Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Tortellini (Printable Version)
Creamy slow-cooked tortellini with chicken, mozzarella and basil pesto. One-pot comfort.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats & Protein
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb), cubed
02 - 2 cups (about 7 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
03 - 1/2 cup (about 1.8 oz) grated Parmesan cheese
→ 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 (about 6.3 oz) basil pesto sauce
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 evenly across the base of the slow cooker and season with salt and black pepper.
03 - Scatter the finely chopped onion and minced garlic over the seasoned chicken.
04 - Layer the halved cherry tomatoes and roughly chopped spinach over the aromatics.
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, chicken broth, and basil pesto until smooth and well combined.
06 - Pour the pesto cream mixture evenly over the layered ingredients in the slow cooker.
07 - Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan over the sauce.
08 - Stir gently to combine all ingredients, then cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours.
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, until the tortellini are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
10 - Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan, cover, and let the cheese melt for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and fresh basil if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The pesto cream sauce tastes like you spent hours on it, but the slow cooker does nearly all the work.
- It reheats beautifully the next day, making it perfect for leftovers or meal prep lunches.
02 -
- Add the tortellini at the three hour mark, not earlier, or it will dissolve into the sauce and lose all texture.
- Reserve a quarter cup of the pasta cooking experience by tasting the chicken at the three hour mark to confirm it is fully cooked before adding pasta.
03 -
- Grease the slow cooker generously because melted cheese loves to stick to the sides.
- Taste the sauce before adding tortellini and adjust salt and pepper, since pesto brands vary widely in seasoning.