I use my normal Bolognese recipe for this which can be found here (I’ve repeated it below so you don’t have to flick between). Whilst the sauce with spaghetti on its own only makes 4 portions, when served in this dish, the sauce stretches and makes 8 portions (hence four evening meals and four lunchs).

This means, to make a dish serving four, you only need half of the Bolognese sauce that you prepare. The rest can be frozen for another rainy day. Alternatively, if you want to make 8 portions, just double all the other ingredients (that aren’t the bolognaise sauce) and make a second batch full (for lunches).

Bolognese Baked Gnocchi

Serves 4 = 10sp per person (Flex)

Ingredients

Half a pan of Bolognese sauce (see below)

500g pack potato gnocchi

1 x 150g ball of light mozzarella, roughly torn into small chunks (or 70g grated light mature cheddar)

2 tbsp parmesan, finely grated

Handful of basil, roughly chopped

For the Bolognese Sauce

500g Extra Lean Mince (5% fat)

1 vegetable or beef stock cube

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 x pepper, deseeded and chopped

2 x carrots, peeled and chopped

2 x sticks of celery, washed and chopped

Pinch of crushed chillies (optional)

1 box of mushrooms chopped

Dash of Tobasco sauce

½ tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

Half a tablespoon of oregano

1 tsp dried basil and marjoram

2 heaped teaspoons of beef gravy granules

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

Grating of nutmeg

Sprinkle of sugar

2 bay leaves

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180c. Fill and boil the kettle.

Begin by making the Bolognese. Pop your mince in large pan and begin to brown. Make up your stock (I used 1 beef stock cube and 1 tomato tin of water) and put a little in with the mince to stop it sticking to the pan. When half browned, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and once they are nice and soft add the pepper, mushrooms and chilli flakes. Then add your chopped tomatoes and most of your stock so it covers the mince. Add the rest of your ingredients and give a good stir. Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer and thicken while you prepare the gnocchi.

Fill another large saucepan with boiling water and, once simmering, add a pinch of salt and the gnocchi.  Cook according to the packet instructions (it should take 2-3 minutes to cook and will be ready when the gnocchi start floating to the surface of the water). Drain the gnocchi and add back to the now empty sauce pan. Add half of the pan of Bolgnese sauce to the gnocchi. Stir through so the gnocchi is well coated.

Take a large baking dish, spray with 1kal and then add the Bolognese covered gnocchi. Spread so it evenly covers the dish and then add the torn mozzarella (or grated cheese) and then the parmesan. Pop in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes (until the top is oozy and golden).

Whilst the gnocchi is in the oven you can prepare a side salad if you fancy. I just combined mixed leaves, a peeled courgette, a few shards of parmesan and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Once baked, remove from the oven and scatter over the bail. Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes so everything sets nicely.

Serve with green salad and enjoy!

The post Bolognese Baked Gnocchi – 10sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

The sauce feels really luxurious even though the whole thing is only 11sp and the kale gives it a lovely crunchy and fresh lift.

If you can’t get any Heck sausages, you could replace them with 350g diced chicken breast, frying as you would the sausages at the same point. This would make the dish 9sp per serving.

Creamy Baked Chicken and Kale Gnocchi

Serves 4 = 11sp per serving (Flex)

Ingredients

1 pack of Heck Chicken Sausages

½ tsp paprika and crushed chillies

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 peppers, deseeded and finely diced

1 box of chestnut mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 tsp plain flour

1 chicken stock cube, made up with 200 ml of boiling water

1 tbsp sun dried tomato pesto (or any pesto you fancy)

100ml white wine (optional)

4 tsp half fat crème fraiche

500g bag of kale

500g pack of gnocchi

40g half fat mature cheddar, grated

20g parmesan, grated

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Squeeze the sausages out of their skins and crumble into a large frying pan. Season well, add the paprika and crushed chillies and fry on a medium/high heat in 1kal for 5-6 minutes until the sausage meat starts to brown and is cooked through. Remove the sausage meat from the pan.

In the same pan fry the onions for 5 minutes until 1kal until they start to soften and then add the peppers, garlic and mushrooms and fry for another few minutes. Add the flour, stir through and fry for another minute.

Next add the stock, wine and pesto and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the crème fraiche and the sausages back to the pan, stir and turn the heat down to low. Continue to warm while you prepare the kale and gnocchi.

Fill a large pan with salted boiling water. Add the kale and simmer for 4 minutes, then add the gnocchi to the same pan and simmer for 3 minutes until the gnocchi rises to the surface. Drain the gnocchi and kale and then add the creamy sauce.

Tip everything into a baking dish, top with the half fat cheese and parmesan and then pop into the oven for 15 minutes to bake.

Serve with a nice green side salad.

Enjoy!

The post Creamy Baked Chicken and Kale Gnocchi – 11sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.