Description
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken meatballs seared to perfection, then slow-cooked in a savory Tuscan-inspired sauce with sundried tomatoes, garlic, and spinach. Finished with creamy gnocchi and grated Parmesan, this easy-to-make recipe yields a delicious and hearty meal perfect for family dinners.
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 or fresh)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 12 oz gnocchi (shelf stable, fresh or frozen can be substituted)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes
- 2 cups spinach
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except the sundried tomato oil. Mix with a clean hand or spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix to keep the meatballs tender.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the mixture into small meatballs about 1½ tablespoons each (approximately 35-40 meatballs). Using a #60 cookie scoop can help maintain uniform size.
- Sear Meatballs: Heat 2 tablespoons sundried tomato oil in a medium pan. Sear the meatballs until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary. Meatballs do not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
- Prepare Slow Cooker: Place the seared meatballs, diced onion, minced garlic, white wine, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chicken broth into your slow cooker (Magnifique Clay Pot Oven or other brand).
- Slow Cook Meatballs: Cover and cook on high slow cook setting for 20 minutes with the Magnifique Clay Pot Oven or 3 hours on a standard slow cooker until meatballs reach 160°F internally.
- Add Gnocchi and Cream: Once meatballs are done, add the gnocchi, heavy cream, and sundried tomatoes to the slow cooker. Select the pasta setting on the Magnifique Clay Pot Oven and cook 10-20 minutes until gnocchi is tender, or continue cooking on slow cook setting for 20 minutes on other slow cookers.
- Add Spinach and Cheese: Stir in fresh spinach and grated Parmesan cheese, cooking until spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes.
- Rest and Thicken: Let the dish rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld.
- Serve: Serve the Tuscan chicken meatballs and gnocchi in bowls, topped with extra Parmesan cheese as desired. Enjoy your comforting meal!
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or beef for ground chicken to vary the flavors.
- If using Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, reduce Italian seasoning in the mixture by 1 teaspoon.
- Use fresh minced garlic for best flavor; jarred minced garlic can be substituted at 1 clove = 1 teaspoon.
- Reserve sundried tomato oil for searing meatballs or substitute with olive oil if needed.
- Yellow onion can be added directly to the slow cooker without pre-cooking.
- Use cooking wine or fresh white wine interchangeably.
- Add heavy cream only near the end to avoid curdling.
- Gnocchi can be shelf stable, fresh, or frozen; add only when the recipe calls for it to prevent mushiness.
- Spinach is optional but adds color and nutrition.
- Do not overmix meatball mixture to avoid tough meatballs.
- Deglaze the searing pan with wine and add the liquid to the slow cooker for extra flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
