I have a couple of special friends that I get together with and consume copious quantities of cheese and wine while pretending to watch one of the latest DVD releases. What it turns into is drunken yelling and storytelling of all that happened since we last spent time together. Usually, the cheese comes in the form of terribly expensive blocks from local stores. This time, I thought it would be fun to get a bit creative and actually prepare something with excessive, unwarranted and delightful cheese. The original plan was a homemade macaroni and cheese and sausage of some sort, but over the week that I had to dwell on it, it became reinvented to include gnocchi, bacon and four different cheeses. After some searching, I found an amazing recipe, tweaked it a bit to make it my own, and finished with what ended up being the ugliest dish I have ever prepared. However, it was indeed one of the most decadent and satisfying meals of my life. Not only was there sensory overload in my mouth as the four cheeses hit my tongue, but my home also smelled of cheese for about a week. The photos below really don't do this dish justice, but take my word for it, your world will be rocked!
Gnocchi & Bacon Mac and Cheese
3 cups whole milk
1 1-pound package gnocchi
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
5-6 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into tiny pieces
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion, sautéed
2 1/2 cups grated trio Formaggio cheeses (combination of Asiago, Fontina, Gruyere), divided
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided
Breadcumbs, for topping
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bring the milk to a boil and cook gnocchi until tender. Drain about a half a cup of milk from the pot.
In the same pot as the gnocchi and milk, add 1 tablespoon butter, salt, pepper, bacon, onions, 2 cups of trio Formaggio, 1 cup cheddar and mix.
Put mixture into a baking pan and cover the top with breadcrumbs and remaining butter (cut into smaller pieces), trio Formaggio and cheddar. Bake until brown and crispy on top.
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