Cheesy Baked Chicken and Gnocchi

orange and white gnocchi chicken in a grey baking dish.

Cheesy Baked Chicken and Gnocchi

Cheesy Baked Chicken and Gnocchi is an easy dump-and-bake gnocchi dinner. It has pillowy gnocchi and tender chicken smothered in a creamy marinara sauce and is topped with plenty of mozzarella. Cozy, cheesy, and comforting!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword baked chicken and gnocchi, chicken & gnocchi

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 460kcal

Author Maria Doss

Ingredients

1 pound shelf-stable gnocchi
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast (cut into 1-inch chunks)
2 cups marinara sauce
½ cup heavy cream
½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use as needed)
1 teaspoon salt (depends on the sauce used)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh basil leaves (for topping)

Instructions

Prep. Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Dump and mix. Add all ingredients except the last two ingredients (mozzarella and fresh basil) to the baking pan. Mix well and spread into an even layer.
Bake. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, adding a little extra if you like.
Finish. Place the pan in the oven, switch to broil, and broil for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the top is golden. Watch it closely so the cheese doesn’t brown too much. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chopped fresh basil, and serve.
👉 The sauce may look a little loose when it first comes out of the oven. Let the dish rest for about 5 minutes before serving; the gnocchi will continue absorbing the sauce and thicken!

Notes

Chicken size — Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, roughly the same size as the gnocchi. This makes the dish easy to scoop and eat, while helping the chicken and gnocchi cook at about the same time.

Gnocchi — Use shelf-stable gnocchi for this recipe. It cooks directly in the sauce, so there’s no need to boil it first.

Marinara sauce - Use your favorite jarred marinara sauce. I love to use Prego, tomato basil and garlic.

Baking dish — Use a large, shallow baking dish so the ingredients are spread out rather than packed together. I recommend a 9×13-inch baking dish, which gives you plenty of surface area for moisture evaporation. Otherwise, the dish might be very saucy!

Casserole height - This is not a tall baked pasta casserole! This gives the gnocchi more room to roast and helps prevent it from becoming too soft or mushy, which makes a big difference in the final texture.

Nutrition