Gnocchi & Bacon Gratin with Garlic Bechamel

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I needed gnocchi and this is the dish that I needed it for.  When I first saw the recipe, it had me at bacon and garlic.....yum!  This was a good storm day meal to make.  There were a lot of components to this dish so it was nice to cook it and not be in a rush.  It is a perfect comfort food type dish perfect for a cold night.  My brother was staying with us during the storm since he was without power and he had and enjoyed this dish with us.  I posted the original recipe below, the only change I made was not adding the nutmeg.  Unless I'm making a dessert, I don't usually add nutmeg to my main dishes. 

Gnocchi & Bacon Gratin with Garlic Bechamel
recipe from Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:
3 slices thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 large cloves garlic
17 oz. package gnocchi
salt & pepper, to taste
scant 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

topping-
2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Bring large pot of water to boil. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and butter into small skillet and place on medium heat. Once butter melts, stir breadcrumbs around to moisten completely and brown lightly. Remove from heat and set aside. Once bacon is cooked and crisp, remove from skillet onto paper towels to drain. Leave 1 tablespoon bacon grease in pan and melt in 2 tablespoons butter. Grate in garlic cloves and cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and whisk. Cook 1-2 minutes and then whisk in milk slowly to prevent lumps. Add in salt, pepper and nutmeg and reduce heat to low. Pour gnocchi into boiling water and cook until they start to float, 2-3 minutes. While gnocchi is cooking, crumble cooked bacon. Drain gnocchi and stir into sauce. Add in bacon. Pour entire contents into buttered baking dish and sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes and serve hot.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.