Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi is an easy dish that can be made in under 30 minutes! Soft potato gnocchi and chicken paired with a rich, creamy Alfredo sauce makes a comforting dish. It's sure to be a hit with everyone!
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Chicken Alfredo gnocchi is a delicious twist on two classic dishes that will have everyone asking for more. The final dinner tastes like a loaded baked potato casserole.
If you are new to gnocchi, get excited because this gnocchi bake is creamy, cheesy, and so delicious. Plus, it's easy to make and can be on the dinner table in under 30 minutes.
What are Gnocchi
Gnocchi are small, soft, and pillowy dumplings made from potatoes, flour, and sometimes eggs. They originated in Italy and have become a popular dish worldwide. Gnocchi can be served with a variety of sauces, such as tomato, pesto, or Alfredo.
Why You Will Love Gnocchi Alfredo
You want a delicious, easy to make meal that the whole family will love without spending hours in the kitchen. Our gnocchi Alfredo is the perfect comfort food solution.
- Ready in Minutes - There is no reason to spend that much time in the kitchen. This easy meal comes together in 30 minutes.
- Simple Ingredients - Using store bought ingredients helps you save time in the kitchen. All you need are simple things like gnocchi, chicken, broccoli, and Alfredo sauce.
- Lots of Flavor - Combining broccoli chicken Alfredo with extra cheese and gnocchi creates a delicious meal. Everyone at your table will love it!
- Customizing is easy! Choose your favorite cheese, vegetables, and protein to make a cheesy dinner to your liking.
Love Alfredo sauce? You may like this chicken Alfredo ravioli, these Alfredo stuffed shells, or this chicken Alfredo calzone.
Key Ingredients
This creamy chicken gnocchi bake comes together in minutes with just a few simple ingredients. I like to use pre-packaged items to keep meal prep super simple.
- Gnocchi - You will need one package of shelf stable gnocchi. You can find it in the pasta aisle of most stores. You can also find it in the freezer or refrigerated section.
- Chicken - Use any type of cooked chicken you have on hand. We have used Rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, and canned chicken with great results.
- Bacon - Cooked crumbled bacon gives a great loaded baked potato flavor to this gnocchi bake.
- Garlic - Minced garlic gives it a good flavor.
- Broccoli - You can use fresh or frozen broccoli in this casserole. Other veggies that work well are mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, or peas.
- Cheese - A mixture of mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese gives it a great cheesy topping.
- Alfredo Sauce - Use your favorite jarred sauce to keep things simple.
- Optional Toppings - Top the baked gnocchi Alfredo with grated Parmesan cheese, green onions, and more bacon.
How To Make Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi
Since gnocchi is a potato based pasta, we are going to load this chicken gnocchi bake just like a baked potato. Melty cheese goodness and bacon makes this gnocchi recipe a winner, winner, chicken dinner.
- Cook the gnocchi. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook according to the package instructions.
- Stir together ingredients. Gently stir together the drained gnocchi, broccoli, chicken, bacon, garlic, and Alfredo sauce in a large bowl.
- Top with cheese. Spoon the mixture into a greased casserole dish.
- Bake and serve. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake until hot and melted. Broil a few minutes to brown the cheese, then serve immediately.
How to Serve Baked Gnocchi with Chicken
These cheesy gnocchi Alfredo is completely delicious and a full meal on its own. But if you want to stretch the meal further, try adding a few side dishes to the dinner.
- Bread - A few good options would be breadsticks, garlic bread, or cheesy biscuits.
- Veggies - Add a side of roasted veggies, glazed carrots, or grilled corn.
- Salad - A simple spinach salad with honey balsamic vinaigrette or a fresh tomato cucumber mozzarella salad is a great choice.
- Dessert - Finish up dinner with a pan of easy tiramisu or espresso brownies.
Storing Leftovers
In the Refrigerator - Store the cooled gnocchi casserole in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.
In the Freezer - You can freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator 24 hours before reheating in the oven or microwave.
Tips and Tricks
- Use rotisserie chicken. Buy and shred a Rotisserie chicken 1-2 days ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge or freezer for quick and easy meal prep.
- Save time with Alfredo sauce from a jar. Buy your favorite jar of sauce to use in this recipe or make a homemade sauce if you prefer that instead.
- Change up the veggies. Use your favorite vegetable in place of the broccoli. Peas, asparagus, spinach, or peppers would also be great.
- Shred your own cheese. Store-bought shredded cheese has a coating that keeps it from sticking together. Unfortunately it also hinders it from melting as well. Use a grater to shred blocks of cheese for best results.
