When it is cold outside, a warm bowl of Gnocchi is the perfect dinner to share with someone. Melissa created this dish while I was away and when I tried it (I had never had Gnocchi before!), I loved it! The only issue was that it contained a few carbs.
If you are watching your carbs carefully during the day, you can certainly eat this the way that she prepared it, but if you want to be a bit more strict, at the end of this recipe I will lay out the substitutions you need to make to lower the carb count.
This dish contains everything that keto dieters have come to love. It has butter, its creamy, full of meat (chicken!), healthy spinach, and is topped with my personal favorite; cheese!
Step by Step Low Carb Spinach/Chicken Gnocchi
To begin, preheat your oven to 425F. I hate waiting around after I have prepared my food to be able to cook it so always make sure you preheat your oven to the correct temperature before you get out your ingredients.
To make the base for the dish, grab a large skillet that you will be able to place in the oven later. Heat it over medium heath and melt your butter. Slowly add your flour and mix it together until the mixture is smooth. You do not want any clumps! Once the mixture is completely smooth, stir in your chicken broth and milk and cook it on medium heat until the sauce has started to thicken.
Once the sauce is thickening, mix in your salt and pepper to taste and then put in your garlic and nutmeg (delicious!).
Note: While this recipe calls for a shredded rotisserie chicken, you can use chicken breast which is what Melissa did. Cook your chicken before hand if you decide to not use pre cooked rotisserie.
Once your base sauce is complete and has thickened up, it is time to start adding the rest of your ingredients. Take your chicken, gnocchi, spinach, and mushrooms and add them in while stiring. Make sure all ingredients are covered with the sauce base.
Place a generous amount of Parmesan cheese on the top of the mixture and pop your skillet into the oven. You should bake it for 15-20 minutes. It is ready to take out when the sauce around the edges of the pan is bubbling and the gnocchi is fully cooked and tender.
If you like a very brown top like I do, kick up the temperate to broil it for a few extra minutes at the end!
There you have it, a delicious Low Carb Spinach/Chicken Gnocchi.
Now as I mentioned above, you may want to make this even more low carb. Here are the following substitutes I would make:
- Flour —> Almond Flour
- Gnocchi —> Cheese Gnocchi
Super simple substitutions can make a big difference. Since I am keeping my carbs under 20 a day and only eat about once or twice, eating it the way the recipe lays it out is perfectly fine for me.
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1½ Cups Milk
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 4 Cloves Minced Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- 8 Ounces Sliced Mushrooms
- 1 Pound Rotisserie Chicken (Shredded)
- 17½ Ounces Gnocchi
- 2 Cups Spinach Leaves
- ⅓ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Grab a large skillet that is oven proof and place it over medium heat.
- Add your butter and mix in the flour until smooth.
- Add your milk and chicken broth and simmer over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken.
- Once thickened, add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and garlic and stir.
- Add in your chicken, gnocchi, mushrooms, and spinach. Stir until it is all covered with your base sauce.
- Add a generous helping of cheese to the top of the mixture and place it in the oven.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and your gnocchi is tender.
- Broil for 2-3 minutes if you like a golden top.
- Enjoy!
Carbs: 12 grams
Fat: 17 grams
Protein: 29 grams
Fiber: 1 grams
Net Carbs: 11 grams
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