Easy, store-bought potato gnocchi paired with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce, baked then topped with bacon and green onion. It’s all the great flavours of a loaded baked potato in baked gnocchi form!

Cheesy baked gnocchi in cast iron skillets with fork.

Move over mac and cheese! This loaded baked gnocchi and cheese brings a new twist to the classic. And in keeping with the potato theme, let’s load it up by adding some sour cream to the cheese sauce and topping it with bacon and green onion.

When only a creamy, cheesy dish will do you can’t go wrong with this one. It’s perfect football-watching food!

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Ingredients and substitutions

Gnocchi: I love frozen gnocchi, but I know it’s not available in all markets. Alternately, use the shelf-stable gnocchi. Be sure you are using potato gnocchi.

Cheese: Use a good, old/sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavour. You’ll want to avoid pre-shredded cheese, as it has an anti-clumping agent on it which can result in a grainy cheese sauce.

Flour: The flour in the sauce is the sauce thickener. I haven’t tested with a gluten-free or alternate flour. If you have had success with alternate flours in a butter/flour roux, it should also work just fine here.

Milk: For the creamiest sauce, use whole, 3-3.5% b.f. milk. In a pinch, you could use 2%, but I wouldn’t go any lower in fat than that. I haven’t tested this with dairy-alternative milk.

Sour Cream: If you don’t have sour cream on hand, it’s probably not a deal-breaker here. The dish will still be delicious without it. It does bring a slight tang to the cheese sauce or alternately, skip it in the sauce and dollop it on top, instead.

Green Onion: The flavour of fresh green onion is perfect with the potato and cheese, so I’d try to use it. Chives would also work here, as would something like a freeze-dried green onion or chive.

Cheesy baked gnocchi in cast iron skillets with fork.

Recipe tips!

  • Be sure not to overcook the gnocchi. Refer to the package instructions for boiling time and boil just until tender.
  • I’ve used 5-inch cast-iron pans here. You can use one large skillet or baking pan or smaller, individual ones.
  • When cooking the cheese sauce, be sure to cook until it noticeably thickens. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes. It won’t be super-thick though. It will thicken more as it bakes in the oven.
gnocchi and cheese in a small cast iron skillet with fork

Making ahead, storage and freezing

You can make this dish ahead by preparing it up to the point of transferring it to the baking dish(es). Allow to cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until needed. When ready to bake, simply take it from the fridge to the oven and bake. You may need a few extra minutes in the oven as the dish will be starting from cold, instead of warm.

Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated. Re-warm in the microwave or cover with foil and place in a 350F oven until warmed through.

Leftovers can also be frozen to enjoy at a later time.

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Cheesy baked gnocchi in cast iron skillets with fork.

Get the Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Gnocchi

Easy, store-bought potato gnocchi paired with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce, baked and topped with bacon and green onion. It's all the great flavours of a loaded baked potato in baked gnocchi form!
5 stars from 7 ratings
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 cups potato gnocchi, frozen or shelf-stable, boiled/cooked per package instructions

Cheese Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk, 3% b.f.
  • 2 cups old/sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded, plus more for topping
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, less is using fine table salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/3 cup sour cream, *see Notes

For garnish:

  • Diced green onion
  • Cooked bacon crumbles

Instructions
 

  • Add water and a bit of salt to a large pot and place over high heat to cook the gnocchi. While it's heating, prepare the cheese sauce.
  • Preheat oven to 350F (regular bake setting/not fan assisted) with rack in the centre of the oven. Oil or butter an 8-inch square baking dish, an 8-inch cast-iron skillet or individual baking dishes.
  • For the cheese sauce: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and continue to whisk and cook for about 2 minutes.
  • Very slowly add the milk, a little at a time, whisking constantly. Once all the milk has been added, cook, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens, about 8-10 minutes. (Don't rush this step. The mixture will not be thick, but will noticeably thicken after 8-10 minutes of cooking).
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the cheese, salt, pepper, green onion and garlic powder. Stir until the cheese is melted and all the ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. (If the cheese isn't melted completely after about 3 minutes, you can put the pan back on low heat and stir until it is melted). Stir in sour cream *or alternately, leave out of the sauce and serve on top with the garnishes.
  • Add gnocchi to boiling, salted water and cook according to the package instructions. Don't overcook. Drain gnocchi well and stir gnocchi into cheese sauce until well coated. Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish or individual dishes. Top with additional shredded cheddar cheese.
  • *Can be prepared up to this point, covered and refrigerated until ready to bake. If baking cold from the refrigerator, allow a few extra minutes in the oven to warm through.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm garnished with diced green onion, cooked bacon crumbles and optionally, a dollop of sour cream.

Notes

*You can stir some sour cream into the cheese sauce, to bring a tangy note to the sauce or alternately, skip the sour cream in the cheese sauce and use it to dollop on top to serve.
Be sure not to over-cook the gnocchi. Refer to the package instructions for boiling time and boil just until tender.
I’ve used 5-inch cast-iron pans here. You can use one large skillet or baking pan or smaller, individual ones.
When cooking the cheese sauce, be sure to cook until it noticeably thickens. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes. It won’t be super-thick though. It will thicken more as it bakes in the oven.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, where I share more detailed tips, variations and substitution suggestions for this recipe!
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Main Course
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 600kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 1093mg, Potassium: 223mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 911IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 457mg, Iron: 6mg
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