Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Creamy sheet pan gnocchi is a one pan dinner that pairs tender chicken breasts, roasted vegetables, and pillowy gnocchi with a rich, garlicky cream sauce. This is an easy comfort food meal with restaurant-style flavor!
How long it takes: 40 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: rimmed sheet pan, mixing bowl
Servings: 4
Cheater’s Cream Sauce
Sheet pan dinners are my thing, you know this. But this one might be the most genius version yet (if I do say so myself), because of the shortcut cream sauce that’s also made on the same sheet pan.
The secret is spreadable cream cheese. Garlic and herb cream cheese gets tossed with the gnocchi, chicken, and vegetables, and it melts into this rich, creamy sauce with zero roux, zero heavy cream, and zero extra pots.
What makes it special:
- One pan meal: You won’t have to boil the gnocchi in one pot, make the sauce in another, and sear the chicken in a skillet.
- No boiling: If you’ve tried my sheet pan gnocchi before, you know that gnocchi is amazing when roasted. It gets lightly golden on the outside with a nice chewy texture, while the middles remain pillowy and soft. (Seriously, you won’t want to cook gnocchi any other way.)
- Make it your own: I decided on asparagus for this creamy sheet pan gnocchi, but this is a recipe you can change based on what looks good at the farmers’ market or what’s in your crisper drawer. Just don’t skip the tomatoes, because they help form the sauce.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card, but here’s what you’ll need and why it works.
- Asparagus: I recommend thick asparagus spears for this recipe. If pencil-thin asparagus is all that’s available, add it to the pan during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Chicken breasts: I always choose boneless skinless chicken because it’s so easy to prep for recipes like this.
- Gnocchi: Shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi both work. If you use frozen gnocchi, I recommend thawing it in the refrigerator ahead of time to make sure it cooks all the way through.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes: As they roast, they soften and help create the sauce.
- Olive oil & pantry seasonings: Garlic powder, salt, and pepper are mixed in with the oil to lightly season the sheet pan dinner. Olive oil adds flavor and aids in browning.
- Garlic & herb spreadable cream cheese: This type of cream cheese comes in a small tub in a variety of flavors. I like the garlic & herb flavor for this sauce. Regular cream cheese won’t work well; it won’t melt as quickly on the sheet pan to make a sauce, and doesn’t have the added flavor.
- Parmesan cheese (optional): Grated or shredded both work; use whichever you prefer.
My Favorite Sheet Pans
I use these for everything! I have four of them and they’re in constant rotation from my oven to my sink to my cupboard.
How to Make Creamy Sheet Pan Gnocchi
Prep the ingredients. Preheat your oven to 425°F and grease a large sheet pan. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Cut the chicken into small, evenly-sized pieces.
Toss everything together. In a large bowl, combine the gnocchi, chicken, tomatoes, and asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with the seasonings and toss to coat.
Roast. Spread the mixture out on the sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for about 15 minutes, then give everything a good stir. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the tomatoes are softened.
Make it creamy. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately add dollops of the garlic and herb cream cheese. Gently toss everything together; the heat from the pan will melt the cream cheese, and the tomatoes will break down, creating a creamy sauce that coats the gnocchi, chicken, and vegetables.
Serve. Serve right away, topped with Parmesan cheese if you’d like.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the vegetables. Because the tomatoes form the sauce, you’ll need to keep those, but you can swap in zucchini or mushrooms for the asparagus, or try another veggie that’s in season and pairs well with creamy sauce.
- Make it vegetarian. Use a plant-based chicken or simply add more veggies or gnocchi to replace it.
- Use different cheese. Try another flavor of cream cheese like chive or use Boursin.
Serving Suggestions
- Green salad. Try this classic house salad or toss a bag of greens with lemon basil vinaigrette or Italian dressing to balance the heavier cream sauce.
- Dessert. If you like a sweet finish to your meal, serve easy lemon pudding or pumpkin pudding. Peanut butter cookie bars are always a hit, as well as chocolate chip blondies.
Refrigerate: Leftover creamy sheet pan gnocchi can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Reheat: Warm individual servings in the microwave, or larger portions in a skillet over medium-low heat. The sauce should thin as it heats, but if you want it smoother, you can add a splash of milk.
More Sheet Pan Recipes
Creamy Sheet Pan Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus (about 16 ounces)
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 16 ounces total)
- 1 package (16 ounces) shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi (no need to boil)
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
To finish:
- ½ cup garlic & herb spreadable cream cheese (about ½ of a 7.5 ounce container)
- grated Parmesan cheese, optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a large rimmed sheet pan, about 18 x 13 inches.
- Rinse asparagus, trim off tough ends, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut chicken into bite-sized (about ¾-inch) pieces.1 bunch asparagus, 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- In a large bowl, toss together the gnocchi, diced chicken, tomatoes, and asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil, and add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well to coat everything with oil and seasonings.1 package (16 ounces) shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi , 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared sheet pan in a single layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, stir well. Continue baking for 10 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F) and the tomatoes are soft.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Immediately spoon on the cream cheese in dollops, and gently toss with the vegetables and chicken. The tomatoes will mash up and help form the sauce. The residual heat will melt the cream cheese and turn it into a creamy sauce.½ cup garlic & herb spreadable cream cheese
- Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Variations: Try different vegetables. I wouldn’t omit the tomatoes because they are part of the sauce but you could substitute zucchini or mushrooms for the asparagus.
- Storage & reheating: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. To reheat, warm individual servings in the microwave, or larger portions in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of milk if the sauce seems too thick.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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