon, once I stop making it a different way every time we eat it. I’m trying to settle on the best.
We also had a killer chili bar (my cousin made the best chili) and at the last moment got hot dogs for toppings-loaded CHILI DOGS.
I don’t even know me.
It was so fantastically fabulous.
And I tried to make cute spider cookies and botched them, so I think they more so resembled spiders-that-had-been-stepped-on cookies. Bah.
How was your weekend? What did you get in to?
Wait wait. Can I tell you one more thing about my weekend since apparently it’s all about me? WELL. I made it through Saturday night successfully without ONE single piece of Halloween candy. (I mean I had two apple cider margaritas but whatever.) Not one single piece. How on earth? Who am I?
I was super proud of myself and was bragging the rest of the weekend to everybody I knew. Not like I’m annoying or anything.
But then.
Then I had to do a grocery store run real quick and my eye spotted them. THEM.
…….
…them being…
THE MALLO CUPS.
I caved. I bought them. This does not bode well for no Halloween candy after Halloween?
Oops.
Anyhoo. This gnocchi mac though.
It’s creamy and cheesy as expected, but also laced with chewy, crispy kale. And then topped with crunchy kale too! It’s part of my meal with DeLallo that I created (watch the video here!), using their mini potato gnocchi that we ADORE.
And since all this green stuff is inside, I certainly think you deserve a second helping. #whynot.
Gnocchi Mac and Cheese with Crispy Kale
Ingredients
- 1 head of kale, stems removed and leaves torn
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds mini potato gnocchi, cooked
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 8 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
- 8 ounces white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 4 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper to taste, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, massage the kale with the olive oil. Place half of it on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast for 10 minutes, then toss and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes, until crispy.
- In a large skillet (you can use an oversafe skillet or transfer everything to a baking dish), heat the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook until the roux is slightly golden and fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Very slowly stream in the milk and cream, whisking the entire time, so the mixture thickens. Cook, stirring over, until the milk coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the nutmeg and mustard powder until smooth.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cheese, one handful at a time until melted. Stir until you have a smooth cheese sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Stir in the cooked gnocchi and the roasted kale. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish if needed. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Top with the massaged kale that hasn’t been roasted yet.
- Bake the mac and cheese for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the kale is crispy. Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
I would like to take my own cheese bath.
51 Comments on “Gnocchi Mac and Cheese with Crispy Kale.”
I’m rolling over with laughter at your Mallo Cup comment ~ we are Mallo cup soul sisters!! I LOVE those. My husband HATES them so it’s the only candy that stays in the girls bags for more than a week. My husband actually “Trained” our girls how-to trick or treat and to avoid 1) Mallo Cups and 2) Almonds Joys! The nerve. My 3-year-old busted him and made comments to people like “daddy says I can’t have that one, ha!!”
This looks luscious and cheesey and kaley and everything hot smoking good! Want to eat now.
um this is hysterical because eddie was trying to THROW AWAY the almond joys from our candy bin on saturday night because “they are gross.” i flipped out because i love almond joys!
Kale totally negates cheese calories. I’m majorly craving this cheese bath!
I’m on paleo and I helped my boyfriend make mac-and-cheese yesterday. It nearly killed me. I’m never showing him this recipe because it will be definitely be the last nail in my coffin! Looks divine.
Oh yeah, kale makes this practically health food, uh huh! That’s why I feel no guilt in dreaming of eating a HUGE bowl of it and all it’s cheesy glory!
Mallo cups are life, as my daughter likes to say. I stop at the Boyer Candy Factory every time I visit my daughter at college. Love them! Can’t wait to try this mac and cheese, too!
Aaaaaahhh gnocchi is sooo good, and a cheese bath is ALWAYS a good idea, but the kale makes it legit — I mean healthy … or something like that.
And, this weekend was candy free for me too … but I had cake, and brownies, and pumpkin spice lattees by the pound – but still, no candy … winning?
DYING over that cheese bath and load of pillowy gnocchi!
Also, Mallo Cups for life!
