Gooey, hearty, and decadent, this Butternut Squash Bacon Baked Gnocchi skillet is impressively simple and undoubtedly delicious dish.
Hi, friends. I hope this week has been treating you well. Besides, it’s almost the weekend, so please take it easy (And make this Butternut Squash Bacon Baked Gnocchi for you Saturday night). Please excuse me as I am going to keep my thoughts simple and short today.
You might now my great news. Thank you for your congratulations on my relocation. You have asked me quite a few questions that I would need a long post to answer them. Surprisingly, the most common kind of your questions and remarks fell under the category “Animal issues”.
I think I should get this covered as you sounded concerned.
I have not met any coyotes yet!
Indeed, having visited Halifax a few times before, I noticed there weren’t many animals here. Now, having been in Halifax for 1,5 weeks, this looks like the obvious fact.
There are just a few examples:
I have not seen any squirrels which are ubiquitous in North America in the streets. I had seen a decent number of ground squirrels when I visited the city on the previous occasions, but they inhabited in the parks and forested areas. However, I haven’t encountered any of them in the city.
Butternut Squash Bacon Baked Gnocchi
As per Andrey, he has not seen any skunks since 2016. I confirm this fact; however, having a night walk once, we found some evidence…mmmm…in the air of their existence. Anyway, they look like very shy skunks.
As per Andrey, he has seen raccoons a couple of times. This is good as I like raccoons.
I have not personally spotted, but I know finding a little snake in the parks and even streets can be very possible. This is not good as I am not a huge fan of snakes.
And the most important thing is that I have not found any signs in the parks alerting about coyotes. So there’s little possibility that I won’t meet any of them in the city. Isn’t it sad? :)
Don’t be sad, though. There’s no reason to be sad when you have this Butternut Squash Bacon Baked Gnocchi skillet. It’s packed with flavors and hearty ingredients such as butternut quash pure, onions, bacon, cheddar, mozzarella, pine nuts, and sage. I know sharing such a decadent dish in January might not be the right thing, but I made it a long time ago (before the Christmas season), so I am not guilty.
Cheers,
Notes
havocinthekitchen.com
*To make butternut squash pure, preheat oven to about 180 degrees C. Cut the squash in half. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Bake for about 1 - 1,5 hours depending on its size until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Remove the seeds and other insides and then scoop out the butternut squash. Season to taste and pulse in the kitchen processor. Keep leftovers refrigerated in a container for a few days.
Ingredients
- 600-700 gr. gnocchi
- 2-2,5 cups butternut squash pure*
- 1/2 cream cheese
- 1 cup grated smoked cheddar
- 1/2 cup grated hard/pizza mozzarella
- 4-5 bacon strips, cut in small pieces
- 1 medium red onion, chopped (1 cup chopped)
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- handful of fresh sage + more to garnish
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- pepper and salt to taste
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to about 180-185 degrees C.
- Place the gnocchi in a bowl and add in the boiling water to fully cover them. Leave for 2-3 minutes then drain.
- Place the bacon into a pan and cook 3 minutes over medium heat until fragrant.
- Add in the onions and garlic and cook about 5 minutes until fragrant and soft.
- Stir in the sage, smoked paprika, and spices. Cook few minutes more and off heat.
- Combine the drained gnocchi, butternut squash pure, all cream cheese, 2/3 of smoked cheddar, and 1/4 of mozzarella Try and season more if needed.
- Transfer the mixture into a baking dish or skillet and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar and mozzarella and pine nuts.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and golden. Place under grill if desired a crust.
- Remove from the oven.
- Enjoy!
Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.
No more Coyote fun? That’s disappointing Ben! But I am happy that you are compensating this bad news with this amazing looking gnocchi recipe! I love how hearty and cozy this looks! Yummy!
Congrats on the relocation! Although I am quite sad to hear there won’t be any more crazy animal stories gracing this site. ;) Anyways, i have a serious weakness for gnocchi, so this is totally calling my name! So hearty, comforting and ultimately delicious!! Cheers, friend!
Oh, I love this recipe! It sounds so easy and so delish! Hopefully there are some animals in Halifax you haven’t seen before that are not dangerous! Hope you are enjoying the area and getting settled in well! I look forward to more recipes like this one – it’ll certainly be on my table this week! Thanks!
No more coyote stories!? Ben. I might need you to move back. Or at least go on regular visits back so that you can check on your coyote friend. :-) Also, snakes. I hate snakes. Like they scare the bejesus out of me. But fortunately Kelsie has already confirmed that no poisonous snakes live in your area. Now onto this comfort food deliciousness! I absolutely love gnocchi, and I often order it whenever we go out to an Italian restaurant. I’ve even made a couple different kinds of gnocchi here at home. But I’ve never turned it into a butternut squash bake. This needs to happen! This is my kind of meal right here! If you happen to make it again, then send me some??
I’m glad to hear you won’t be meeting any coyotes in dark alleys, although I’m sorry to hear about the snakes! Although I did a quick google search (who’s looking out for you?) and it looks like there aren’t any snakes that are poisonous in your area. . .so at least that’s good news! Gnocchi is one of my very favorites, and I can’t tell you how much I’m craving this! Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Those squirrels can be scary, Ben. Stay safe! ;)
This dish just screams my name! I love all things butternut squash, and of course, all things BACON! Looks amazing!! Hope you’re getting all settled in!
Oh wow, this is my kind of decadent, Ben! I love gnocchi, but I’ve never made it as a bake, and never with so many delicious thing at once.
I’m sad that there might not be any more tales about coyotes Ben, but maybe if you run into a snake in a local park I might hear a scream from you way over here in Scotland! Fortunately though as you said now is not the time to be sad as we’ve got this delicious butternut squash bacon baked gnocchi to look forward to. I especially like the thought of all that yummy cheese. I bet this tastes excellent!