Gnocchi with Baby Portobellos in Alfredo Sauce
So you ask what is gnocchi? Well I will tell you, it is a little piece of creamy, potatoey goodness rolled into a dumpling that you can find in the freezer section of your favorite grocery store or if you're lucky maybe even fresh, but this will most likely cost quite a bit more.
I was so happy the day I was introduced to these adorable little dumplings. I would love to try my hand at making them from scratch some day but until then I will be satisfied with picking up a bag of these cute little morsels out of the freezer and making wonderful inexpensive meals with them....so let me introduce you to:
Gnocchi with Baby Portobellos in Alfredo Sauce
In my opinion this rivals anything you could get at Olive Garden and your whole meal will cost under $10 versus $13 a plate. It also is a snap to prepare, so on our Friday evening date night, I was able to have this prepared in 20 minutes, warming in the oven and getting dressed to go by 5:00. We were able to sit down, enjoy a nice dinner, leave the dishes for the kids (thanks kids!) and have plenty of time to get to our movie. The savings justified lux level movie tickets and a martini, without feeling guilty and we didn't have to sit in the lobby of a restaurant with 40 other people hoping to get a seat. What more could you ask for?
Gnocchi with Baby Portobellos in Alfredo Sauce-adapted from Taste of Home
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
1 2 lb bag of frozen potato gnocchi (Kroger only caries a bag that is 1 lb. 8 oz. works fine though) ($4.79)
1 package or 1/2lb baby portobello mushrooms, sliced (or you can buy whole baby portobellos and slice yourself, cheaper) ($2.19)
4 Tbs butter (divided) (.25)
1 Tbs and 1 1/2 tsp. flour (PI)
1 1/2 cups milk (.18)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (please get the fresh if you can, the canned powdered variety is just not the same) (.55)
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (PI)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (PI)
grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley to garnish (.20)
Directions:
Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Whisk in flour until smooth and for approximately 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a low boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese and nutmeg until blended. Cover to keep warm.
Drain gnocchi. In a large heavy skillet, cook remaining butter over medium heat until golden brown (do not burn). Add mushrooms, saute for 1-2 minutes. Add in gnocchi and stir until 4-5 minutes until gnocchi are lightly browned and mushrooms are tender.
Stir in alfredo sauce and gently coat the gnocchi and mushrooms. Transfer to a platter or bowl, or serve from skillet. Sprinkle with a additional parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Total Cost: $8.16
Enjoy!
