I was on the hunt for a gnocchi bake that didn't require me to boil the gnocchi and cook the chicken ahead of time and found that it didn't exist!
So I set out to create a recipe that checked all of my boxes... and I nailed it! There is NO PREP, NO PRE COOKING and NO DISHES (well one dish) involved here. The only prep involved is dumping all of the ingredients in, raw and frozen, and they all get cozy and cook together in the sauce.
For this recipe I used one package of #traderjoes cauliflower gnocchi.
This variety comes frozen and I added it frozen. The chicken I diced into pretty small bite sized pieces and added that in raw. I opted for some spring vegetables- zucchini, summer squash and cherry tomatoes but feel free to mix these up as you prefer! I like a lot of sauce, make your own or use your favorite store bought variety! I prefer #raos marinara as it's made with good quality ingredients and no added sugar. The gnocchi bake comes together with cheese of course! Topped with thin slices of fresh #galbani mozzarella but shredded would be delicious and more "lasagna like" if you're into that.
Have you seen a more beautiful before and after shot?
This recipe is portioned for 2-3 servings, personally I served it as 2 servings and reflected that in the nutrition facts but I know some don't share my appetite so it could definitely serve up to 3! This was made in a smaller casserole dish, 7x11. I included cook time or ingredients variations you could use to make it in a 9x13 dish!
The key step here is to ensure the chickens doneness, but don't worry, since the chicken is diced into small pieces there should be no issues getting those tasty bites to cook in the bubbling marinara.
I thought you might need a close up of perfection.
No Prep One Dish Chicken and Gnocchi Bake
2-3 Servings | Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
1 package #traderjoes cauliflower gnocchi
6-8 oz raw chicken breast, diced (8-10 oz for 3 servings)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup diced summer squash
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup milk, I used unsweetened original almond milk
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced or shredded
Salt and Pepper
Fresh basil and grated parmesan, for topping
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray until evenly coated (see notes for sizing).
Pour in the marinara and milk and stir to combine.
Dice the chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
Add gnocchi, tomatoes, vegetables and chicken to the dish and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Use the back of the spoon to roughly submerge everything in the sauce.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take it out, remove the foil and top with mozzarella cheese. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, for another 20-25 minutes. The chicken should now be fully cooked and the sauce will be bubbling.
If you want to brown the top of the cheese, for the last few minutes, turn the oven on to broil.
Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before eating as it will be very hot. You can cover it with foil for this if you prefer.
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Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used. Nutrition facts are based on using 7 oz of chicken and broken into 2 servings. For a lighter version, increase the protein and split it into 3 servings.
