Baked Chicken Gnocchi with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
Golden, crispy-skinned chicken thighs baked over pillowy gnocchi in a garlic Parmesan cream sauce with spinach and melted mozzarella. A cozy one-dish dinner.
Equipment
- Oven
- Large skillet
- Wire whisk
- 9x13-inch baking dish or braiser
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 2½ lb
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning divided
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 2 cups baby spinach chopped
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb shelf-stable potato gnocchi one 16-oz package, uncooked
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- oil for greasing the dish
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish or large braiser.
- Season the chicken. Pat the thighs dry and season all over with half of the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Sear the chicken. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the thighs skin side down until the skin is deep golden, 5 to 6 minutes, then flip and cook 2 minutes more. Set aside.
- Wilt the spinach. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the same skillet. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until it just wilts, about 2 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and remaining Italian seasoning and simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and Parmesan and simmer until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble. Spread the uncooked gnocchi in the baking dish, pour the spinach cream sauce over it and stir to coat. Nestle the chicken thighs in skin side up so the skin sits above the sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the gnocchi, keeping it off the chicken skin.
- Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (175°F for the most tender thighs), the gnocchi are tender and the cheese is golden.
- Rest and serve. Let rest for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens, then garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
No need to boil the gnocchi: Shelf-stable gnocchi cook right in the sauce as the dish bakes.
Crispy skin: Keep the skin above the sauce and the cheese off the skin. For extra crunch, broil for the last 2 minutes and watch closely.
Make ahead: Assemble up to the baking step, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time.
Nutrition per serving (estimated): 633 kcal · 41g fat (19g saturated) · 31g carbohydrates · 2g fiber · 1g sugar · 31g protein · 761mg sodium · 181mg cholesterol. Calculated from the ingredients listed, excluding salt to taste; treat as an estimate.