The Gourmet Goober

This week, we had not one but two recipes featured as part of the Best Thing We Ate segment of The Gourmet Goober Podcast! First, my take on the delicious Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi from the Julia’s Album Food Blog. It’s creamy, cheesy, and only takes 30 minutes to cook!

Ready? Let’s dig in!

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1lb boneless & skinless chicken thighs, diced into small chunks *
• 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons Vegeta** (or salt & pepper)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

For the Gnocchi & Sauce:

• ¾ cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• ½ teaspoon Herbs de Provence
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 16 oz potato gnocchi (shelf-stable)
• 5 oz fresh spinach
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus extra cheese to use as a topping on the finished dish

Directions:

• Season the chicken thighs with garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, Vegeta, and onion powder.
• Add olive oil to a heavy, wide bottom pan and heat over medium heat for 2 minutes or until the oil shimmers.
• Add chicken and sear on medium heat for 5 minutes on one side, undisturbed, before flipping the chicken over until it’s cooked through.
• Once cooked, add ½ cup of the chicken broth to the hot pan and deglaze it, using a flexible spatula to collect the yummy bits left on the bottom. Continue until the broth is slightly reduced. Then add uncooked potato gnocchi, the remaining chicken broth, heavy cream, minced garlic, Herbs de Provence, and paprika.
• Bring to a boil on medium heat and stir everything well. Cover with a lid, and allow the gnocchi to cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat while the sauce boils.
• Add fresh spinach, and cook on medium heat, frequently stirring until the spinach wilts to your liking. Cook longer if you would like a thicker sauce.
• Stir in ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese until melted.
• Turn off the heat and return the cooked chicken to the skillet, folding it into the gnocchi mixture.
• Top with remaining cheese, and enjoy!

*Try to make them about 1-inch cubes. But don’t stress out if you can’t.

** I have been cooking a lot with Vegeta lately, but I know it’s not easy for everyone to pick up in their local grocery store. If this unique seasoning mix is unavailable, simply use salt and pepper to your taste.