Description
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken meatballs simmered in a creamy sundried tomato sauce with tender gnocchi and fresh spinach. Perfect for an easy and satisfying meal with minimal hands-on time using a slow cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatball Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp sundried tomato oil
Sauce + Gnocchi Ingredients
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup white wine (cooking wine acceptable)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 12 oz shelf stable gnocchi
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes
- 2 cups spinach
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare Meatball Mixture. In a medium bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, egg, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hand or a spoon until just combined to avoid tough meatballs.
- Form Meatballs. Shape the mixture into small meatballs about 1½ tablespoons each, yielding approximately 35-40 meatballs. Use a #60 cookie scoop if available for uniformity.
- Sear Meatballs. Heat 2 tablespoons of sundried tomato oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on both sides for about 3-4 minutes per side in batches. They do not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
- Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker. Transfer the seared meatballs to the slow cooker along with diced onion, minced garlic, white wine, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.
- Slow Cook Meatballs. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes if using a Magnifique Clay Pot Oven, or cook on standard slow cooker HIGH setting for 3 hours, until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Add Gnocchi and Cream. Stir in gnocchi, heavy cream, and sundried tomatoes. Cover and continue cooking: on Pasta setting for 10-20 minutes in the Magnifique Clay Pot Oven or an additional 20 minutes on the standard slow cooker HIGH setting until gnocchi is tender and heated through.
- Add Spinach and Parmesan. Mix in fresh spinach and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes.
- Rest the Dish. Remove the lid and let the dish rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld.
- Serve. Spoon the meatballs, gnocchi, and sauce into bowls, topping with extra Parmesan cheese to taste. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- Ground Chicken: Substitute ground turkey or beef if preferred.
- Breadcrumbs: Use plain or Italian seasoned breadcrumbs; adjust Italian seasoning accordingly. Panko breadcrumbs also work.
- Parmesan Cheese: High-quality grated Parmesan is best for thickening and flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is recommended over pre-minced jarred garlic for better flavor.
- Sundried Tomatoes: Save and use the oil for searing meatballs; olive oil can be used as an alternative.
- Onion: Add raw diced onion directly to the slow cooker; it will soften during cooking.
- White Wine: Cooking wine or fresh white wine both work well.
- Heavy Cream: Add late in cooking to avoid curdling.
- Gnocchi: Can use fresh or frozen gnocchi as alternatives to shelf stable.
- Spinach: Adds color and nutrients but is optional.
- Avoid overmixing meatball mixture to keep them tender.
- Deglaze pan with wine after searing meatballs for extra flavor if desired.
- Do not add gnocchi during initial cooking to prevent it from becoming mushy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
