Gnocchi Bake w/3 Cheeses & Crispy Prosciutto

Sorry that I’ve been MIA this past week. I really did a number on my back and have been off work and basically on bed rest since Saturday. This is my worst injury since I had my spinal fusion. I thought I’d just bounce right back like usual, not so much. I am getting better, it’s just taking time/ice/heat/meds and a whole lot of doing nothing.

Deede to the rescue – she played Foodiddy for a post and I couldn’t be more excited to feature her creativity here on my blog. So here goes… I introduce to you – Chef Deede – (Now go convince her in comments that she needs to start her own blog – she rocked it out!)

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My dearest friend, what have you done to yourself?!  Working yourself to the bone. Do not fear, for I am here. Iʼll help you fill that belly and your blog while you stay off your feet. This way your back can normalize from your mega (and dare I say, victorious) weed pulling, pruning and pool scrubbing extravaganza last weekend.

So first order of business… deciding what to make. If I had my way it would be a pie, macaron, cookies, ice cream, basically anything sweet, but that wouldnʼt sustain my dear sweet Kath. She needs a healing food and since she doesnʼt have a cold, chicken noodle soup is out (also itʼs currently 100+ degrees here). I know…

Leek-and-Gnocchi Bake with Three Cheeses and Crispy Prosciutto
Itʼs very much like macʼn cheese, but better, because the noodles are like big puffy dough pillows.

The Ingredients:
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
8 thin slices prosciutto, halved crosswise
2 leeks-trimmed, halved and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick
salt and pepper
2 – 10-12 oz packages fresh potato gnocchi (I used trader joes stuff, located on the pasta aisle. I donʼt know how “fresh” it really is)
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cups Milk
Ground nutmeg, to taste
1 cup grated fontina cheese, remove wax
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet pan fry each slice of prosciutto until crisp.

Turn once. About 2 mins. Drain on paper towels.

When cool crumble or cut into small bits

The Leeks… Add olive oil to skillet and heat, add the leeks. Cook on medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil, add gnocchi and cook until the gnocchi float to the surface, about 3 mins. Drain gnocchi.

Expert multi-tasking skills: At the same time as boiling water and cooking leeks, get a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour for 1 min.

Then slowly add the milk while whisking. This way you avoid the dreaded lumpy, lumpage. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook until thickened, 5 mins. Turn off the heat.

Stir in fontina and asiago cheeses in batches until fully melted.

But not before having some fun with your fontina cheese… Well hello there…

Pre-heat broiler. In large bowl stir together gnocchi, leeks and cheesy mix. Pour mix into casserole dish. The recipe makes enough to fill a 13×9 casserole dish, but I used my Le Creuset rectangle baker set, given to me by Ms. Foo herself. One is 5×7, the other 7×10.5. Top with parmigiano-reggiano cheese and prosciutto. Broil until browned, 3-4mins.

Credit where due:
I got the recipe from Rachael Ray. The recipe says 30 mins… maybe for a super organized, multi-tasker. It usually takes me and hour to prepare this recipe, which is not uncommon for me when doing her recipes. Thereʼs always lots of simultaneous steps.

Lessons Learned:
1. Butter is quick to burn if you are holding a camera

2. It takes a LOT longer to prepare a meal and document it, than to just whip it up.

3. Butter, Prosciutto and Cheese make camera equipment especially filthy.

4. Itʼs okay to take a cookie break while cooking

5. Avoid the help of overly exuberant sous chefs.

Especially tall ones with fur.

I delivered Kath’s Gnocchi Bake and 2 Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies and we took a few “Foo style” photos once I got to her house.

A direct quote from Kathleen – “Yum!!! Thanks for my dinner, I love it. Perfect comfort food, you’re the best!”

What a lot of work…

Foo, you are amazing for all the time and energy you put into your blog on top of you regular duties. My job here is done, hope you all enjoyed my guest post.