Cheesy Bolognese Gnocchi Bake

Cheesy Bolognese Gnocchi Bake - rich delicious bolognese meat sauce and gnocchi all finished off with a melted oozy cheddar cheese topping. Yum!!

Gnocchi Bake

If there is one ingredient my kids absolutely love, it is gnocchi and there are so many different varieties available too - regular, sweet potato, butternut squash and even cauliflower. Original however is definitely are favourite.

Usually I keep it simple and just stir through some pesto for a quick and easy meal, but I was making my usual bolognese for dinner and figured why not add some gnocchi instead of pasta and top with some cheese for a delicious bake and oh my was this good. The kids literally inhaled their serving.

The beautiful of this bake too is that you don't need to cook the gnocchi seperately. Gnocchi is so quick to cook, just drop it into the sauce, let it simmer and it' done. The only bit of this recipe that takes some effort is the rich bolognese meat sauce.

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Rich Bolognese Meat Sauce

We love a rich bolognese sauce and the recipe is this Bolognese Gnocchi Bake is packed with flavour but simple too. It's a slight variation on my meat sauce in my Spaghetti Bolognese.

Usually I will add some mushrooms, as we love those in a bolognese, but I didn't have any today, so just stuck to the traditional mirepoix (onion, carrots and celery).

I like to use shallots for the onion, they have a much nicer flavour, but you can use any onion you like.

Can I use chicken or turkey mince for bolognese?

Do you prefer a leaner meat or don't like to eat much red meat? Then this bolognese meat sauce works perfectly with chicken or turkey mince too.

I often use turkey or chicken mince in my bolognese or chilli and it is a great substitute.

Can I use different varieties gnocchi in this bake?

At this present time I have only tested this recipe with original gnocchi. I don't see why it wouldn't work with other types of gnocchi. However cauliflower and butternut squash gnocchi may disintegrate in the sauce.

Do let me know if you try any others and how well they work or don't work.

Can I use a different cheese?

I used cheddar for the topping for this bake, it's a cheese most tend to like, not traditional with bolognese, but a nice mature good quality cheddar has heaps of flavour.

Pretty much any cheese that melts will work perfectly. You can even do a mixture of parmesan and mozzarella if you prefer.

Another delicious addition and one I am definitely going to do next time, is a few spoonfuls of ricotta on the top. Heavenly!!

Sides for Bolognese Gnocchi Bake

For side for this dish, I like to keep it simple with a mixed salad. Baby leaves are my favourite to serve with any bolognese type dish.

You can pretty much make up a salad from any favourite items like:

• Lettuce - baby leaves or crispy lettuce like romaine or iceberg
• Red onion
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Peppers
• Shredded Carrot
• Olives
• Beetroot

I like to make up the salad in a bowl and serve it in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves to alongside the bake. I don't bother with any dressing as the the gnocchi bake is nice and saucy. But a simple low calorie vinaigrette.

If you don't fancy a salad, another great side is some sautéed zucchini (courgette slices) or even some sautéed spinach or greens of your choice.

Adding Sugar/Sweetener to Canned Tomatoes

You will notice this item is completely optional. Canned tomato products are often acidic, and they sugar/ sweetener just balances out the sauce.

Feel free to omit if you don't want to use it. It's a teeny amount but really does make a difference to sauces when using canned tomatoes.

Can I freeze Gnocchi?

Gnocchi is best eaten when cooked, it can tend to go a bit mushy when frozen and reheated, so I personally don't like to freeze.

So it is really down to your own preference, if you have frozen cooked gnocchi before and are happy with the result when reheated, then go ahead. Everything else in the recipe is fine to freeze.

More ground beef (mince) recipes

Looking for some more recipes using beef mince?

• One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
• Mexican Pasta Bake
• One Pot Taco Beef Pasta
• Saucy Asian Hidden Vegetable Meatballs
• Cheesy Topped Stuffed Peppers
• Crispy Potato Topped Meat Pie
• Asian Ground Beef Bowl
• Quick Hoisin Beef Noodles

or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes and can search by ingredients, course, diet and more.

All with estimated calories and Slimming World and Weight Watcher Smart Points values.