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Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi in a creamy sauce with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.
Daniel

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi

Creamy, herby meatballs and pillowy gnocchi simmer together for the ultimate hands-off comfort dinner.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 485
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs
  • 1.5 lbs ground chicken
  • 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated, plus more for serving
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 3 cloves garlic minced, divided
  • 1.5 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
For the Sauce
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes oil-packed, drained and chopped
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth low-sodium
  • 0.75 cup heavy cream
  • 5 oz baby spinach about 5 cups, roughly chopped
  • 16 oz refrigerated potato gnocchi 1 package, uncooked

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker (6-quart or larger)
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Rimmed Baking Sheet

Method
 

Prep the Meatballs
  1. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, panko, Parmesan, egg, half the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined - do not overwork. Roll into 18 meatballs, about 1.5 inches each. They will be soft; that's normal.
Build the Sauce Base
  1. Scatter sun-dried tomatoes and remaining garlic across the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth. Gently nestle meatballs in a single layer - they can touch but should not be stacked.
Slow Cook
  1. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours, until meatballs are cooked through and reach 165 degrees F internally. They will look pale; we fix that next.
Finish the Dish
  1. Stir in heavy cream and chopped spinach. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes until spinach wilts and sauce turns creamy and slightly thickened.
  2. Add gnocchi directly to the slow cooker, stirring gently to submerge. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until gnocchi are tender and pillowy. The sauce will look thin at first but thickens as the gnocchi release starch.
  3. Turn off heat and let stand uncovered for 5 minutes to thicken further. Taste and adjust salt. Serve in shallow bowls with extra Parmesan and cracked black pepper.

Notes

For deeper flavor, quickly sear the meatballs in a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side before adding to the slow cooker - this step is optional but worth it if you have 10 extra minutes. Substitute half-and-half for heavy cream if needed, though the sauce will be less rich. The dish keeps well refrigerated for 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.