Home > Dinner > Chicken Tortellini Chicken Tortellini March 13, 2020 | 62 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Chicken Tortellini combines delicious cheese-filled tortellini, tender bites of chicken, and fresh broccoli, tossed in a cheesy sauce and baked until hot and bubbly. This easy casserole is comforting, flavorful, and filling. Chicken Tortellini can be prepared ahead of time and is the perfect dish to bring to a family or friend in need. Serve this dish alongside a simple Fruit Salad and these Dinner Rolls. As far as comfort food goes, there aren’t too many things better than lots of cheese and plenty of pasta (ok, or Mashed Potatoes, too!). And while mac & cheese is fine and all, when you try this Chicken Tortellini recipe, it may just become your go-to choice for comfort food. It’s so quick and easy to make, thanks to a few shortcuts. We’re using rotisserie chicken (already cooked, tender, and flavorful chicken with zero prep) and frozen tortellini that you don’t need to thaw or bake beforehand. We’re also skipping a pot to cook the broccoli in because if you cut it small enough, it will bake through in time. I’m all about the shortcuts (as long as they work) and I can tell you this casserole comes out perfectly every single time! While this meal is pretty inclusive — veggies (broccoli), protein (chicken), and carbs (pasta), it could benefit from being served alongside some greens or a lighter side dish. Below are a few ideas. What to serve with Chicken Tortellini For side dishes, a large garden salad (such as this Olive Garden Salad copycat or this Italian Salad) would be delicious. Hard dinner rolls, garlic bread, or crusty bread would create a delicious avenue to sop up any leftover creamy sauce. While this dish already has broccoli, if you’re looking to add more veggies, these Roasted Vegetables are a great option for a side dish. Love chicken and tortellini? Here are some other ideas. Chicken Tortellini variations Chicken Tortellini with pesto: This is our favorite Pesto Chicken Tortellini recipe. Switch up veggies: Instead of broccoli, try frozen peas or chopped fresh baby spinach. Lighter sauce: Use fat-free sour cream and 1% milk for a cheese sauce with less fat. Chicken Tortellini marinara: Try this recipe and swap out the sausage for chopped rotisserie chicken. Chicken tortellini salad: Try this Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad and add some chopped rotisserie chicken Cheesy Chicken Tortellini soup: Here’s our favorite Chicken Tortellini Soup! Chicken Tortellini storage Preparing ahead of time To make this in advance, assemble the casserole according to recipe instructions right up until baking (store panko topping separately to avoid a soggy topping). Cover with foil and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, let the casserole sit on the counter as the oven preheats to 375 degrees F. Add panko topping and cover the casserole with foil. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around the edges. Reheating To reheat Chicken Tortellini in the oven, cover the leftovers in the casserole dish with foil and bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until warmed through. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave. Freezing Make and assemble according to directions, up until adding the panko. Store panko in a bag separately to avoid a soggy topping. Let the casserole cool from the warm cheese sauce. Wrap securely with plastic wrap and then foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge (it can take up to 24 hours to fully thaw). Bake, covered, at 375 degrees F for 45-55 minutes. Add panko topping in the last 10 minutes of baking. QUICK TIP What’s so special about panko? They’re Japanese-style bread crumbs, yes, but they produce exceptional results. Panko bread crumbs have a dryer and flakier consistency than regular breadcrumbs, which means they absorb less oil. Panko produces lighter and crunchier baked and fried foods. Chicken Tortellini quick tips: Make sure to only use 1 pound (16 ounces) of tortellini. Any more and the sauce won’t be sufficient to coat and cover everything. I have tried this dish with fresh tortellini, but it tends to absorb too much liquid. I recommend sticking with frozen tortellini. Freshly grated cheese allows for a perfect melt into the cream sauce. If you use pre-shredded cheese, the coating on it keeps it from melting as well or tasting as fresh. More comfort food favorites: Quinoa Enchilada Bake One skillet Cheesy Taco Pasta Chicken Divan Cheese Stuffed Meatballs One Skillet Chicken Enchilada Pasta FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Chicken Tortellini 4.93 from 28 votes - Review this recipe Chicken Tortellini combines delicious cheese-filled tortellini pasta, tender bites of chicken, and fresh broccoli, tossed in a cheesy sauce and baked until hot and bubbly. This easy casserole is comforting, flavorful, and satisfying. