Boursin, Bacon and Broccoli Gnocchi

Our family loves some good gnocchi. While some of the boys picked out the broccoli, I think this recipe was a hit. Here is the original recipe: https://www.dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk/boursin-bacon-and-broccoli-gnocchi/

Boursin, Bacon and Broccoli Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 250g / 9oz Broccoli, sliced into small bite-sized pieces (weight is of the sliced broccoli)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper, plus more as needed
• 150g / 5.3oz bacon, diced
• 2 small Shallots, finely diced
• 180ml / 3/4 cup low-salt Chicken Stock (see notes)
• 1x 150g/5.3oz block of Garlic & Herb Boursin Cheese, leave at room temp
• 60ml / 1/4 cup Single Cream/Half & Half, leave at room temp
• 20g / 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 500g / 1lb uncooked Gnocchi (see notes)
• 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, to serve (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 390F. Add the broccoli to a small baking tray and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly charred and fork tender (timings will vary so just be vigilant).
2. Meanwhile, add the bacon to a large pan over medium heat and fry until crispy with the fat rendered down. Remove the bacon and place to one side, leaving the excess fat in the pan. Add the shallots and fry until soft and golden.
3. Pour in the stock then stir in the Boursin until it melts. Stir in the cream and parmesan, then gently simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
4. During this time bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it into the sauce. Stir to coat the gnocchi in the sauce, then stir in the bacon and broccoli. Turn the heat to low and gently stir for another minute or so until the sauce re-thickens. If it over-thickens at any point just stir in a splash of the leftover gnocchi water.
5. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed, then serve with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Sundried Tomato Gnocchi

I used half a bottle of sundried tomatoes in another recipe and needed to find a way to use up the rest of the bottle. When I came across this recipe, it was perfect and so yummy! Enjoy

Sundried Tomato Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion (I used a handful of pre-chopped frozen onion)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 16 oz pkg gnocchi
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup cooked chicken (optional)
• 2 cups spinach (optional)
• parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. To your hot pan, add your onion, garlic and sundried tomatoes (you don't need to add oil to the pan for the onions if you are using the oil from the sundried tomatoes. 
2. Once the onion is softened and browning, add your broth and gnocchi. 
3. Let it cook for a couple of minutes until the gnocchi is tender (doesn't take long). 
4. Then add your cream, chicken and spinach. 
5. Continue cooking until the chicken is heated through and the spinach is wilted and tender. Top with parmesan.

Marsha's Notes:

• I cooked my onion for several minutes alone and then added the garlic and tomatoes just to make sure the garlic didn't get bitter. 
• I also wished in hind-sight that I would have chopped up my sundried tomatoes just a bit before adding to the pan because some of the pieces were a little big.
• Because my sundried tomatoes were packaged in oil and herbs, I didn't feel like this dish needed any extra seasonings (or oil for the pan), but you can certainly add some Italian seasoning, salt or pepper if you think it needs it.
• For extra protein and veggies, you can add the chicken (or any other meat you like, such as ground Italian sausage or sausage links) and spinach (or any other veggies you like, such as broccoli or maybe peas), but I didn't bother with either and enjoyed the dish very much just the same.
• Lastly, I didn't want to have extra heavy cream sitting around, so I dumped the entire 1 cup container into my pan and have zero regrets about it. It was maybe a little bit wetter and sauce-ier initially (which was fine), but it made for great leftovers that I didn't think really need any extra liquid added. But you do you.

Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This soup turned out super yummy, but I think I loved the leftovers even more than when it was fresh. It called for a slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken, but I didn't notice that it helped thicken the soup at all initially... so I even poured the soup out of my cock pot boil it on the stove to try to "activate" the cornstarch to try to make the soup thicken, and that didn't seem to help... but when we pulled out the leftovers and heated them, it was the perfect consistency! So... I wouldn't worry too much about the soup being "thick" initially because then it would probably congeal and get too thick for leftovers. Hope that makes sense. Just put the slurry in... it does what it does... and then let it be.

For the original recipe, click here:

https://www.nourish-and-fete.com/crockpot-chicken-gnocchi-soup/

Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 1 small onion chopped
• 3-4 medium carrots peeled and chopped, run through the Salad Shooter
• 1-2 stalks celery chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10-12 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 12 ounce cans evaporated milk
• 1 1 lb. package potato gnocchi (mini if you can find them)
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach, opt.
• 4 slices cooked bacon optional, to serve

Directions:

1. Place the raw chicken, chopped onion, carrots, celery, minced garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large crockpot or slow cooker. Pour chicken stock or broth on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. (You can also add your bacon now if you want more bacon flavor in your soup, or you can have more mild bacon flavor by garnishing at the end.)
2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to make a thick slurry. Scrape that into the crockpot, along with both cans of evaporated milk and the gnocchi. Stir well to combine, then re-cover the crockpot and cook for another 20-30 minutes or longer. The soup should be slightly thickened (maybe); the gnocchi, tender.
3. Just before serving, stir in the spinach, if you are using it, and let it wilt for 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper or garlic salt, as desired. Serve with crumbled cooked bacon or fresh herbs for garnish. Enjoy!

Potato Gnocchi

I found this recipe years ago and am now copying it here from our family cookbook binder. Enjoy!

Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 ½ tsp. salt, divided
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups flour
• 3 quarts water
• spaghetti sauce, warmed

Directions:

1. Place potatoes in a sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain and mash.  
2. Place 2 cups mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl (save any remaining mashed potatoes for another use).  Stir in egg and 1 tsp. salt.  Gradually beat in flour until blended (dough will be firm and elastic).  
3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 15 times.  Roll into ½ inch wide ropes.  Cut ropes into 1 inch pieces.  Press down with a lightly floured fork for decoration if desired.  
4. In a large pan, bring water and remaining salt to a boil.  Add gnocchi in small batches; cook for 8-10 minutes or until gnocchi float to the top and are cooked through.  Remove with a slotted spoon.  Serve immediately with spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese.

Marsha's Loaded Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake

We love gnocchi's at our house, so when I saw this recipe, I just HAD to try it. And I wasn't disappointed. I made some adjustments to the Inside Bru Crew Life recipe (found here) so now it's a "Marsha's Version." Enjoy!

Marsha's Loaded Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake

Ingredients:

• 3 cups gnocchi (2 sleeves if using prepackaged)
• 1/2 bag frozen broccoli
• 2 cups cooked chicken (2 large cans if using store bought canned)
• 1/2 cup crumbled bacon
• 2 15 oz jars Alfredo sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions (typically, add to boiling water and when they float, they are done) and drain. 
2. Stir together gnocchi, broccoli, chicken, bacon and Alfredo sauce. 
3. Spoon into casserole dish. 
4. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes. 
5. Turn oven to broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. Serve.

Marsha's Notes:
I have a couple of notes written on my recipe. 

First, I have written down that this recipe would be even yummier if you used a fresh, homemade Alfredo sauce (like this one) but leftovers wouldn't reheat as nicely because homemade Alfredo tends to split when reheated. The first time I made this, it must have been dry because I have written down to use the TWO jars of sauce suggested above, instead of the single jar from the original recipe. But I like my pastas to have plenty of sauce. You may want to just use one or one and a half jars. 

Depending on the texture of the chicken you are going for and how much time you have, it would also be yummy to use fresh chicken that you dice, season, and then cook off in a pan before you make this recipe. 

Lastly, frozen broccoli can release a lot of water when it thaws and cooks, so the more you add the wetter it all becomes. But all the proportions in this recipe can be adjusted to your taste. Want more broccoli, go for it! Want more bacon, why not?!