Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Tortellini (Print Version)

Slow-cooked tortellini with chicken, mozzarella, spinach and pesto for a creamy, comforting weeknight dinner.

# 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 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)

# How to Make It:

01 - Lightly grease the inside of a 5-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray or a thin coating of oil.
02 - Spread the cubed chicken evenly across the bottom 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 on top of 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 the shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the grated 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 stand for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and fresh basil if desired before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The slow cooker does nearly all the work while you go about your day, and the pesto cream sauce builds deep flavor without any hovering at the stove.
  • Refrigerated tortellini soaks up every bit of that savory sauce and turns impossibly tender by the time dinner rolls around.
02 -
  • Do not add the tortellini at the beginning with everything else, or they will turn to mush before the chicken is done.
  • Resist the urge to lift the lid repeatedly during cooking, because each peek adds roughly 15 to 30 minutes to your cook time.
03 -
  • Shred your own mozzarella from a block rather than using pre shredded bags, the anti caking agents in bagged cheese prevent it from melting smoothly.
  • Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes after you turn off the slow cooker, because the sauce thickens as it cools and clings to the tortellini much better.

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