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chicken Tortellini 4.93 from 28 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chicken Tortellini combines delicious cheese-filled tortellini pasta, tender bites of chicken, and fresh broccoli, tossed in a cheesy sauce and baked until hot and bubbly. This easy casserole is comforting, flavorful, and satisfying. Course Dinner Cuisine American Keyword Chicken Tortellini Prep Time 25 minutes minutes Cook Time 37 minutes minutes Total Time 1 hour hour 2 minutes minutes Servings 6 -8 Chelsea Lords Calories 739kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $6.12 Ingredients▢ 2 cups broccoli, chopped into very small pieces▢ 2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped into small pieces▢ 1 pound (16 ounces) cheese-filled tortellini frozen, not fresh or dried▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter▢ 1/3 cup white all-purpose flour▢ 1 cup milk (1%, 2% or whole; I use 1%)▢ 1 cup chicken broth or chicken stock▢ 1 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese▢ 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided▢ 1/2 cup sour cream (I use fat free)▢ 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: dried parsley flakes, roasted garlic powder▢ 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion▢ Salt and pepperTopping▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter▢ 3/4 cup panko (next to breadcrumbs) InstructionsCASSEROLE: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the broccoli into small pieces (no need to cook beforehand if you chop it small). Chop the chicken into small pieces. Add both to the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add the frozen (not thawed and not cooked) tortellini on top. Toss everything to combine.SAUCE: Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, gradually add in flour, while whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms. Whisk for one minute to cook out the raw flour taste and then gradually add in 1/3 cup of the milk while whisking constantly. Gradually add 1/3 cup chicken stock or broth while continuing to whisk. Add in another 1/3 cup milk, another 1/3 cup stock, last remaining 1/3 cup milk, and last remaining 1/3 cup stock. Whisk after each addition until completely smooth and sauce is thickened. Add in 1 cup of sharp Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and whisk until completely smooth. Add in sour cream and whisk again until smooth. Stir in the chicken bouillon powder, Dijon mustard, dried parsley, garlic powder, granulated onion, and salt and pepper to taste. (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add to taste preference -- the Parmesan cheese does add a good amount of saltiness as well.)ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour the sauce over everything in the casserole dish and toss ingredients to coat evenly. Make sure the tortellini is covered with the sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over top of the casserole. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the 2 tablespoons butter for the topping. Add the panko crumbs and toast, stirring constantly, until panko is light brown and toasted. After casserole has baked for 30 minutes, remove and then sprinkle the topping evenly over the cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 8-10 minutes or until warm and bubbly. Remove and serve hot. Nutrition FactsServing: 8servings | Calories: 739kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 1398mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 986IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 543mg | Iron: 3mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Holy moly, now THIS is how you do a Monday-night dinner for sure. 😀 Love all that cheesy tortellini goodness. This ones’s going on the dinner rotation without a doubt! Reply
You know I was just thinking about how I haven’t made tortellini in FOREVER and then poof! This wonderfully creamy tortellini bake appears in my feed. 😀 This is going into the dinner rotation asap. Thanks Chelsea! Reply
Wonderful recipe for this time of year not only from the comfort food position, but because we have more guests overall and LESS time for fixing meals because of everything else. Reply
I made this last night and LOVED it! The cheese sauce turned out incredible and it was all pretty easy to make! I used ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs (which are pretty much the same thing) and everything turned our perfect! The main thing I love about your blog: All of the recipes are fool proof and always turn out great! Can’t wait to make this again! Reply
Just made this for dinner and it was delicious! I tried putting half of it in the freezer to cook later… we’ll see if that works. Reply