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Ummm, HELLO PERFECT MONDAY MEAL. Stinking love DeLallo gnocchi! Super yummy stuff.
This looks INCREDIBLE!
This just looks so yummy and rich! I really like gnocchi so much more than regular pasta. ♡♡
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
Oh my! My favorite restaurant here makes a gnocchi mac and cheese that is AMAZING with Asisgo, Parmesan and Cheddar but the creamy thoughts of the Fontina here is seriously calling my name! I will absolutely be making this (and likely not sharing with anyone!)
I LOVE, love, love these videos that you do with DeLallo! They are so well done!
I feel like you just blew my mind with this post. I LOVE mac and cheese. I can eat it all day every day but I NEVER thought about making it with Gnocchi! I can just imagine the smooth creamy goodness in each bite lol I also tend to shy away from kale because I’m never entirely sure what to do with it. So this recipe inspired me! Thanks for sharing
Gnocchi is amazing and I can’t even begin to imagine it in a cheese bath…to die for! And, on a side note, it’s a good thing I bought our Halloween candy Saturday afternoon…because I swear I had about 45 pieces before I even started handing it out!
As someone who has read your site for a while, and largely enjoys it, I was dismayed to see you use “GIRL MATH” in your post.
As a woman who’s been working in technology for ~20 years and has worked hard to help other people be sensitive about the societal biases we have, I urge you to replace that phrase with something else (and stop using it altogether). It’s not ok to perpetuate that bias, even if it’s just in a joking manner, which I assume you’re doing.
Thank you, Sara–I was about to comment to this effect. I’m a physicist who loves math and fights against these negative stereotypes. It’s frustrating when it comes from men and it’s depressing when it comes from women.
As a woman engineer, I feel the same way as you ladies. I know there was no harm intended in Jessica’s post, but something “calorie math” or “kale math” or “greens math” would be better. I’m very active with the Society of Women Engineers and working hard to break those bias’
I wanted to comment as well. There is nothing wrong with the playful mathematical approximations of greens and cheese, but I take extreme issue with the term “girl math.” I’m currently studying biochemistry and math and I would love to see a world where it’s not weird for a girl to be studying theoretical math alongside her male peers . I’m sure you are a role model to many young girls and I would love for them to learn from you about how to become a successful business women who is not afraid of numbers and math! Please consider changing or addressing that sentence.
hey guys! I did not mean to offend you at all – I’m really sorry. I didn’t even think about the negative connotation that could come with that phrase, in fact I’ve (over)used this word a lot on my blog or with girlfriends in the past several years and wasn’t aware of this. I guess I’ve been extremely naĂ¯ve or living under a rock (probably both). I was using it in a facetious way – but will not do so anymore. I have definitely never thought it was weird for a girl to study math, so I wasn’t even thinking of that. thanks for bringing it to my attention!
I blame you, in a totally fabulous way, for my undying NEED for mini snickers; which, of course, they don’t sell on their own at Halloween in Canada (well not where I live anyway)….you know, they’re only in a mixed bag, and I’m all NOOOO, there’s always something crappy in the mix bag, I just want 24 fun snickers. WHY does it have to be so hard? The 1/2 price bag of coffee crisp doesn’t solve the snickers issue, but makes it more manageable.
This mac n cheese looks like the most perfect fall comfort food! We’ll have to make this for dinner soon!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Kale (or any other green stuff) totally cancels out a cheese bath. That’s what I tell myself all the time too ;). This looks so delicious. And I’m anxiously awaiting your kale caesar recipe!
Gnocchi is one of my absolute favorite foods, and adding cheese just takes it over the top! :) This looks amazing!
Dani | http://www.styledvariety.com
This looks so comforting, cozy and gooey, adding to my weekly meal planner and yes it has kale, so its healthy.
Wow, this looks so rich and amazing! Kale makes it healthy, right? Re: the kale caesar salad…the Whole Foods by my house has an amazing kale and brussels salad that has a caesar-like dressing that I’m obsessed with. Shredded brussels, kale, parmesan, sliced almonds…it’s making me poor. I look forward to your recipe!
