Sweet Potato Gnocchi (again)

Browned Butter is what The Gods eat on Mount Olympus, I’m telling you.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Sage
I don’t know who invented browned butter, but if I ever meet them, I’m going to kiss them on the mouth. Really. There is nothing in the world that smells as good or adds as much flavor to a dish as browned butter. Except, for maybe bacon. Mmmm…bacon. Seriously, though – trust me..anything that can be favorably compared to bacon? Well, it’s pretty freakin’ awesome.
So, I’ve made these gnocchi before, but they do rate another photo. Yes, they’re a bit of a pain to make, but you can do it in steps. When you’re in the kitchen one day, you can cook the sweet potatoes. Peel and mash them, then you can refrigerate or freeze (as I did) them until you’re ready to make the gnocchi. If you REALLY want to break it down, you could even make the dough one day and the gnocchi another. The recipe makes a TON, so you can even make the gnocchi ahead and freeze them, then toss them directly into boiling water from the freezer when you’re ready to eat them. I think the sauce would even freeze – just microwave it a bit to re-melt it and it would be good to go.
So…they are a bit of work, but it can be done ahead and/or in stages. Ya’ll know that I don’t repeat many recipes, so if I’m not only cooking them twice, but BLOGGING them twice, they are something special. These are VERY rich. So rich, that they could stand alone as a dinner or, if you serve a very small portion, as an appetizer. No meat is necessary with these – they are LOADED with cheese and can totally stand alone.
These are worth the effort – no question, but hurry up, because they’re definitely a heavy, rich cold-weather dish.