Creamy Crockpot Chicken Tortellini (Printable)
A hearty slow-cooker meal with tender chicken, cheese tortellini, and veggies in a creamy sauce.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken & Protein
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
→ Broth, Soup & Cream
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 herb blend
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:
01 - Arrange the chicken breast chunks, sliced carrots, diced celery, onion, and minced garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - Pour in the chicken broth and condensed cream of chicken soup. Sprinkle in the dried Italian herbs, black pepper, and salt. Stir everything together until well combined.
03 - Cover the slow cooker 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 pieces from the slow cooker and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded chicken back to the pot.
05 - Stir in the cheese tortellini, heavy cream, and fresh baby spinach. Fold gently to distribute evenly without breaking the pasta.
06 - Cover and switch the slow cooker to the high setting. Cook 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 cheese and chopped fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- You literally walk away for four hours and come back to dinner that tastes like you stood at the stove all afternoon.
- The tortellini soaks up the creamy broth and turns into these impossibly tender little pillows that nobody can resist.
02 -
- If you lift the lid during the four hour cook, the broth stays thin and the vegetables never fully soften, so truly walk away and forget about it.
- Frozen tortellini needs five to ten extra minutes and can split open if you stir too aggressively, so handle it with care.
03 -
- Sear the chicken chunks in a hot skillet for two minutes before adding them to the crockpot and you will get a depth of flavor that tastes like you tried much harder than you did.
- Add a tiny pinch of nutmeg to the cream before stirring it in, because it is a quiet secret that makes every cream sauce taste warmer and more complex.