Description
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken meatballs simmered in a rich Tuscan-inspired sauce with sundried tomatoes, spinach, and creamy Parmesan. With the convenience of slow cooking, this recipe delivers a hearty meal perfect for family dinners, combining the goodness of Italian herbs, garlic, and gnocchi in a luscious sauce that thickens beautifully after a short resting period.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meatball Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp sundried tomato oil
Sauce + Gnocchi Ingredients
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white wine (cooking wine or fresh)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 12 oz gnocchi (shelf stable, can substitute with fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients except for the sundried tomato oil. Mix thoroughly using a clean hand or spoon until evenly combined.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the chicken mixture into small meatballs using about 1½ tablespoons per meatball, or use a #60 cookie scoop for consistency. This should yield approximately 35-40 meatballs.
- Sear Meatballs: Heat 2 tablespoons of sundried tomato oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary. Meatballs don’t need to be fully cooked through at this point.
- Prepare Slow Cooker: Transfer the seared meatballs into your slow cooker (such as the Magnifique Clay Pot Oven). Add diced yellow onion, minced garlic, white wine, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.
- Slow Cook Meatballs: Cover and cook on HIGH heat for about 20 minutes if using the Magnifique Clay Pot Oven, or 3 hours on a standard slow cooker, until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Add Gnocchi and Cream: When meatballs are cooked, add gnocchi, heavy cream, and sundried tomatoes to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on the Pasta setting for 10-20 minutes with a Magnifique Clay Pot Oven, or an additional 20 minutes on slow cook with other slow cooker brands, until gnocchi is tender and heated through.
- Add Spinach and Parmesan: Stir in fresh spinach and grated Parmesan cheese to the slow cooker. Mix well until the spinach wilts.
- Rest and Thicken: Allow the dish to rest for 10-15 minutes to let the sauce thicken.
- Serve: Portion into individual bowls and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese as desired. Enjoy your warm and hearty Tuscan chicken meatballs with gnocchi!
Notes
- Recipe Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.
- You can substitute ground chicken with ground turkey or beef for a variant.
- If using Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, reduce added Italian seasoning in the meatball mix accordingly.
- Use high-quality grated Parmesan for optimum flavor and sauce thickness.
- Fresh minced garlic is highly recommended to maximize flavor over jarred garlic.
- Reserve and use sundried tomato oil for searing the meatballs to enhance flavor; olive oil can be used if unavailable.
- The yellow onion cooks directly in the slow cooker, no pre-cooking necessary.
- The white wine can be cooking wine or regular bottled wine.
- Do not add heavy cream with the meatballs; add it later to prevent curdling.
- You can use frozen or fresh gnocchi instead of shelf-stable gnocchi if preferred.
- Spinach adds color and nutrition but is optional.
- Avoid overmixing the meatball mixture to prevent toughness.
- For extra flavor, deglaze the searing pan with wine and add the liquid to the slow cooker.
- Add gnocchi only when instructed to avoid mushy texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/6th of the recipe)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
