Creamy Gnocchi, Spinach and Broccoli Bake

Name: Creamy Gnocchi, Spinach and Broccoli Bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 1/2 cup onion, minced; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 tablespoon flour; 2 cups half-and-half (fat free will not thicken up); 5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained; 10 ounces frozen cut broccoli in cheese sauce, thawed in microwave; 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded; salt; pepper; 1 teaspoon italian seasoning (I have also used Greek Seasoning); 1 lb potato gnocchi

Submitted by januarybride

"Yet another recipe that was originally in Everyday with Rachel Ray, however I changed it up a bit. You use store bought Gnocchi and the sauce is super simple. This freezes well too!"

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photo by Satyne

Ready In:: 50mins
Ingredients:: 12
Serves:: 6

ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
¹⁄₂ cup onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups half-and-half (fat free will not thicken up)
5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
10 ounces frozen cut broccoli in cheese sauce, thawed in microwave
¹⁄₄ cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon italian seasoning (I have also used Greek Seasoning)
1 lb potato gnocchi

directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In the meanwhile, in a large skilled, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until softened (10 minutes or less).
Add 1 tbsp flour to the onions/garlic. Stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add the half and half and simmer, stirring constantly until slightly thickened (3 minutes). Stir in the cheese, spinach, broccoli, salt, pepper and spice. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
When the water is boiling, cook your gnocchi as per the directions on the package. Drain when done. Add sauce to the gnocchi and stir to coat. (You can either cook it or freeze it at this time).
Bake in a 350 degree oven, uncovered for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
IF COOKING FROM FROZEN. . .bake uncovered 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

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Reviews

Very good. This freezes well and tastes just as good re-cooked. Thanks!

amaloney73
Doubled the recipe to fit a 9x13 pan, fed 5 of us perfectly with no leftovers in sight. However wasn't able to double the amount of milk called for as I ran out, was still delicious. Didn't bother with the cheesy broccoli, just used plain organic frozen as well as a bunch of fresh spinach, didn't measure the veggies just tossed them all in. Was so flavorful for how few ingredients were needed, will make again for sure, thank you for posting this!

cf____
I really enjoyed this meal and my partner loved it. I didn't weigh my veggies and opted to just use fresh broccoli rather than a cheesy frozen version (to be honest, I don't think we can get that here anyway). It was beautiful and creamy even without that extra cheese. I did sprinkle a little parmesan on top. I followed the recipe very closely and aside from the previous notes, made as written. This was wonderful for our winter.

Satyne
I tripled the garlic in this to 3 gloves and I also added about 4 oz extra broccoli. I used maybe 7 ounces of spinach instead of just 4. I used the 2 cups half and half but added a tiny but of milk to accommodate the extra vegetables. I actually made it according to the directions but didn't like how lacking it looked in vegetables so I cooked up some more before putting it in the oven. Of course, I am a vegetarian so not everyone will want the extra veggies. This came out really well. It was rich, creamy, and for such a simple dish, the flavors came together very nicely. It goes great with a side salad and garlic bread.

Cmjennings1590
Good but I probably won't repeat. Thank you for sharing!!!

Dizzyfreedom

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Tweaks

Yum! This was really a lovely, warming, and surprisingly hearty meal! I used 1% milk for the whipping cream as that is what I had on hand, and while it didn't thicken as well it was fine after I added 1/2 T more flour and refrigerated the final casserole before baking. I also used mozzarella for the parmesan as I thought that might help the sauce thicken. Tri-colored gnocchi was gorgeous in this, and next time I am tempted to use chard instead of spinach (I used fresh spinach quickly blanched). I am also tempted to add some white beans as I think they would be lovely, though in all honesty this was fairly filling on its own! Thanks for posting, JB! Made for Veg*n Swap 27.

jessi_mcg
Wonderful! I have made this several times now. Everyone keeps asking for it. I substituted cauliflower for the broccoli and it tastes just as great. I quite often make this as a main dish and just add a side salad. Great comfort food. Really nice on a cold rainy miserable day.

Signlady