How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Air Fried Gnocchi With Chicken Sausage and a Pepper, Spinach, Tomato, and Feta Sauce (Diabetic Friendly)

This meal is incredibly easy, quick, and inexpensive. The meal-in-a-pan also is really good and a little different from your typical skillet dinners. The shelf-stable gnocchi is air fried in just a bit of olive oil until it becomes crispy, not slippery/slimy, as often happens when you boil shelf-stable gnocchi. While the gnocchi cooks in the air fryer, you can quickly pull together an easy sauce with Italian chicken sausage (the pre-cooked version), a half bag of frozen peppers and onions, some fresh spinach, and a handful of fresh grape or cherry tomatoes. Once the gnocchi is done, you simple add it to the sausage/vegetable mixture along with a bit of feta cheese. The flavor is incredible with the mixture of vegetables, and the crispy gnocchi adds great texture to the meal. The feta cheese contributes creaminess and tanginess without weighing down the sauce, which is a light, not heavy, wet sauce. If you're on a diabetic diet, the meal is great with it's emphasis on vegetables, lean protein, and fiber. Enjoy!

Air Fried Gnocchi With Chicken Sausage and Pepper, Spinach, Tomato, and Feta Sauce

Air Fried Gnocchi With Chicken Sausage and Pepper, Spinach, Tomato, and Feta Sauce (Diabetic Friendly) -- Serves 6

16-ounce package of shelf-stable gnocchi

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

12-16-ounce package of pre-cooked Italian chicken sausage (I use Lidl's Tomato-Basil-

Mozzarella Chicken Sausage, which are pretty cheap!), cut crosswise into rounds

1/2 package of frozen mixed-color frozen bell peppers and onions (2-3 cups)

1 teaspoon of chopped garlic (or use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder)

2 big handfuls of fresh spinach (about 2 cups)

1 large handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (1/2-3/4 pint)

1/4 - 1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste (I don't add salt, as the chicken sausage and gnocchi are

usually quite salty)

Spritz and 8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the gnocchi and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss the gnocchi with the oil (it's easiest to use your hands) until each piece is coated with a bit of the oil, then spread the gnocchi out in the pan as evenly as possible. Air fry the gnocchi at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then toss/turn it and put it back in the air fryer (again at 400) for another 5-10 minutes or until the gnocci is a very light golden color and a little crispy on the outsides.

While the gnocchi is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high and add the chicken sausage. Saute it for 5-6 minutes, then add the frozen peppers and mix them in with a tablespoon or two of water. Cover the pan and cook the peppers/sausage for 5-6 minutes or until the peppers are as soft as you like them. Remove the lid and add the garlic or garlic powder and saute the mixture for a minute or two. Add the fresh spinach and tomatoes and mix them in. Cover the pan for a minute or two to melt the spinach down. Stir in the cooked gnocchi and the feta. Taste the mixture and add salt/pepper, if you'd like.

Air Fried Gnocchi With Chicken Sausage and a Pepper, Spinach, Tomato, and Feta Sauce (Diabetic Friendly)