Slow Cooker Tortellini Cheesy Chicken (Printable)
Slow-cooked tortellini and chicken in creamy pesto and melted cheeses for a cozy, hands-off Italian-American dinner.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats & Protein
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb), cubed
02 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6.3 oz)
03 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1.8 oz)
→ Pasta
04 - 21 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
→ Vegetables
05 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
08 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauces & Dairy
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 3/4 cup basil pesto sauce (store-bought or homemade)
11 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
→ Seasonings
12 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Lightly grease the inside of a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray or a thin coating of oil.
02 - Spread the cubed chicken breasts evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Scatter the finely chopped onion and minced garlic over the seasoned chicken.
04 - Layer the halved cherry tomatoes and roughly chopped baby spinach on top of the aromatics.
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, low-sodium chicken broth, and basil pesto sauce until smooth and well combined.
06 - Pour the pesto cream mixture evenly over all the layered ingredients in the slow cooker.
07 - Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan over the sauce. Stir gently just to combine, then cover with the lid.
08 - Cook on the LOW setting for 3 hours until the chicken is nearly cooked through and the flavors have melded.
09 - After 3 hours, gently fold in the refrigerated cheese tortellini. Re-cover and continue cooking on LOW for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the tortellini are tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
10 - Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil if desired before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The pesto cream sauce tastes like you spent all day on it, but the slow cooker does every bit of the heavy lifting.
- Cheese tortellini soaks up all that saucy goodness and turns into little pockets of comfort that even picky eaters devour without complaint.
02 -
- Adding the tortellini too early is the fastest way to end up with a starchy, broken mess, so wait until the final hour.
- Rotisserie chicken is a brilliant shortcut if you are short on time, just shred it and reduce the initial cook time to about 2 hours.
03 -
- Reserve a tablespoon of pesto and swirl it on top just before serving for a fresh hit of basil that wakes up every bowl.
- Always check the pesto label for pine nuts or other allergens if you are cooking for someone with nut sensitivities.