Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini (Printable Version)
Tender chicken and cheese tortellini in a creamy slow-cooked sauce with vegetables for an effortless weeknight dinner.
# What You 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
# Directions:
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 and cook on the low setting 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. Fold gently to distribute evenly without breaking the pasta.
06 - Cover and cook on the high setting for 20 to 30 minutes, 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.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The slow cooker does ninety percent of the work while you go about your day like nothing happened.
- Cheese tortellini swimming in a creamy herb laced sauce feels like something you ordered at a restaurant, not something you made in your pajamas.
02 -
- Do not add the tortellini at the beginning or it will dissolve into a starchy paste by the time the chicken is done.
- Frozen tortellini needs five to ten extra minutes so test one before you declare dinner ready.
03 -
- Resist the urge to lift the lid during the four hour cook because every peek adds fifteen minutes of recovery time.
- Refrigerated tortellini holds its shape better than frozen if your grocery store stocks it fresh in the pasta aisle.