This Chicken Tortellini Casserole features cheese-filled tortellini, chicken, and broccoli, all tossed in a cheesy sauce and baked until bubbly. This casserole is comforting and flavorful.
author’s note
My Kids Favorite Dinner, Maybe Ever!
There isn’t much better than pasta covered in a creamy cheese sauce (or mashed potatoes!), especially when the pasta is already stuffed with cheese.
When I was working on this casserole, I wanted to make it as easy as possible without cutting corners on the final dish. I didn’t want to boil a separate pot of tortellini, cook the broccoli in another pan, and then assemble everything before putting it back in the oven.
So I started testing it with the tortellini straight from the freezer and chopped the broccoli small enough to cook right alongside it. It worked perfectly.
From there, I added rotisserie chicken to keep things simple and made a quick homemade cheese sauce. And since a creamy casserole needs a little texture, I finish it with buttery toasted panko.
It ended up being a dinner my whole family devoured and I knew I needed to share!
Chicken Tortellini Casserole Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tips & Swaps |
|---|---|
| Frozen cheese tortellini | Use a 16-ounce package straight from the freezer. Don’t thaw or boil it first. |
| Rotisserie chicken | My favorite shortcut. Leftover cooked chicken works too. Chop it fairly small so you get chicken in every bite. |
| Broccoli | Cut it into very small florets so it becomes tender while the casserole bakes. |
| Sharp cheddar and parmesan | Sharp Cheddar gives the sauce more flavor than mild cheese. Freshly grated is best! |
| Sour cream | Makes the sauce creamy while adding a little tang to balance all the cheese. |
| Dijon mustard | You won’t taste mustard. It adds depth and helps balance the richness of the sauce. |
| Chicken bouillon | Adds a big boost of savory flavor. Since bouillon and Parmesan are both salty, season with additional salt at the end. |
| Panko breadcrumbs | Toast them in butter before adding them to the casserole for the best crispy topping. |
Featured Comment
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!!
– Jenny
How To Make Chicken Tortellini Casserole
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Mix: In a baking dish, combine broccoli, rotisserie chicken, and frozen tortellini.
- Sauce: Melt butter, whisk in flour, add milk and broth. Stir in cheeses and seasonings.
- Combine: Pour sauce over the tortellini mixture and stir. Top with Parmesan.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake. Add panko mixed with melted butter, then bake.
Variations
Switch Things Up
- Chicken tortellini casserole with pesto: This is my favorite pesto tortellini recipe.
- 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.
- Cheesy Chicken Tortellini soup: Here’s my favorite chicken tortellini soup.
Storage
Leftovers?
- Preparing Ahead: Assemble the chicken tortellini casserole (save the panko topping) and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready, let it sit at room temp while preheating to 375°F. Add panko, cover with foil, and bake for 45-50 minutes until bubbly.
- Reheating: Cover leftovers with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, or microwave individual servings.
- Freezing: Assemble up to the panko step, cool, then wrap tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months.
What To Serve With Chicken Tortellini:
Chicken Tortellini Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups broccoli chopped into very small pieces
- 2 cups cooked chicken like rotisserie, chopped into small pieces
- 1 pound cheese-filled tortellini 16 ounces, frozen, not fresh or dried
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk 1%, 2% or whole; I use 1%
- 1 cup chicken stock or chicken broth
- 1 cup freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 1/2 cup sour cream I use fat-free
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs next to breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. In a 9×13-inch baking dish, combine chopped broccoli, chicken, and frozen tortellini (no need to thaw). Toss everything together.
- 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 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste, then gradually add in 1/3 cup of the milk while whisking constantly. Gradually add 1/3 cup chicken stock while continuing to whisk. Add in another 1/3 cup milk, another 1/3 cup stock, remaining 1/3 cup milk, and remaining 1/3 cup stock. Whisk after each addition until completely smooth and sauce is thickened.
- Add sharp Cheddar and 1/2 cup Parmesan and whisk until completely smooth. Add 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 adds a good amount of saltiness.)
- 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 over 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 and toast, stirring constantly, until panko is light brown and toasted. After casserole has baked for 30 minutes, remove and sprinkle the topping evenly over the cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 8–10 minutes or until warm and bubbly. Remove and serve hot.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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?
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
Thank you so much!
Why did you change the recipe? Can you also post the old recipe with cream cheese?
Here you go: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2019-06-24-at-12.04.33-PM.png
I am wondering if I could use ravioli rather than tortellini in this recipe? Thanks bunches!
I haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work 🙂
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?
I prefer fresh 🙂 Enjoy!
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!!
Awe that is SO great to hear!! Thank you so much Taylor! 🙂
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.
So great to hear!! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
can this be prepared then put in a casserole crock pot instead of the oven? It’s too hot for the oven in AZ
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.
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!!
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.
Can I use tortellini from refrigerator which isn’t frozen one, thanks’
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!