Cauliflower Gnocchi Cheese Bake

This dish was inspired by one I had at Nivens last year and became a little bit obsessed with. It’s essentially just cauliflower cheese but with the addition of gnocchi which, in my opinion, is never a bad thing! I’ve added my method for making homemade gnocchi but if you don’t have time or prefer to use shop bought, that’s absolutely fine! If you don’t have any gruyere, just add some extra cheddar! Make sure and tag me on Instagram @theglasgowdiet if you make it!

Cauliflower Gnocchi Cheese Bake

Ingredients (serves 4)
For the gnocchi:
4 large baking potatoes, about 1.5kg
175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 large egg
Salt and pepper

For the cauliflower cheese:
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
50g butter
4 tbsp plain flour
350ml milk
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
150g extra mature cheddar
50g gruyere
Parmesan, for grating on top

Method:
1. For the gnocchi, preheat your oven to 180c (fan). Place the potatoes on a baking tray and pierce all over with a knife. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes until soft, then set aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the skins and either put through a ricer into a bowl or mash until smooth.
2. Add the flour, egg, and some salt and pepper and mix together until a soft dough forms. Dust your work surface with a little flour, then tip the dough out and form it into a ball. Divide the ball into four sections. One section at a time, roll each piece of dough into a long, thin sausage, about half an inch thick. Take a sharp knife and cut the sausage into little pillows, about 1.5cm wide, placing them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, then repeat with the other pieces of dough. This makes about double the amount of gnocchi you need for the recipe, so place one baking tray of the gnocchi into the freezer until frozen, then pop them in a zip lock bag and back into the freezer- you can cook them straight from frozen, no need to defrost! Place the other baking tray for the cauli cheese into the fridge, dusted with a little flour.
3. For the cheese sauce, put the 50g butter, plain flour, mustard powder and milk in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook until thickened, stirring regularly. Add the cheese and Worcestershire sauce and stir until melted. Taste and add salt/pepper to taste. Meanwhile, boil the cauliflower florets in a large pot of salted boiling water for five minutes, then drain and place into a large roasting dish. Pour the cheese sauce over, stirring to ensure the cauliflower is well coated.
4. Preheat the oven to 180c (fan) and place a large pan of salted water on to boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to boil. Drain the gnocchi, add it to the roasting dish and very gently mix it through. Scatter over some grated parmesan and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with some of your favourite green veg or a side salad.