FAQ
Yes, you can put the entire dish together ahead of time. Mix it all together, top with cheese, then cover and place in the refrigerator.
Cook it whenever you are ready to make dinner. Remove the dish from the fridge about 20-30 minutes ahead of time. Add a few additional minutes to the cook time because it will be cold.
It is a shelf stable ingredient, so you can find it in the dry pasta aisle in most grocery stores. Potato gnocchi can also be found in the frozen food section.
Place the gnocchi in a pot of boiling water. The cooked gnocchi will float to the top when they are done. Strain and serve them immediately with sauce.
If you are pan frying the gnocchi, you do not need to boil them first. Fry them in butter until they are golden brown and lightly crisp on the outside. Make sure to flip them as they cook.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Chicken Pasta Bake recipe
- Chipotle Chicken Pasta - great Cheesecake Factory Copycat
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas
- Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- BLT Chicken Alfredo Ravioli
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
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Recipe
Chicken Gnocchi Alfredo Bake
Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi is an easy dish that can be made in under 30 minutes! Soft potato gnocchi and chicken paired with a rich, creamy Alfredo sauce makes a comforting dish. It's sure to be a hit with everyone!
Ingredients
- 1 package shelf stable gnocchi
- 2 cups frozen broccoli
- 2 cups shredded/chopped cooked chicken
- ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 - 15 ounce jar Alfredo sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- freshly grated parmesan cheese, green onions, and extra bacon, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick baking spray.
- Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions. Drain.
- Gently stir together the cooked gnocchi, broccoli, chicken, bacon, garlic, and Alfredo sauce.
- Spoon into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with shredded cheeses. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. Make sure you keep an eye on it because it will brown quickly.
- Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, green onions and extra bacon, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken. Buy and shred a Rotisserie chicken 1-2 days ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge or freezer for quick and easy meal prep.
- Save time with Alfredo sauce from a jar. Buy your favorite jar of sauce to use in this recipe or make a homemade sauce if you prefer that instead.
- Change up the veggies. Use your favorite vegetable in place of the broccoli. Peas, asparagus, spinach, or peppers would also be great.
- Shred your own cheese. Store-bought shredded cheese has a coating that keeps it from sticking together. Unfortunately it also hinders it from melting as well. Use a grater to shred blocks of cheese for best results.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 478Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 883mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 25g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*This Loaded Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake was first published on April 2014. The photos and post were updated April 2023.
Heather
After a very chaotic day, this recipe was the only thing that went right. I had some gnocchi in the pantry and googled recipes until I came across this one and it is truly delicious! My husband said it was so good it could be served in a restaurant. And I’ve never heard him give such high praise on a recipe, ever! That says a lot. Thanks for sharing!
Jocelyn
I am so sorry to hear your day was rough. Thank you so much for the kind words about the recipe. Your sweet comment made my night! I hope tomorrow is a better day!
Crystal
What size of casserole dish?
Jocelyn
I used a 3 quart casserole dish when I baked this. I hope you enjoy it!
EvaD
I made this tonight with leftover grilled chicken and it was OMG delicious. I didn't even have to put the broiler on. It browned up in the 20 minutes. I used shredded Italian blend cheese.
Jocelyn
I am so glad you liked the recipe! It's one of my favorites too!!
Erica
How did you cook the chicken and did you season it?
Jocelyn
I just buy a rotisserie chicken from Sam's club and use that in things like this.
Calvin
Hi,
I want you to know that although I'm not the best cook in the world, I was able to make this and it came out really good. Thanks for the recipe.
Heather
HOLY SMOKES!! This was so good!!! I used rotisserie chicken and refrigerated Alfredo sauce and fresh broccoli. We were all swooning!! This has gone into the rotation...and that is not an easy feat!! One thing though, the package directions for the gnocchi says to salt the water. We all thought the dish was pretty salty (I did use 1c of Mozzarella and 1/2c Italian Blend cheese and I know Parmesan is a salty cheese, I'm sure this probably didn't help) so I think next time I would skip salting the water. I also used thick peppered bacon (4 slices). OH MY! Thanks for gifting my household with this deliciousness. I'm also pretty convinced it will freeze well enough that I could make two batches at a time and freeze one. I did the calorie work up on this and 1/6 of a serving was about 400 cals.
Jocelyn
Woo hoo! I am so excited your family enjoyed this so much!!! And yay for the dinner going into the rotation! I didn't salt the water when I made it, so definitely try it without that extra salt for sure. Let me know how freezing it goes because I have never tried that!
