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One Pot Chicken Gnocchi is the ultimate of fall/winter dinners. Not only does it epitomize comfort food with plump gnocchi, tender veggies, and a creamy sauce, but it comes together in 30 minutes or less.
ONE POT CHICKEN GNOCCHI
If comfort food could be portrayed in one single dish, it would hands-down be One Pot Chicken Gnocchi. It’s creamy. It’s hearty. And it most definitely needs to be in your dinner rotation this winter.
This easy weeknight meal shares all of the same fundamentals as classic chicken noodle soup, but in cozy one pot gnocchi form. And I’m here for it.
We simmer store-bought gnocchi and veggies in chicken broth, white wine, and milk until the gnocchi are plump and the veggies are tender. A little flour helps to thicken everything up, and sharp cheddar cheese, well, we all know what wondeful things that does to EVERYTHING.
Serve with crusty bread because you are going to want to soak up every last drop.
INGREDIENTS IN ONE POT CHICKEN GNOCCHI
Veggies. We all know the classic veggies in chicken noodle soup – carrots, celery, and onion – so that’s what we stick with here. In addition to those key players, I also add in hearty cremini mushrooms to the mix. They add a little bit of earthiness I really love.
The broth. I also try to use some sort of X factor in my chicken noodle soups. In our creamy version, it’s dry sherry, and here it’s dry white wine. Wine adds a nice acidic note, and also quite a bit of flavor.
We also use low-sodium chicken to cook the gnocchi, and a little bit of milk for the creamy factor.
Seasoning. We keep the seasonings minimal with fresh thyme, garlic, and plenty of salt. If you only have dried thyme on hand, no problem.
The thickener. To create a sauce opposed to a broth, we mix the milk with a little bit of flour before adding it to the broth. Once it simmers for a few minutes, it thickens up nicely.
Cheese. Ok, so admittedly, cheese brings on a little ‘gild the lily’ situation, but I stand by my decision to add a little bit of extra sharp the end. #worthit
LET’S MAKE CHICKEN GNOCCHI
Prep the veggies. If you’re like me and eat with your eyes, I would try to cut the carrots and celery on a bias so they’re showcased beautifully. Obviously this is not required, but that’s what I do.
Brown the mushrooms. I like to cook the mushrooms separately so they brown up a bit. If you add them at the same time as the carrots and other veggies, they will just steam. Heat a little bit of butter in the a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms. Toss them in the butter and let the brown.
Sauté the veggies. Once the mushrooms have a nice brown sear to them, add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and thyme along with al little bit more butter. Cook them for a few minutes until they start to soften.
Deglaze the pan. Add a little bit of dry white wine to the pan. If there are any brown bits at the bottom of the pan, use a wooden spoon to scrape them up. Reduce the wine a bit.
Simmer the gnocchi. Stir in the chicken stock and gnocchi. Bring everything up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for a few minutes. Gnocchi takes virtually no time to cook and we are going to continue to cook it more later, so be sure you don’t let it simmer too long.
Thicken the sauce. Whisk milk with flour. Stir in the chicken. Once the chicken has warmed through, stir in the milk and flour mixture. Bring a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce has thickened up nicely. It usually takes 2-3 minutes.
Finish it off! Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and frozen peas. Continue to keep the chicken gnocchi on low until the cheese has melted and the peas are hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Can I make Chicken Gnocchi ahead of time?
Yes! Cook from start to finish. Cool completely and store either in the pan you cooked everything in or in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat, gently reheat on the stove, or if you don’t want to dirty up any dishes, the microwave.
You may have to add a little bit more liquid to loosen the sauce up again.
What to serve with Chicken Gnocchi
- We were satisfied with a crusty French baguette, but garlic bread would also be delicious.
- I’m always looking for a little freshness when eating something creamy and comforting, and this classic Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad is a favorite.
- We also love this Artichoke Salad and this easy Tuscan Salad (we get everything at the salad bar!).
SUBSTITUTIONS AND TIPS AND TRICKS FOR RECIPE SUCCESS
- Omit the chicken and double up on the veggies for a meat-free version of chicken gnocchi.
- For a taste similar to chicken tetrazzini, swap out the white wine for dry sherry.
- Don’t cook the gnocchi for too long in the broth, just a few minutes as it will cook again with the milk later.
- Swap out fresh thyme for dry, use 1/2 teaspoon. Fresh rosemary would also be a nice addition.
- Use 1/2 and 1/2, heavy cream, or any type of milk.
- For extra indulgence, add a splash of heavy cream at the end.
OTHER COZY ONE POT DISHES YOU’LL LOVE
- Our One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta with Meatballs is a spin on classic spaghetti and meatballs, but made in one pot! Definitely a favorite in our house.
- Skillet Lasagna! Need I say more?
- I’d be remiss to not include our One Pot Mexican Pasta. All the flavors of a chicken enchilada in pasta form.
PRETTY THINGS/TOOLS USED
One Pot Chicken Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 4 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 lb packaged gnocchi
- 1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup whole or 2% milk (you can also use 1/2 and 1/2 or cream)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp heavy cream (optional)
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Equipment
- large pot
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over a medium heat. Add one tablespoons of butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms. Saute mushrooms until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon of butter, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute until veggies are slightly softend, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add white wine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half. Stir in chicken stock. Add gnocchi . Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until they start to float.
- While gnocchi simmer. Whisk milk with flour. After the gnocchi simmers for 2-3 minutes, stir in chicken. Once the chicken is warmed through, stir in milk and flour mixture along with remaining salt and sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until the sauce has thickened, it should take 2-3 minutes. If needed, add a little bit more milk or heavy cream if you have it on hand, to loosen up the sauce.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese and frozen peas. Stir until the cheese has melted and the peas are hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper, Serve with crusty bread.
Susan says
What brand gnocchi did you use? I haven’t found one that’s great.
Sabrina says
a great alternative as you write to full blown chicken noodle, at least for my recipe (takes too long) so really like the one pot weeknight option with basically the same ingredients, thank you!
Birdie says
Made this after Thanksgiving with leftover turkey instead of chicken. It was creamy and delicious, and the one-pot cooking was super easy without tons of cleanup. I’ll be making this one again!
Dennis says
This sounds great. Silly question maybe, when you say “thyme – leaves removed” are you saying that you are only using the spines or only using the leaves?
Nicole says
No question is silly! Use the leaves, discard the stems.
Dennis says
Made it last night – delicious recipe… Next time I’d add a bit more liquid.