I love making casseroles for dinner; they are super easy to assemble, and this cheesy gnocchi bake is my favourite. It is a super easy casserole dish topped and baked with cheese, loaded with ground beef, carrot, and bell pepper, and seasoned with dried mixed herbs.
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Cheesy Gnocchi Bake
Melted cheese and tomato puree, along with gnocchi itself, made a simple beef taste so delightfully satisfying. The texture of this dish is creamy and cheesy, almost like an improved version of mac and cheese.
The base flavor of this dish comes from the melted cheese and savory tomato puree combined with the beef and gnocchi.
This recipe is the simple and quickest way to prepare cheesy gnocchi bake. All you do is saute the veggies, cook in the meat, add in the sauce ingredients, finally toss the gnocchi in, top with lots of cheese, and then bake. That's it, your dinner is ready!
It is also a complete meal, so you don't need to serve it with any sides.
What's in this Recipe?
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Gnocchi: I used dried Gnocchi. You can use homemade or store-bought gnocchi. You may also use gluten-free gnocchi to make this recipe gluten-free.
Tip: DON'T boil the gnocchi; we will add them to the sauce dry. Otherwise, they will get mushy. They will cook in the sauce beautifully.
Cheddar Cheese: I love the flavor of cheddar cheese. You can use mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese instead.
Ground Beef: I used extra lean ground beef.
Onion: It adds flavor and texture to the dish. Adding onion will also make this cheesy and saucy dish a rich umami flavor.
Veggies: I used carrot and bell pepper for some crunch. I also used I used canned chopped tomatoes; however, you can use fresh tomatoes if you like.
Garlic: It helps in enhancing and complementing the rest of the ingredients in the recipe as it gives a stronger flavor booster.
Tomato Puree (Paste): Tomato Puree thickens the texture of the dish and makes it saucier.
Balsamic Vinegar: It adds spice and helps to balance the rich flavor of the ground beef.
Beef Stock: It add a beefier flavor and aroma. You can replace it with water if you like.
Olive Oil: I used olive oil to saute the veggies and cook the beef. Feel free to replace olive oil with any cooking oil you have, such as sunflower oil or avocado oil.
Seasonings: I used kosher salt, black pepper, and dried mixed herbs to season the dish. You can use Italian seasoning instead of dried mixed herbs.
Parsley: Good choice for garnishing.
How to Make The Best Cheesy Gnocchi Bake?
Saute the veggies: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, add onion, carrot, and bell pepper, fry for 1-2 minutes or until softened.
Cook the beef: Add ground meat and garlic and cook until browned.
Add mixed herbs, salt, pepper, sugar, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, beef stock and balsamic vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil.
Add the lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickened.
Cook the gnocchi: Now, stir in the gnocchi, simmer for 8-10 minutes more or until cooked (stir occasionally).
Bake the gnocchi: Transfer the mixture into a baking dish, top with the shredded cheddar cheese and put in the oven under the grill for 4-5 minutes until the cheese melts and become golden.
Take out of the oven, scatter the chopped parsley on top, then serve.
Recipe Variations
- Replace minced beef with shredded chicken or turkey.
- Feel free to add 2 tablespoons of sour cream for a creamier taste and texture.
- Add in some herbs, such as fresh basil, cilantro or thyme.
- You may replace fresh garlic with garlic powder.
Serving Suggestions
Eat this cheesy gnocchi bake with a healthy and fresh green salad at dinner. Roasted chicken breast or turkey complements the gnocchi dish well also.
You can also serve this dish with Baked Honey Glazed Salmon.
Storage
To store: Your leftover gnocchi bake will last 3-5 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. Use the oven to reheat the dish.
To freeze: Put the cooked gnocchi in an air-tight container in the freezer for 1-2 months.
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Recipe Card
Cheesy Gnocchi Bake
Ingredients
- 500 g gnocchi
- 120 g Cheddar cheese , grated
- 400 g ground beef
- 1 onion , finely diced
- 1 carrot , finely diced
- 2 bell peppers , finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ tablespoon dried mixed herbs
- 400 g chopped tomatoes , canned
- 3 tablespoon tomato puree (paste)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup chicken or beef stock
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (garnishing)
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat, add onion, carrot, and bell pepper, fry until softened.1 onion, 1 carrot, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 bell peppers
- Add minced beef and garlic and cook until browned.400 g ground beef, 3 cloves garlic
- Add mixed herbs, salt, pepper, sugar, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, beef stock and balsamic vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil.½ tablespoon dried mixed herbs, 400 g chopped tomatoes, 3 tablespoon tomato puree (paste), 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 cup chicken or beef stock, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Now, stir in the gnocchi, simmer for 8-10 minutes more or until cooked (stir occasionally).500 g gnocchi
- Transfer the mixture into a baking dish, top with the shredded cheddar cheese and put in the oven under the grill for 4-5 minutes until the cheese melts and become golden.120 g Cheddar cheese
- Take out of the oven, scatter the chopped parsley on top, then serve.1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Eleanor says
So delicious, Although I am not a fan of gnocchi, this recipe is a really nice one. It is super cheesy, super delicious!