Easy Dinner: Creamy Chicken with Gnocchi & Spinach

Easy Dinner: Creamy Chicken with Gnocchi & Spinach

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

What’s better than a warm and hearty meal in a delicious creamy herb sauce? A warm and hearty meal that comes together in one pan! This one-pot recipe, Easy Dinner: Creamy Chicken with Gnocchi & Spinach, is quick, easy, and so delicious. Golden brown chicken breast, packaged gnocchi, baby bella mushrooms, and fresh spinach all in the same skillet means a complete meal with no need for sides dishes. And maybe the best part: no need for washing any extra pots and pans.  I mean, I don’t know about you, but after creating an amazing meal, the last thing I need is a stack of dishes waiting for me. 

As skillet meals go, this one is especially easy to make and the whole thing can be ready in about 40 minutes tops. It is one of those easy recipes that the whole family will love!

Some of the best features of this recipe:

A creamy Parmesan sauce that is light and tasty. It reminds me of one of my other favorite chicken recipes, chicken Marsala.

Veggies and chicken cooked together means a complete meal. Serve as is or with a simple side salad or some crusty bread. 

Boneless chicken breast reduces cooking time.

​If you get yourself some sliced mushrooms, there is almost no prep!

As always, this quick meal is simple to make: no special cooking techniques and very simple ingredients.

Recipe Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp butter

8 oz baby bella mushrooms

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 cup light cream

16 oz package of gnocchi

​1 bag baby spinach (6 to 8 oz)

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp salt)

Helpful Tools

large skillet

meat mallet

sharp knife

cutting board

measuring cup

whisk

Ingredient Notes

Light cream will help create a delicious sauce, whereas heavy cream is too much. If you are really stuck, you can use half-and-half.

If you can’t find baby bella mushrooms, white mushrooms are also fine. Get yourself some sliced mushrooms for even less prep! The ones I used were cheaper than the whole mushrooms.

I like to use bagged baby spinach. If you use fresh, mature spinach, you can chop the larger leaves, removing the thick stems.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. If you have thick pieces of boneless chicken breast, you should thin it out using a meat mallet before cooking. She Tips & Tricks for directions.

2. Prepare the veggies you will be using. Clean the mushrooms removing the stem and cutting into thick slices. Wash and chop the spinach if necessary.

3. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a larget skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Carefully add the chicken and cook for about 7 minutes, flipping it at least once. It should be lightly golden brown on each side.

5. Remove the cooked chicken and place on a plate, setting aside.

6. Add one tablespoon of butter to the pan you used to cook the chicken. 

7. Place the mushrooms in the skillet with the butter. Sprinkle with the garlic powder. Lightly salt.

8. Cook the mushrooms until soft, about 7 minutes. If they begin to brown too much reduce the temperature to medium heat.

9. Add the thyme and cook for one more minute.

10. Pour the chicken broth over the mushrooms, scraping up the stuck-on brown bits from the bottom of the pan. 

11. Pour the light cream into the pan. For best results, add the cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly.

12. If you have not already done so, reduce the heat to medium and bring the cream to a gentle simmer. DO NOT let the cream boil.

13. Return the chicken to the pan to finish cooking, about ten minutes.

14. Add the gnocchi and heat, about three minutes.

15. Place the spinach on top of the sauce. It will make a big pile but will wilt down quickly – about three minutes.

16. Sprinkle the shredded Parmesan cheese evenly over the dish and stir. Let the cheese melt. 

17. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Remember to start light because you can always add more, but you can’t take any out.

Check out the printable recipe card for Easy Dinner: Creamy Chicken with Gnocchi & Spinach with step-by-step directions below!

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. 

Tips & Tricks

You will want to use chicken breasts that are on the thinner side. If you have large chicken breasts, you can thin them out yourself (it is also cheaper!) but USE CAUTION. It is very easy to cut yourself in this process. Place the chicken breast on a flat cutting board. Put your hand on top and cut through the chicken breast horizontally using a sharp knife longer than the chicken breast. Again, USE CAUTION. I usually focus on aiming downwards with the knife. I also butterfly the chicken – cutting it open halfway, then opening it and cutting through. Try to produce an even thickness as it will make cooking easier.

If your chicken breasts just need a bit of thinning out, you can place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and hit them all over with a meat mallet until you achieve the desired thickness.

Don’t wash your mushrooms! Mushrooms retain water so the best way to clean them is to wipe them off with a damp paper towel.

As notes in the recipe, you should add the cream in a thin stream, whisking constantly. This will help produce a velvety sauce keep the cream from curdling.

When adding salt to any recipe, remember not to add too much at once. I start with no more than 1/2 teaspoon.

FAQs

How will I know when the chicken is cooked?

The cook time for chicken can vary according to the heat of your stove. Use an instant-read thermometer to check. The internal temperature of the chicken will 165 degrees F when cooked. You are trying to produce tender chicken breasts, so try to avoid overcooking.

Some crusty bread is the perfect thing to sop up some of the cream sauce. Give this super easy bread a try: Crusty Country French Bread.

And if you are cooking for another delicious chicken dinner, try my recipe for one skillet creamy Tuscan chicken. It is so easy and so good!