Made this for my hunnny tonight, he is currently in treatment so he loves it on Visitation days because I always try a new recipe for dinner for him ( Food there is horrible ) He told me that this was probably the best food he has ever had. He is the type that enjoys home cooked meals. Told me he would like me to save the recipe and make it again for him. He ate HALF of this! haha! To be honest I was worried that this would be a little bland but everything cooked together really made it a great thick creamy flavor. I didn’t have breadcrumbs so I just crushed up Ritz crackers. Next time he would like me to add Mushrooms and onions, that was his only suggestion! I loved it as well. Thank you very much!! Reply
can this be prepared then put in a casserole crock pot instead of the oven? It’s too hot for the oven in AZ Reply
I haven’t recipe tested this dish in a crockpot, so I don’t want to say or give recommendations without further recipe testing. I believe it would work as long as the tortellini was added already cooked when added to the other ingredients (once they are done in the crockpot), but I can’t say for sure it would all work out perfectly. Sorry to not be of more help. Reply
Just made this tonight and it was delicious! The whole family loved it! I was afraid the sauce would not thicken but it turned out just perfect. Reply
This is the best recipe! I have made it probably four times and it is now one of our families more common dinner choices! Tastes great and comes out perfect!! Reply
Sounds delic. Got everything to make tonight except the Broc. I wanted to use fresh but most recipes call for frozen. What so u prefer? Reply
Here you go: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2019-06-24-at-12.04.33-PM.png Reply
Hi! Looks like the recipe changed? I used to make your delicious cream cheese chicken tortellini. I love that recipe! Do you still have it? Reply
Hey Nelly! Yes, right here: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2019-06-24-at-12.04.33-PM.png Reply
I have a similar meal with pesto in it 🙂 https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/pesto-chicken-tortellini/ Reply
I made this delicious meal last night. All my family and I can say is “yummy!” My 3 year olds review: “This is the best supper I have ever had here (home)!” I definitely recommend this one. Thank you!! Reply
I made this tonight and the flavors were on point but my tortellini was too hard. Any suggestions? Reply
How would you recommend adapting this recipe using fresh tortellini instead of frozen? Thanks! 🙂 Reply
I have made it a few times with frozen. Tonight I only had fresh so I tried it. I didn’t change a thing and it turned out perfectly. I thought it might be mushy but it wasn’t at all. Reply
excellent recipe except i would not get rotisserie already cooked chicken. i cooked in my air fryer b4 baking drying it out too much. i imagine small cut up bits of uncooked chicken would be better also the sauce was cooked out with 40min baking. i would make a little more sauce and add it last 10 minutes. Reply
I found this recipe when I was looking for something different for my husband who has pretty severe GERD. I was tired I grilled chicken and fish. This was just what we needed! It had so much flavor and so easy! Definitely going into our rotation ❤️ Reply
10/10!! I accidentally put all the Parmesan into the sauce but it still turned out great thankfully. Fed 4 people and the pan was totally empty by the end. Reply
I made it tonight with refrigerator tortellini and it was perfect. I followed the recipe exactly and it tasted the same as when I’ve used frozen. Reply
Made this recipe tonight, and it’s really really good. Followed the recipe except that I added about 4 oz quartered white button mushrooms. I’ll definitely make it again. Reply
I made this for hubby and myself . Is so yummy . I am wondering gif i can assemble ahead and freeze to bake later with the frozen tortellini. Reply
You know when you have every intention of making something properly but then things kind of change? We couldn’t find any rotisserie chickens at the market, so I made some chicken thighs with the same seasonings used in the sauce. Misread the type of cheese and got mozzarella. Also added a little too much tortellini, it’s baking now and doesn’t look too terrible. Will possibly update for taste! Wish me luck. Reply
Hi, can I make this the night before and refrigerate…then bake the next day? Thanks in advance! Marie Reply
I don’t know what I did wrong, but even with extra milk, chicken stock, and sour cream, my tortellini was incredibly dry and chewy. The other component ingredients were fine, but not the noodles themselves. Reply
My husband HATES sour cream, so I subbed milk instead. Let it thicken up a little longer, worked great! Thank you for the recipe Reply
YAY! So happy you were able to make this work with personal taste preferences! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂 Reply
