Three cheese gnocchi mac and cheese is easy, peasy, and oh so cheesy. Pillowy potato dumplings tossed in a rich cheese sauce is the very definition of comfort food that you will want to make over and over again.
We are talking about two of the best, most comforting foods known to man rolled into one incredible combination.
Seriously.
Fluffy potato gnocchi basking in a rich, creamy cheese sauce worthy of gracing the plate of even the haughtiest of Mac & Cheese snobs.
Fill ‘er up, and I’m already calling dibs on seconds.
And I’m sure you will too as soon as you try this!
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Gnocchi– I recommend the dried gnocchi you can find near the pasta and not the kind you can find in the frozen food section.
- Cornstarch– For thickening
- Chicken broth– You could substitute water or vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian.
- Garlic– Freshly minced garlic and plenty of it!
- Half and half– Or whole milk. Either way, warm it.
- Cheese– Shredded fontina, sharp cheddar, and Parmesan.
- Salt and pepper– To taste.
- Fresh herbs– Chopped parsley or basil for topping. Optional but highly recommend.
How to Make
This is pretty much like making regular mac and cheese but with gnocchi instead of macaroni noodles.
To do it, cook the gnocchi according to package instructions.
Drain it and set it aside.
While the gnocchi cooks, get started on the cheese sauce.
Stir together the cornstarch and the broth to form a slurry in a small bowl until it’s evenly combined.
Set it aside.
Then, heat the butter over medium heat in a large skillet over medium heat.
When then butter has melted, saute the minced garlic, stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes or until it just becomes fragrant.
Then whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
After it forms a roux, slowly whisk in the milk a little bit at a time.
Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches a low boil.
As soon as it reaches a low boil, remove it from the heat and stir in the cheeses until they melt and the cheese sauce is smooth.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste, if desired.
Add the cooked gnocchi to the cheese sauce and stir the gnocchi gently until they’re completely coated in sauce.
Serve immediately, with a sprinkle of finely chopped, fresh basil and/or parsley and a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan.
Enjoy!
Can I make gnocchi mac and cheese with pancetta?
Absolutely!
To do that, just cook the pancetta first and use the fat you render from the pancetta instead of butter to saute the garlic.
Storing leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overcook the garlic. To keep from doing this, stir constantly and add the slurry mixture as soon as the garlic is fragrant. It happens really quick!
- Whisking in the milk a little at a time keeps the sauce smooth and velvety.
- You’ll do best using half and half or whole milk. Avoid lower fat milk or the sauce won’t be a luxurious and thick.
Other Mac and Cheese Recipes
3 cheese gnocchi mac and cheese is a delightful spin on a classic dish.
Make it today and enjoy!
Looking for other mac and cheese recipes?
Try these reader favorites:
- BLT Mac & Cheese
- Breakfast Macaroni & Cheese
- Pumpkin White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
- Fried Mac & Cheese Balls
- Pimento Cheese Mac & Cheese
- Creamy Tomato Soup Mac & Cheese
- Buffalo Mac & Cheese
If you’ve tried this THREE CHEESE GNOCCHI MAC & CHEESE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
3 Cheese Gnocchi Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 16 oz pkgs potato gnocchi
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3-4 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup half and half or milk (warmed)
- 1 1/4 cups shredded fontina cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
- finely-chopped fresh parsley or basil for topping
Instructions
- Cook the gnocchi according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- While the gnocchi cooks, get started on the cheese sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and the broth until evenly combined and set aside.
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the butter over medium heat. Add in the garlic and saute, stirring constantly, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, and whisk until combined and a roux has formed. Slowly stir in the milk a little bit at a time, and whisk until combined.
- Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches a low boil. Then remove from heat, and stir in the cheeses until they too are melted and the cheese sauce is smooth. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste, if desired, and remove from heat.
- Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the cheese sauce stirring until they're completely coated. Serve immediately, with a sprinkle of finely chopped, fresh basil and/or parsley and a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Don't overcook the garlic. To keep from doing this, stir constantly and add the slurry mixture as soon as the garlic is fragrant. It happens really quick!
- Whisking in the milk a little at a time keeps the sauce smooth and velvety.
- You'll do best using half and half or whole milk. Avoid lower fat milk or the sauce won't be a luxurious and thick.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven
recipe originally published November 18, 2015
Loretta says
Welcome to Fiesta Friday and thanks so much for bringing your 3 Cheese Gnocchi Macaroni and cheese to the Fiesta. I know everyone will love this slight twist to the regular mac n’ cheese. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your weekend 🙂
4 Sons 'R' Us says
Thank you 🙂
cookingwithauntjuju.com says
I love making gnocchi – Happy Fiesta Friday and thanks for coming to the party 🙂
Zoe EatsLeeds says
I love mac + cheese! I’ll have to try this recipe with GF Gnocchi (if I can find any!)
https://eatsleeds.co.uk/
Shari Kelley says
This looks amazing! I love gnocchi, but have never fixed it this way. I also just noticed it is a skillet recipe which is so nice because it is still very hot here. Pinning to try soon!
Quinn Caudill says
I love gnocchi but never thought about making mac and cheese with them. Have a great week.
Colleen says
I’ve been wanting to make this for some time now…with fall coming I think I may just need to put it on my list of things to do!
Julie says
Oh my gosh that looks delicious!
Christine Cochrane says
OMG! This was so good! Next time I would add a little more gnocchi to sop up all the cheesy goodness
4sonsrus says
We like ours on the soupier side, but you’re right– you could easily add more gnocchi with no problems. I’m so glad you liked it, Christine!
Barry Delello says
This was good! Putting it in the rotation for family dinners as a side dish. I minced four medium sized cloves of garlic. Might be a little too much (not for me) as there was a pronounced garlic flavor. Cheese was creamy. Making it requires patience and constant attention.
4sonsrus says
For me, it’s so rich- I tend to serve it as a main meal with a side of lettuce (hoping for some redeeming quality, lol). You can never go wrong with extra garlic, especially fresh! So glad you liked it, Barry. I hope you find many more things here you enjoy just as much 🙂
Tina says
I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and stumbled upon this recipe after searching for what I can do with my gluten-free gnocchi. This looks amazing and reminds me of a German dish called Käsespätzle that I love. Glad I don’t have to make any modifications to it to stay gluten free. Can’t wait to try this!
John says
This looks amazing! How well does it re-heat? Mac and cheese can get funny when warmed up. Any suggestions?
4sonsrus says
Thanks!! We reheat it on the stove top. The sauce will thicken up substantially in the fridge, so I add a splash of cream so it doesn’t scorch. I’ve also found the gnocchi holds up much better than pasta when reheating!
Daniel Loya says
Hi, my name is Daniel Loya I loved the image of how the gnocchi turned out at the end and was wondering if you were interested or was willing for me and the company I work with to use it possibly as an image for the packaging of one of our many italian products, if you are please send me a response in the comments so we can continue our talk, have a nice day and good job on making a delicious gnocchi.