Cheese tortellini with chicken, bacon and veggies
Hello! Last night was a night that I desperately needed a quick and easy dinner. I felt horrible! The crazy Oklahoma weather was wreaking havoc with my rheumatoid arthritis. I hurt everywhere all day. So trust me when I tell you that this is easy to make.
I wanted to make something different, so I scanned the kitchen for ingredients and this is what I came up with.
With an assist from frozen tortellini, this is so easy and quick! It was delicous and filling too! You can’t go wrong with chicken in this house, and bacon… can you ever go wrong with bacon? Not in my world.
I also got an assist from my InstantPot. I love my InstantPot for cooking chicken! I put 3 frozen chicken breasts (seasoned with salt and pepper) in with 1/4 cup of water and cooked for 12 minutes. Let it naturally release, then remove breasts to a plate to cool. When they are cool, slice them up. Or dice, or shred… whatever I need.
If you’d like to try this deliciousness, here’s what you’ll need:
3 chicken breasts (sliced)
6 slices bacon (crumbled)
1 19 oz package frozen cheese tortellini
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes (mine had onion and garlic added)
1/2 large red onion (diced)
16 ounces fresh spinach
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cup half & half
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
5 cloves garlic (minced)
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
Ok. Let’s do this!
Start your water to boil the tortellini.
Cook tortellini according to package directions.
In a large deep pan, cook 6 slices of bacon.
I use this awesome Cravings by Chrissy Teigen 5 quart everyday pan. It is the perfect size for so many of my pasta recipes, and it’s oven safe, too! I love it!!
Remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Add onion and garlic to bacon drippings. Saute for approximately 1 minute, until onions soften and garlic is fragrant.
Next, add sliced chicken to pan with onions and garlic. Cook until chicken is warmed through.
Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Pour in chicken broth to deglaze the pan.
Add the tomatoes, stir into chicken broth.
Add the half & half and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the parmesan cheese. Stir into sauce and allow cheese to melt.
Add red pepper flakes to taste.
Turn off heat and add spinach. Stir into sauce until it wilts.
Finally, add in the chicken and tortellini. Toss with spoon to combine.
You could change this recipe up in so many ways. You could leave out the chicken or bacon, or both! You could use different vegetables. Just make what you and your family enjoy!
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Cheese Tortellini With Chicken, Bacon and Veggies
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts sliced
- 6 slices bacon crumbled
- 1 19 oz package frozen cheese tortellini
- 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes mine had onion and garlic added
- 1/2 large red onion diced
- 16 ounces fresh spinach
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cup half & half
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Start your water to boil the tortellini.
- Cook tortellini according to package directions.
- In a large deep pan, cook 6 slices of bacon.
- Remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Add onion and garlic to bacon drippings. Saute for approximately 1 minute, until onions soften and garlic is fragrant.
- Next, add sliced chicken to pan with onions and garlic. Cook until chicken is warmed through.
- Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Pour in chicken broth to deglaze the pan.
- Add the tomatoes, stir into chicken broth.
- Add the half & half and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the parmesan cheese. Stir into sauce and allow cheese to melt.
- Add red pepper flakes to taste.
- Turn off heat and add spinach. Stir into sauce until it wilts.
- Finally, add in the chicken and tortellini. Toss with spoon to combine.