Crockpot Chicken Tortellini (Print Version)
Tender chicken and cheese tortellini in a creamy slow-cooked sauce with vegetables for an easy weeknight dinner.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb), cut into large chunks
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 cups fresh baby spinach
03 - 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
04 - 1 cup celery, diced
05 - 1 medium onion, diced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy & Pantry
07 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
→ Pasta
10 - 18 oz refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
→ Spices & Seasonings
11 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
→ Optional Garnish
14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - Fresh parsley, chopped
# How to Make It:
01 - Arrange the chicken breasts, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - Pour in the chicken broth and condensed cream of chicken soup. Sprinkle in the Italian herbs, black pepper, and salt. Stir everything together until well combined.
03 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
04 - Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
05 - Stir in the cheese tortellini, heavy cream, and baby spinach. Gently fold everything together until evenly distributed.
06 - Cover and cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the tortellini is tender and the spinach has wilted.
07 - Taste the dish and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy broth soaks into every tortellini pouch and you will catch yourself eating straight from the pot before serving.
- It practically builds itself while you do other things which makes you feel like you have your life together even when you absolutely do not.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day once the sauce thickens into something almost decadent.
02 -
- Do not add the tortellini at the beginning or it will dissolve into starchy paste by hour two and you will be very sad about it.
- Frozen tortellini needs five to ten extra minutes so check one pouch before declaring everything done.
- The sauce continues to thicken as it sits so add a splash of broth when reheating leftovers.
03 -
- Sear the chicken chunks in a hot skillet for two minutes before adding them to the crockpot for a deeper flavor that costs you almost no extra effort.
- Stir the cream in slowly and off heat if possible because cold cream hitting a blazing hot ceramic insert can cause odd curdling that looks worse than it tastes.