Dump-and-bake chicken tortellini Alfredo is an easy dinner with just 5 minutes of prep. You don’t even have to boil the pasta before the casserole goes into the oven!
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If you love cheese tortellini, don’t miss this tortellini salad with chicken, a pot of chicken tortellini soup, Italian sausage tortellini soup, a chicken tortellini bake, and this one-skillet cheese tortellini with chicken sausage, too!
This recipe is a gem! I love it. It’s going to be a regular for sure. My boyfriend is obsessed! He said he wouldn’t be upset eating this every day!…
– Ashley
Video: How to Make Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
This Chicken Tortellini Bake is Perfect for Busy Weeknights
You can never have too many chicken tortellini recipes! This chicken tortellini bake is particularly special because the pasta cooks in the same dish alongside the creamy sauce, chicken, and veggies. While traditional recipes call for boiling tortellini, this dump-and-bake method is a hands-off option that skips that step. The quick, flavorful, comforting, and incredibly easy creamy tortellini Alfredo is a perfect dinner for busy weeknights!
You’ll stir the chicken and the frozen vegetables into the casserole at the end of the cooking time (so that they don’t get too mushy), and finish it off with a sprinkling of cheese on top. I don’t know about your house, but that’s an easy meal that my whole family can agree on.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- This recipe calls for frozen cheese tortellini. Do not thaw the tortellini before adding it to the dish. Using thawed tortellini, fresh tortellini, or dry tortellini will change the recommended baking time.
- While tortellini and ravioli are both stuffed pastas with meats, cheeses, or vegetables, they are not quite the same. Ravioli is two layers of pasta that form a pillow-like shape, whereas tortellini is folded into hat-like, ring shapes that are similar to dumplings.
- You’ll need 3 cups of Alfredo sauce, so you can purchase two 15-ounce jars, or make your own sauce from scratch if you prefer.
- Dried thyme is a convenient pantry staple, but you can use fresh thyme when available. You will need about 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves. You can also sub with other herbs, such as basil, rosemary, parsley, or oregano.
- I use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for convenience, but you can also cook your own chicken at home if you prefer. You will need about 1 lb. of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) to equal about 2 cups of cooked, shredded meat.
- Do not thaw the frozen mixed vegetables before adding them to the pan. I use a mixed vegetable blend of peas, carrots, corn, and green beans, but you can sub with any variety that you like. If using larger frozen vegetables like broccoli, you will need to thaw them first.
Directions
You know I love a good dump-and-bake dinner, because mealtimes are chaotic enough. If it’s simple, it’s a winner — and this chicken tortellini casserole is no exception. It tastes like a restaurant meal (but requires minimal effort). You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Combine the frozen tortellini, Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, and thyme in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Do not let the tortellini or veggies thaw before baking the casserole or the texture will be “off” and the cooking time will be different.
- Cover the casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken and frozen veggies, and sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes. The total baking time will vary depending on a number of different factors, including the type/size/brand of tortellini, the type of pan that you use, and on your individual oven. As a result, keep an eye on the tortellini mixture as it bakes. You’ll know it’s done when the pasta is al dente (tender with a firm bite). The tortellini will continue to cook and soften as it sits in the hot sauce, so you don’t want to overcook it and end up with mushy or torn tortellini.
- Garnish the dish with fresh herbs like fresh basil, fresh parsley, and fresh oregano for a bright finishing touch.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the chicken tortellini alfredo with garlic bread, pull apart garlic bread, Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuit recipe, flaky biscuits, no-knead cast iron focaccia, this baguette bread recipe, no-knead Dutch oven bread, 3-ingredient sour cream muffins, a green salad with either red wine vinegar salad dressing or Dijon vinaigrette, this house salad with candied pecans, garlic roasted broccoli, or a tomato salad with basil and balsamic.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can prep this dinner in advance and keep it stashed in the freezer until you’re ready to bake it. To do so, simply assemble the casserole, cover tightly with foil, and freeze the unbaked casserole for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake the tortellini alfredo, pull the dish out of the freezer and bake as instructed. You’ll need to extend the baking time some, so just keep your eye on it.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days; however, the pasta absorbs the sauce the longer it sits, and therefore can become mushy.
- Reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven just until warmed through, about 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat individual servings in a microwave for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to heat the leftover pasta for too long, though — overdone tortellini has a mushy, gummy texture.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers after baking. The thawed pasta will have an undesirable texture.
Delicious and so easy! I love the versatility of it — you could switch shrimp for chicken, basil for thyme (that’s what I did), and practically any vegetables. Would be great for a potluck!
– Elaine
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 (19 ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini (about 4.5 cups of frozen tortellini), do not thaw
- 3 cups Alfredo sauce (I use 2 jars that are 15 ounces each)
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (or use dried basil, oregano, parsley, chives, or Italian seasoning)
- 2 cups cooked, diced chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I used a blend of peas, carrots, corn, and green beans), do not thaw
- ½-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, or basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In the prepared dish (or in a separate bowl), stir together the frozen tortellini, Alfredo sauce, chicken broth (or water), and thyme. Cover tightly with foil. Bake (covered) for 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven; gently stir. At this point, the pasta should be tender (or almost tender).
- Stir in the chicken and the frozen mixed vegetables. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender and the cheese melts, about 5-10 more minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Use any flavor of frozen tortellini. We like cheese-filled tortellini, but a meat-filled tortellini or spinach tortellini will also work well.
- Try other veggies. For instance, use just peas, just corn, or just green beans instead of the mixed veggies. Alternatively, you can add broccoli florets. If using fresh broccoli, add it to the dish at the beginning. If using frozen broccoli, thaw it before stirring it into the dish at the end. Other good options include fresh or frozen (thawed and squeezed dry) baby spinach, or sauteed mushrooms, onion, and zucchini.
- Swap out the Alfredo sauce for jarred marinara sauce. Replace some of the chicken broth with white wine.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes or even just some ground black pepper for a spicy dish.
- Looking for a lower sodium option? Make your own homemade Alfredo sauce with butter and heavy cream so that you can control the amount of salt.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
More Cheese Tortellini Recipes
30-Minute Meatball Tortellini Soup
35 minutes mins
Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Skillet
30 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Tortellini and Meatballs
45 minutes mins
Originally published in December, 2015, this post was updated in May, 2025.
What a delicious casserole! I have no doubt that my husband would just gobble this down. Love how hearty it is!
Yep, it’s definitely man-friendly food, Gayle!
what a comfort dish! love the creamy sauce. Can i have it for breakfast?
Totally breakfast material! 🙂
I need to put this in a crockpot for a social.
Can I bake it in the oven first and then keep put it in the crockpot on warm to serve?
Should I baked it to half the time and then put it in the crockpot? It will be in the crockpot for about an hour before being served.
Hi Debbie! We haven’t tried this recipe in a crockpot and can’t say for sure. However, it will be more likley to become soggy.
That said, we do like this Crock Pot ravioli recipe, which cooks for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low. You might use that as a starting point, since tortellini is probably similar, and finish cooking in the crockpot when you arrive. Hope this helps!
I made this tonight – and it was DE-LISH. And super easy! The cream sauce is simple and very good – especially for a family that is into the simple ‘meat and potatoes’ type of meal. I put a little less cheese, because our family usually doctor’s up our own plate before we eat. I also used cut up mozzarella string cheese as we didn’t have any shredded Mozzarella – those turned out to be melty and delicious as well!
Thanks for the recipe!!
Wonderful! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Brittany! Thanks for letting me know!
This recipe is a gem! I love it. It’s going to be a regular for sure. My boyfriend is obsessed! He said he wouldn’t be upset eating this every day! Haha so guess what we are having again tonight for dinner?! I’m going to give it a try with raw fresh veggies instead of frozen this time and see how that turns out. Thanks so much for your effortless but still delicious meal idea!
Yay! I’m so glad that your boyfriend approves! 🙂 Thanks, Ashley!
Super easy and delicious!
Thanks, Sharon! So glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Delicious and so easy! I love the versatility of it — you could switch shrimp for chicken, basil for thyme (that’s what I did), and practically any vegetables. Would be great for a potluck!
Hi. Just saw this post. I’m wondering if I can toss in frozen shrimp with the tortellini instead of using chicken. Would that work?
Hi, Kimber! Yes, the shrimp will work really well! Just thaw the shrimp and wait to add them to the dish until the final 5-10 minutes of baking. The shrimp don’t take very long to cook, so you don’t want them overdone and tough. Here’s another dump-and-bake shrimp pasta dish that you can look at to see how I add them at the end: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/dump-bake-shrimp-scampi-linguine/
Hope that helps, and enjoy!
