Description
Tender Tuscan-style chicken meatballs slow cooked in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with spinach and pillowy gnocchi. A comforting Italian-inspired dish finished with parmesan, lemon, and fresh basil.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (stored in oil), finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (stored in oil), julienned
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup half and half cream
- 1 cup frozen spinach (or 3 cups fresh spinach)
- 500 g ready to cook gnocchi
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil, for serving
- Lemon juice, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, finely chopped sun dried tomatoes, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Mix with your hands until fully combined and form the mixture into 16 equal meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and sear about 2 minutes per side until browned on the outside (they do not need to be fully cooked).
- Transfer the seared meatballs to a slow cooker. Add diced onion, chicken broth, garlic, and tomato paste. Cover and cook on high for 2.5 hours.
- After 2.5 hours, stir in the julienned sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, half and half cream, spinach, gnocchi, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese.
- Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes until the gnocchi are tender and the sauce is creamy.
- Serve topped with extra parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
- If using frozen spinach, it can be added directly without thawing.
- Fresh spinach can be substituted with about 3 cups and will wilt during cooking.
- For extra richness, replace half and half with heavy cream.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg
