Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake: One-Pan Dinner

Chicken Alfredo gnocchi bake is one I put together in a single 12-inch skillet for dinner now and lunches later, giving you a full six-serving pan on a busy night. The unboiled potato gnocchi bakes right in the Alfredo sauce, and the cheese top turns lightly golden in the oven.

I cook the chicken over medium-high heat until it's golden brown and cooked through, then move it out of the skillet while the garlic cooks for about 30 seconds. I grab a 12-inch cast-iron skillet because it goes from stovetop to oven without moving the sauce, and there's less washing up after dinner.

Skip the pot of water for the gnocchi. It goes straight from the package into the Alfredo sauce and cooks while the bake is in the oven, and don't boil it first because the finished pan turns mushy. The sauce should be at a gentle simmer first. Freshly grate the mozzarella and Parmesan if you can. Pre-shredded cheese can turn the sauce grainy (I never buy it for this dish).

I pull the skillet when the sauce bubbles all over and the cheese has melted with light color on top, then let it rest for 5 minutes, even though it's tempting to scoop it sooner. That rest thickens the sauce enough to scoop clean portions onto plates.