This dish is seriously sensational! I love combining different meals into one dish and if I can compact leftovers into as well, then that makes it even more perfect! My favorite thing about this meal is that you taste so many different flavor combinations in only one bite.. which is something I enjoy very much about creating food. This gnocchi is basically like merging bacon macaroni and cheese, and sloppy joes into an incredible Italian plate of potato pasta and who wouldn’t love that?! Yes, Diamonds if you didn’t know.. gnocchi is a fluffy, pillowy thick ball of pasta made mostly out of potatoes and flour. It’s such a delicious treat that’s super super filling, so if you’re planning on making this for dinner.. make sure you keep it a little light for lunch!

• In a sauté pan over medium-low heat cook four strips of bacon until it’s nice and crispy.
• Once the bacon is fully cooked remove it from the pan with most of the leftover grease.
• Add two tablespoons of butter and two teaspoons of freshly chopped garlic into the pan.
• Let the butter fully melt and throw in one chopped white onion, and 1/2 of a red and green bell pepper.
• Cook the veggies until they become translucent and begin to brown.

While you are building your deliciously cheesy and barbecued meat sauce.. make sure you have water boiling to cook the gnocchi. Do not cook the gnocchi too early because it will only take three or so minutes to cook.

• Add 1/3 cup of sherry cooking wine over the veggies to deglaze the pan.
• Then add 1/2 cup of milk or cream. Whichever you prefer or have on hand.
• Toss in the left over ground beef barbecue with 1/2 block of cream cheese, sea salt, paprika, and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
• Lastly, add in half of the chopped up bacon that you cooked earlier.
• Let this creamy, meaty sauce come together for five minutes to allow everything marry.

Now for some more cheesy goodness because what would this dish really be without it? 😉

• Once the gnocchi is perfectly cooked.. transfer them immediately from the boiling water into the yummy sauce!
• Whenever I’m creating a pasta dish I always add the cheese directly on top of the warm pasta so that it can easily stick to it. That way your pasta dish is always wonderfully cheesy and flavorful.
• I tossed in 1/2 cup of mixed white and orange cheddar cheeses, the rest of the chopped bacon, and finally to finish it off.. a generous helping of parmesan cheese. I really don’t make any type of pasta dish without incorporating parmesan cheese. It makes everything taste so much better and almost saltier if you will, without adding more salt to the recipe.

You are more than welcome to serve this with a vinegary green salad to add contrast to your meal, indulge in some bread and butter on the side, or just scoop a bountiful helping into a big bowl for yourself! You’ll be sent into carb heaven and want to take a cozy nap as soon as you finish your last bite! This is truly such a comforting, easy week night meal to throw together in less than a half hour, but tastes like you paid $28.00 for it at some fancy tuscan restaurant. Once again.. the best part about this gnocchi is that you turned the leftovers you had the night before into something completely brand new. If you don’t tell that one family member who hates leftovers what this consists of.. they’ll never know and he/she will absolutely be asking for this pasta time and time again!

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XOXO