Description
Creamy chicken with gnocchi and bacon brings together tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, and crispy bacon in a rich sauce that tastes restaurant-quality but comes together on your weeknight dinner table. Simple ingredients transform into something special when you let the cream sauce do its thing, coating every bite with flavor you and your family will actually want seconds of.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins and Seasonings:
- 6 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Base and Aromatics:
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
Sauce and Main Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chicken bone broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 2 cups roughly chopped kale
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400°F, then season your 6 chicken breasts or thighs with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Combine 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, and 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves in a shallow bowl, then coat your chicken pieces evenly in this mixture.
- Cook 4 slices thick-cut bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes until crispy, stirring in 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary during the last minute, then transfer your bacon to a plate.
- Melt 1 tablespoon salted butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat, then sear your floured chicken for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Add 1 tablespoon more salted butter to the skillet and let it brown around your chicken for 2 minutes, then remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Stir 1 tablespoon remaining salted butter into the skillet along with 2 chopped shallots, 6 chopped garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, salt, and pepper, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in 1/2 cup chicken bone broth and simmer for 5 minutes at medium heat.
- Stir 1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream into your broth, then add 2 cups roughly chopped kale and 1 pound potato gnocchi, letting everything cook for 5 minutes at medium heat until your gnocchi begin floating.
- Return your chicken to the skillet, sprinkle 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese over everything, then transfer the skillet to your 400°F oven for 10 minutes until the sauce bubbles around the chicken.
- Top your creamy chicken with the crispy bacon pieces and serve directly from the skillet.
Notes
- Don’t skip the browning step on the bacon and chicken – those golden, crispy bits create deep flavor that makes the entire dish taste better.
- Stir the gnocchi gently once it hits the pan since it can break apart if you’re too rough, and watch for them to float as your signal they’re ready.
- If heavy cream isn’t your thing, try half-and-half or a mix of cream and chicken broth to lighten things up while keeping the dish creamy.
- The kale adds nutrition and texture, but swap it for spinach or skip it entirely if that fits better with what your family enjoys eating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 32-34 minutes
- Category: Baked Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 446 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 460 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg