Broccoli and cheddar come together to make the most incredible sauce for gnocchi in this broccoli and cheese gnocchi bake.
This is the king of vegetarian comfort food and is perfect if you love the flavours of broccoli and cheese, which are traditionally best friends in soup but come together with gnocchi in this recipe to make something truly yummy.
I fry my gnocchi before adding to the bake in this recipe. That way, it maintains the perfect ‘bite’ with a little crunch and adds some of its own flavour too. You can skip this step if you’re in a hurry, but I really would recommend you try it so that you get the whole taste experience.
More broccoli recipes:
- Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
- Red Leicester and Broccoli Soup
- Pancetta, Broccoli and Dolcelatte Rigatoni
- Goats Cheese Ravioli with Broccoli Cream Sauce
Broccoli and Cheese Gnocchi Bake – The Ingredients
- Gnocchi – use fresh gnocchi here. I have only tested this recipe with traditional potato gnocchi, but you could try it with spinach gnocchi.
- Butter – the gnocchi is cooked in butter and butter is also used to start the cheese sauce. Don’t switch for oil – it won’t be as good! You can use salted or unsalted butter, just be sure to check the taste before adding salt if you use salted butter.
- Flour and milk – we use plain flour and make to create a simple bechamel sauce for the cheese sauce. You can use any milk you like, but a whole milk will create a richer sauce.
- Bay leaves and English mustard – these are used to create a deep, rich flavour in the sauce. English mustard holds up well against the cheesy flavour and I would recommend using if you can get hold of it – French, Dijon and wholegrain mustards would all be too mild.
- Broccoli – I recommend using raw broccoli over frozen broccoli in this recipe. The reason for that is because frozen broccoli can overcook and become soggy when it bakes in the oven – and you don’t want that! Raw broccoli will cook to a perfect consistency in this time.
- Cheese – use cheddar cheese in the sauce. I have also topped my bake with cheddar cheese, but you could use a different type here if you wanted to mix it up – Parmesan, mozzarella and Stilton would all work well.
More gnocchi recipes for you to enjoy:
- Creamy Chorizo Gnocchi
- Creamy Leek Gnocchi
- Creamy Sausage Gnocchi
- Bacon and Mushroom Gnocchi Bake
- Quick Courgette and Goats Cheese Gnocchi
- One Pan Tomato and Mozzarella Gnocchi
- Green Goddess Gnocchi
Get the cook books:
Broccoli and Cheese Gnocchi Bake
Vegetarian gnocchi bake with a broccoli and cheddar cheese sauce, flavoured with bay leaves and English mustard.
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram gnocchi
- 60 grams butter
- 30 grams plain flour
- 1 pint milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons english mustard
- 2 heads of broccoli
- 200 grams cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Melt 30 grams of the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the gnocchi and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Tip into a large ovenproof dish.
- Melt the rest of the butter in the pan. Add the flour and stir to create a thick paste, then turn off the heat. Gradually add the milk, stirring all the time, to make a smooth sauce. Add the bay leaves, mustard and salt and pepper. Turn the heat back to medium and cook until the sauce is simmering and thick.
- Cut the broccoli into small florets and add to the sauce, along with 150g of the cheese. Stir until combined.
- Tip the sauce into the dish with the gnocchi, stir until the gnocchi is all coated in the sauce. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 923kcalCarbohydrates: 122gProtein: 35gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1629mgPotassium: 1188mgFiber: 14gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 2965IUVitamin C: 271mgCalcium: 697mgIron: 12mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Easy, comforting and delicious – this vegetarian dinner will make it to your regular rotation!