Gradual Cooker Tuscan Hen Meatballs with Gnocchi

Gradual Cooker Tuscan Hen Meatballs with Gnocchi combines tender Tuscan hen meatballs with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and pillowy potato gnocchi—all in a creamy sauce. It’s a lightened-up twist on an Italian basic for 6 Factors a serving.

This hearty and comforting meal is simple to make, wealthy in flavors, and is bound to please a crowd. For extra wholesome and and delicous meal concepts, flick through our Weight Watchers dinner recipes, soup recipes, and wholesome desserts!

Why do you have to attempt Gradual Cooker Tuscan Hen Meatballs with Gnocchi?

This dish isn’t simply scrumptious; it’s a flavorful escape that satisfies on a number of ranges. Right here’s why Gradual Cooker Tuscan Hen Meatballs with Gnocchi deserves a spot in your meal plan:

• Wealthy Layers of Taste: From the creamy sauce to the savory hen meatballs, and that contact of sun-dried tomatoes, this recipe packs in daring, comforting flavors. The gnocchi soaks up the sauce, which makes them even higher.
• A Satisfying Meal: That is a kind of recipes that doesn’t really feel like “food plan meals.” It’s indulgent and leaves you feeling absolutely glad. The style and presentation give a break from typical low-calorie meals, so it’s price savoring each level.
• Straightforward, Set-It-and-Overlook-It Cooking: With minimal prep, this sluggish cooker meal can simmer away by itself, permitting the flavors to mix completely whereas liberating you as much as deal with different duties.
• Crowd-Pleasing Italian Consolation: The mixture of creamy gnocchi and juicy meatballs is prone to be successful with everybody. In the event you’re serving household or pals, this meal has each the flavour and the visible attraction to impress.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Prepare dinner Time: 3 hours (on excessive setting)

Servings: 6

Serving Measurement: 1 portion (roughly 1 cup or 200 g)

6 WW Factors Per Serving. You’ll be able to view the recipe on the WW App right here. (WW login required.)

Components

For the Hen Meatballs:

• 1 lb floor hen breast (450 g)
• ½ cup breadcrumbs (50 g)
• 1 small egg
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (25 g)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp oil (for greasing)

For the Tuscan Hen Meatballs with Gnocchi:

• Ready hen meatballs
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (50 g)
• 3 cups hen broth (720 ml)
• ½ lb potato gnocchi (225 g)
• 4 cups contemporary spinach (120 g)
• 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (250 g)
• 1 medium onion, diced (150 g)
• ½ tsp salt, or to style
• ¼ tsp black pepper, or to style
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optionally available) (25 g)
• 1 tsp oil (for sautéing the onion)

Directions

Step 1: Put together the Hen Meatballs

1. In a big mixing bowl, mix the bottom hen breast, breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan cheese, oregano, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Combine till simply mixed. Keep away from overmixing to maintain the meatballs tender.
2. Kind the combination into small meatballs, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. This could make roughly 18-20 meatballs.
3. Flippantly grease the air fryer basket with oil, then add the meatballs. Prepare dinner within the air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for about 10 minutes, or till they’re browned on the surface and cooked via. Alternatively, in case you don’t have an air fryer, bake them at 400°F (200°C) for about 15-20 minutes, flipping midway via.

Step 2: Assemble the Dish within the Gradual Cooker

1. Set your sluggish cooker to the excessive setting.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to a pan over medium warmth. As soon as scorching, add the diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or till softened and translucent. Add the cooked onion to the sluggish cooker.
3. Layer the browned meatballs on the backside of the sluggish cooker, adopted by the sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed onion, gnocchi, a half of spinach leaves, and hen broth.
4. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle a little bit of Parmesan cheese (optionally available) excessive. Proceed cooking for one more 30-45 minutes, till the gnocchi are tender and the flavors have melded collectively.

Step 4: End with Yogurt and Contemporary Spinach

1. As soon as the sluggish cooking time is full, flip off the sluggish cooker.
2. Stir within the Greek yogurt to present the sauce a creamy texture. Add the remaining contemporary spinach, which is able to wilt from the residual warmth, giving the dish a vivid pop of colour.

Step 5: Serve and Take pleasure in

1. Ladle the Tuscan Hen Meatballs with Gnocchi into bowls, and sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve heat and luxuriate in.

Variations and Substitutions for Gradual Cooker Tuscan Hen Meatballs with Gnocchi

Make it yours with these changes:

• No Gnocchi on Hand? Use diced potatoes and even pasta. Whereas it modifications the feel a bit, each work superbly in absorbing the sauce.
• Amp Up the Taste within the Meatballs: Including a bit of smoked turkey chorizo to the hen meatballs intensifies the flavour, giving them a scrumptious increase.
• Swap Out the Protein: Don’t hesitate to change the hen with floor turkey and even lean beef in case you choose. This could add selection and work simply as properly with the dish’s Italian-inspired flavors.

Suggestions and Tips for Making Gradual Cooker Tuscan Hen Meatballs with Gnocchi

Need to ensure that your Gradual Cooker Tuscan Hen Meatballs with Gnocchi seems completely? Listed here are a number of sensible suggestions to remember:

• Customise the Meatball Combination: In case your floor hen is particularly moist, think about mixing within the seasonings, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan first. Solely add the egg in case you want extra moisture—this retains the meatballs from turning into overly delicate.
• Save Some Spinach for Later: To maintain the spinach vivid and contemporary, reserve a handful so as to add proper earlier than serving. This provides the dish a burst of colour and a contemporary observe to distinction the creamy sauce.
• Cautious with the Yogurt: Add the yogurt when you’ve turned off the sluggish cooker. This prevents it from curdling, protecting the sauce easy and creamy.
• Go for Oil-Free Solar-Dried Tomatoes: Solar-dried tomatoes in oil can improve the recipe’s calorie depend rapidly. As a substitute, use dried tomatoes, or make your personal when you’ve got a dehydrator!
• Prepare dinner Meatballs within the Air Fryer: Browning the meatballs in an air fryer earlier than including them to the sluggish cooker provides further taste and texture. Plus, it reduces the quantity of oil wanted, protecting the meal lighter total.