Stephanie
Is this something you could assemble and keep in the fridge for a few hours before baking? Do you think there would need to be any temp/time changes?
Jocelyn
I think you could definitely make it up ahead of time. I would just pull it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking if you are using a glass dish. If you are baking in a metal dish, you could bake it right from the fridge, but you will have to add extra time because it is starting out cold. I hope that helps!
Stefanie Gina
Does the broccoli have to be frozen? Also I only have a large, but shallow baking dish. Will that do well?
Jocelyn
You could also steam fresh broccoli and add that to the mixture before baking. A large baking dish should be fine as long as the mixture fits.
Rhonda
I can not eat broccoli. Any suggestions what I can use as a supplement? I was thinking kale? Peas? Or just onions and mushrooms maybe?
Jocelyn
You could totally add your favorite vegetable in place of the broccoli. I hope you enjoy it!
Stephanie
I have no idea what Gnocchi is honestly. Do you think I could use pasta as a replacement?
Jocelyn
Gnocchi is a potato pasta puff. You can buy it in the pasta aisle of most grocery stores. But yes, you could sub pasta too, if you like.
Catherine
Dear Jocelyn, this looks comforting and delicious. What a wonderful meal. xo, Catherine
Michael Picardi
Frozen gnocchi, jarred Alfredo, already cooked chicken... In what way is this cooking?
Also, you can't call yourself a baker if you use anything packaged. It may as well be in the Ten Commandments...
Jocelyn
Hi, Michael. I am so sorry you feel this way! But semi-homemade cooking and baking is totally a legit way to do food. If you are all about making everything from scratch more power to you, but I am a busy mother of 3 who has her own business and is busy with life and church activities, so I love making my food the semi-homemade way! Plus, based on all the comments on this recipe and emails I have received from readers who have loved this recipe, I'm going to say it was a hit 🙂 And last I checked, God didn't mention anything about baking in the 10 Commandments...
Island Girl 🌴
Excuse you?! Newsflash, Michael! Just because you have ingredients at home does NOT mean you can cook. I know plenty of grownups who can't cook to save their lives. If it where that easy, everyone would know how to cook. Not everyone has the luxury of making everything from scratch all the time and sometimes, a semi-homemade recipe is exactly what we need. Please get off your high horse, Sir.
Heather
I got to say, this is the best recipe I have ever tried! Super easy, takes little too no time. I love it! I make this meal for any occasion and I sear, i always have to make more batches after its all gone because it is sooo darn good.
Marlyn
I had this recipe for a while now and finally decided to make it tonight. It was amazing! There wasn't even any left overs. The only change I made was to use roasted garlic alfredo sauce. I will definitely be making this again! Very easy and delicious.
Alysha
I made this tonight for dinner! It's amazing! But I added 2 cups cheese instead of 1.5 & mixed in about 1/3 of the cheese with the ingredients and then topped it off with the rest. I also instead of plain alfredo sauce, used alfredo sauce with bacon!!! Gave it more flavor and more bacon!!! Can't go wrong with more bacon!!
Vanessa
I couldn't find gnocchi at Wal-Mart so I used regular dumplings...still turned out good. 🙂
cathy
You can also buy gnocchi at Dollar Tree-for a dollar/pkg.
Rose
This looks and sounds so amazing! However, my husband and I are having a hard time finding gnocchi since we've never heard of it before. Any suggestions?
Jocelyn Brubaker
Did you look in the pasta aisle? It is usually sold in the same aisle as all the varieties of pasta...I usually see it on the top shelf of most grocery stores, Walmart, and Target. If you can't find it, any pasta can be substituted for it.
Rebecca
If using fresh gnocchi, should you boil it before adding it in and baking?
I typically have the fresh package on hand more often than the dried.
Jocelyn
Yes, you still need to cook it before adding it to the dish. There should be package directions on the fresh gnocchi that say how long to cook it for. I hope that helps and you enjoy the dish.
Dan
I made homemade gnocchi recently - this recipe makes me want to make it again, wow.
Trish
This was delicious! Have you ever froze this? I would like to make 2 - bake one and freeze one and wondered if you had ever tried freezing this. Thanks for a great recipe!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Hi, Trish. I am so glad you enjoyed the dinner. I have actually never tried to freeze this one. Most Alfredo sauces can not be frozen because they separate when they thaw out, so I really do not think it would work very well. You could probably make everything else and freeze it, then after you thaw it add the jar of sauce before baking.