Cheesy Gnocchi Traybake

Cheesy Gnocchi Traybake

This one genuinely surprised us the first time we made it. Crispy, pillowy gnocchi baked in a rich, cheesy béchamel sauce with that little kick of mustard and paprika running through it. It's the kind of traybake you pull out of the oven and everyone just goes quiet for a second. We keep coming back to it because it's proper comfort food but it comes together in 25 minutes, which honestly still feels like magic. Make this tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 25 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large ovenproof dish
  • Large saucepan
  • Food processor
  • Microplane or box grater

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp English mustard
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 40g plant-based butter
  • 600ml plant-based milk
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 nutritional yeast optional
  • 100g plant-based cream cheese
  • 60g plant-based cheddar
  • 50g plant-based mozzarella
  • 100g cherry tomatoes
  • 400g gnocchi
  • basil leaves
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 80g sourdough
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 40g plain flour

Method

1

To make the sauce

  • Put a large saucepan melt the butter on a medium heat
  • Once completely melted, add in the flour and stir continually until well combined and darkened slightly
  • Slowly start adding the milk a bit at a time with the bay leaves, stirring continually
  • Repeat until the sauce has reached a thick rich consistency, you may not need all the milk
  • Stir through the mustard, paprika and nutritional yeast and season
2

To make the bake

  • Once the sauce is silky and thick, add in the cream cheese and gnocchi and stir, making sure the gnocchi is well coated in the sauce
  • Grate the cheese and then add in, turn the heat down low and let this simmer for about 5-10 minutes stirring every minute or so, until the cheese is melted and the gnocchi has softened
  • Stir through the cherry tomatoes and discard the bay leaves
  • Pour the mix into a suitable size ovenproof dish
3

To cook

  • In a food processor, blitz the breadcrumbs and picked thyme leaves
  • Sprinkle evenly over the top of the bake with a little extra mozzarella and the basil leaves
  • Drizzle with a little olive oil and then put in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden and oozy

Tips & Variations

  • Get the sauce right first: We can't stress this enough. Add the milk a little at a time and keep stirring. If you rush it you'll get lumps, and nobody wants that.
  • Make it crispier: If you want the gnocchi to catch a bit more on top, pop it under the grill for the last 2-3 minutes. It goes golden and a little crunchy on the edges and honestly that's the best bit.
  • Add some greens: We love throwing a big handful of spinach or kale into the sauce just before baking. It wilts down beautifully and makes you feel like you've got a proper balanced meal on the table.

Why This Works

The trick is building the sauce properly, adding the milk slowly and stirring the whole time so you get that thick, velvety consistency before the gnocchi even goes in. The nutritional yeast is doing serious heavy lifting here, giving it that deep cheesy flavour without any dairy. Trust us on this one, don't rush the sauce and the whole thing just sings.