I loved Olive Gardens Tortellini Ala Fini, but they haven’t had it for years I was looking for a recipe for it, and stumbled upon this page. So I used Garlic Alredo Sauce, replaced the chicken with ham, and changed out the mixed veg for peas. I topped it with shredded mozzarella, parmesan and Italian bread crumbs.
I knew the ham had a lot of water, so I left out the broth. It turned out really well, if I do say so myself.
Thanks for your recipe!
Your version sounds delicious, Jim! Thanks for taking the time to leave a note. 🙂
Excellent!!! I took out the veggies & did them separately as well; my son & husband loved it. So easy, & not time consuming!!! Thank you!!
Yay! Thanks, Monica! I’m so glad that you made it work for your family. Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. 🙂
Kids love it! Wondering if it could be a dump and go in the crockpot? Any ideas on time?
Hi, Dani! Pasta can be tricky in the slow cooker since it can quickly go from perfect to overcooked and mushy. If you’re not around to check it regularly towards the end of the cooking time, it may very well be overdone in the end. Just something to keep in mind!
I haven’t tried tortellini in the slow cooker, so I don’t know a specific time to tell you. That said, I do like this Crock Pot ravioli recipe, which cooks for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low. You might use that as a starting point, since tortellini is probably similar. https://www.theseasonedmom.com/easy-slow-cooker-recipes-ravioli-casserole/
Hope that helps! 🙂
I know these are older comments, but just in case someone wants to try this in a slow cooker- I made it tonight and it turned out great. I omitted the chicken broth and cooked for about 3 hours on high. Tortellini was still perfect even leaving it on a warm for a bit.
This is a great recipe to keep ingredients on hand. I’ve made it several times when I didn’t have a plan for dinner.
That’s a great tip, Dawn. Thank you!
As long as the tortellini and frozen veg don’t thaw, can this be made ahead and frozen to reheat later? Thank you!
Hi, Laura! I haven’t tried that, since Alfredo (and other dairy-based sauces) don’t typically freeze well. They tend to separate or “break” when thawed, resulting in an undesirable texture. Since this recipe calls for a jar of Alfredo, it might be fine when frozen. Like I said, I just haven’t wanted to test it myself. Otherwise the rest of the ingredients should be totally fine!
Great – thank you! We’ll just make it as we need it. 🙂
Blair….first time I made it in December 2018 hubs gave it a 5 star. With a few personal tweaks I made it easier for me…..used a 24oz package of tortellini’s from BJ’s cause that the size it comes in. Used 2 16oz jars of alfredo. Diced 3 raw chicken breasts and added to the pasta, sauce and the vegies (chopped broccoli for us). 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth and either basil to thyme depending on my mood lol! Tossed all together in prepared dish and baked 35-40 minutes covered; uncovered added cheese and baked 5-10m more minutes. This has become my go to anytime I have to take someone a meal. THANK YOU!!!
Sounds perfect, Victoria! Thank you for sharing your version here, too — I know that others will find it helpful! 🙂
Could frozen ravioli be substituted for tortellini?
Hi, Kati! Yes, that should work well!
I would really limit or even omit thyme. Otherwise this was a great recipe!
I ended up using dry tortellini because I didn’t realize the recipe called for frozen and it’s what I had in the pantry at the time. I just increased the amount of chicken broth and Alfredo sauce that I used and it turned out amazing! I also seasoned my chicken very well with Italian seasoning when I cooked it and added a bit of shredded Parmesan for the saltiness. Love this recipe and it’s a winner with my family too!
We’re so glad it turned out well for you, Mary!
I took a chance using a 20 oz package of refrigerated Buitoni cheese tortellini & can say that it cooked up perfectly tender & saucy! So, no issues using fresh over frozen. My kids loved it & I think you’re absolutely genius with the dump & bake recipes.
We’re so glad it turned out well for you, Stephanie! Thank you for such kind words. We hope you continue to enjoy the recipes!
Will a doubled recipe fit in a 9×13?
Hi Kim! We haven’t tried doubling this recipe and can’t guarantee your results. We’re not sure all the ingredients would fit in one 9×13 dish! For the best results, we recommend using two. We hope you enjoy!