Hailey Bieber-inspired Chicken Meatballs

A Hailey Bieber-inspired chicken meatball situation, turned into a full dinner with delicious gnocchi, a rich tomato and basil sauce, cottage cheese and plenty of parmesan!

Serves: 8

Chicken Meatballs

1 kg chicken mince

1 white onion, finely diced

1 zucchini, grated and excess moisture squeezed out

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

1 egg

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 cup finely grated parmesan

Generous pinch of salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Tomato Gnocchi

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 white onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 x 400g can crushed tomatoes

400g tomato passata

½ cup water

Generous pinch of salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 tsp sugar

2 x 400g packets pre-made gnocchi*

Large handful fresh basil

To Serve

1 cup cottage cheese

Freshly grated parmesan

Fresh basil

Extra virgin olive oil

Freshly cracked black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.

2. Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix until just combined.

3. Take a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into balls (the mixture should make around 28 meatballs). Arrange on a large lined baking tray, lightly spray or drizzle with olive oil and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until lightly golden. They don't need to be completely cooked through at this stage as they'll finish cooking in the sauce.

4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, or until softened.

5. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Stir through the tomato paste and cook briefly before adding the crushed tomatoes, passata, water, salt, pepper and sugar.

6. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly thickened.

7. Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions. I used frozen gnocchi and air-fried mine for about 8 minutes before adding it to the sauce for a slightly golden finish.

8. Stir the fresh basil through the tomato sauce, then add the cooked gnocchi. Nestle the meatballs into the pan and simmer gently for another 5–7 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

9. Finish with dollops of cottage cheese, plenty of freshly grated parmesan, fresh basil, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Note: I originally only used one 400 g packet of gnocchi, but there was plenty of sauce and meatballs to go around, so I've increased it to 800 g. If you love things extra saucy, you can absolutely stick with one packet.

**This makes a big batch! You can easily halve the recipe if you're cooking for fewer people, otherwise it's perfect for meal prep and also freezes really well!