Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Three Cheese Gnocchi Bake
Soft gnocchi beneath a melted cheese top makes this bake especially tempting. The savory meat sauce catches between the little pillows, with pockets of ricotta tucked above. A generous spoonful from the edge gives you some of that browned cheese along with the sauce below.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Brown the meat
Cook the beef, sausage and onion together, stirring often until the meat has browned.
2. Remove excess fat
Drain a large amount of rendered fat before stirring the garlic and seasonings into the meat.
3. Check the gnocchi
Bake covered until the gnocchi has puffed and feels tender beneath the melted cheese.
Get to know the ingredients
Gnocchi
Use shelf-stable gnocchi, adding it uncooked to the sauce so it cooks during the bake.
Italian sausage
Choose ground sausage or remove its casings before cooking it with the beef and onion.
Spinach
Roughly chop the fresh spinach so it can stir through the sauce with the gnocchi.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 10 steps completeMake room for Three Cheese Gnocchi Bake
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Optional browned cheese
Uncover the tender gnocchi and briefly broil if you want the cheese to brown slightly.
A little more help as you go
Ricotta dollops
Dot the ricotta over the sauce by tablespoons before sprinkling on the mozzarella and Parmesan.
Prepare before baking
The assembled bake can be covered and refrigerated for up to a day before baking.
A few questions you might have
Can I use an oven-safe skillet?
Yes, keep the mixture in an oven-safe skillet or transfer it to the prepared baking dish.
Can I use all Italian sausage?
Yes, you can use all sausage in place of the beef and sausage combination.
Can I skip the ricotta?
Yes, you can leave it out and add more mozzarella in its place.
When does the sauce come off the heat?
Remove it after stirring in the pasta sauce and water, before adding the gnocchi and spinach.
Can I make just the sauce ahead?
Yes, refrigerate the prepared sauce for up to four days or freeze it for up to three months.
Any more cooking tips?
Ingredients and Substitutions : Sauce : yes, you can make this recipe with just a jar or two of marinara sauce and skip the meat and onion for a vegetarian dish that’s short on prep time. Meat : you can use 1 lb of ground beef, or 1 pound of Italian sausage in this recipe if that’s what you have. If you are using only ground beef (or ground turkey, chicken or pork) you will want to increase the seasonings to add flavor. Gnocchi : I have only tried this recipe with dried, shelf stable gnocchi as that’s what’s available to me. I suspect it would work great with fresh and/or frozen, but I have not yet tested it. Cheese : add the cheese with your heart! If you don’t have ricotta, you can skip it and add more mozzarella. If you want to try something different, go for it! Prep ahead instructions : This recipe can be made ahead in a few different ways: make the sauce ahead: you can make the sauce in advance and refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. you can prep everything up to the point of baking, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. I do not recommend freezing this recipe as the gnocchi tends to get mushy. Storage Store: Store leftover gnocchi once it has cooled completely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, you can reheat it in the oven, on the stovetop, or in the microwave until it’s heated through. Freeze: Place gnocchi in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bags and freeze for up to three months. When ready to reheat, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it until piping hot.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