I had something very similar to this in New York this past Summer and it was KILLER! Gnocchi = really good. Gnocchi covered in cheese sauce = everybody stop this is the most amazing thing to ever enter my mouth and I need to be alone, on a cozy sofa, with Netflix, and a GIANT bowl of this stupidly wonderful stuff.
Love your blog, as always!
So, every single time I have tried to make ANY kind of cheese sauce or dish, the sauce “breaks”, or the oil separates and I get little tiny curds. I’ve stopped making cheese sauces b/c of this. Any tips? I would really appreciate it!
hi paige! here are a couple things –
-make sure to cook the roux for a few minutes
-make sure to VERY SLOWLY stream in the milk while whisking the entire time. you want the milk to thicken first, i find that is where my issue is with the sauce breaking.
-whole milk definitely works best for me, 2% is ok. skim breaks often,
-adding the cheese slowly, in stages – one handful at a time, whisking until it’s completely melted!
i hope this helps!!
Thank you! That is very helpful. Can’t wait to try this now!
¡FantĂ¡stica receta! FĂ¡cil de preparar, con buenas fotografĂas y un resultado final delicioso. Me encantan. Muchas gracias por compartirla con todos/as.
/ http://www.mascasaonline.com
Ohhhhhh gnocchi + mac & cheese = magicalness! The kale totally makes it healthy. I honestly can’t think of a way I’d rather eat kale.
Thanks for the recipe!
Carly
http://www.playingforeats.com
I’m declaring this health food because it has kale in it and kale is healthy. Right?
These photographs are absolutely amazing love it! Gnocchi and italian food by far is anyway one of my favorite and the kale gives it a healthy touch!
Thank for the recipe!
Love Katie
https://whatskatieupto.wordpress.com
I LOVE girl math. It totally justified devouring all of this…. because, KALE. I’m obsessed with gnocchi, and turning it into mac & cheese is brilliant. I love this!
CHEESE BATHS FOR EVERYONE! I need this asap.
This looks so good :o. I’ve never had gnocchi anything and this must be rectified! My fiancĂ© would probably side eye the kale but gosh dang it he needs to eat more vegetables. I wonder if I can sneak in some purĂ©ed pumpkin in this too hmm.
Ummm seriously…I just found a local store that carries DeLallo gnocchi…I can’t wait to make this!!!
Did someone actually get offended at the expression “girl math”??
I was just scrolling down the comments and noticed that. Paleeeze…lighten up people!
Your writing is fantastic….and your recipes. Don’t change a thing.
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I would love to say that I’ll wait to make this for Thanksgiving…….but who am I kidding? I’ll be trying out this recipe during the upcoming week. Nothing like cheesy goodness to get you through the work week :)
Happy Friday
http://www.lovecompassionatelee.com/thinkoutloud
This dish looks unreal! I have only made a few mac and cheese recipes in my life and this one is definitely getting added to that list!
I made this tonight and it was good but way too much sauce. It definitely was like gnocchi in a cheese bath. Actually, more like cheese soup with gnocchi. The cheese sauce was tasty but wasn’t like a traditional Mac and cheese. If I was to make again, I’d cut the cheese in half and decrease the milk to only one cup.
Made this tonight, and I would agree with Carly about there being too much cheese sauce. We used about 3/4 of the sauce in the dish. It was AWESOME though! Loved it!
Hi there! I am making this for my Friendsgiving on Sunday and am wondering if you think it would hold up if I made it today (Saturday) and then baked it tomorrow? I am trying to get as much done today as possible so tomorrow I can finish cleaning/ focus on the bird. If it is a no go (wilted kale, gross) I can totally do it tomorrow, just trying to plan ahead!
you can def make it ahead of time, but the kale inside won’t be crispy at all – but I think you can assemble then do the kale on top tomorrow and that will work?
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I have a question about where you bought your fontina cheese? I was going to buy some this week, but .3 oz was $8!!! It would cost me like $50 for the 8 oz for this recipe! I settled for White Cheddar and Monterrey but I sure hope it still tastes as yummy…
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