One skillet meals like this Chicken Sausage and Tortellini make easy dinners a breeze — with very little clean up at the end! The pasta, the sausage, and the veggies all cook together in a rich Italian sauce for a simple supper that’s ready in less than 30 minutes!
Whether you have kids or not, dinner just seems like a tough meal for most of us to pull together. We’re tired at the end of the day, rushed if we get home late, and just generally starving and cranky!
Add a fussy baby, roughhousing school-age boys, or an over-tired toddler to the mix and it’s no wonder that carry-out pizza or mac and cheese starts to look good.
What if I told you that this one skillet tortellini recipe will come to your rescue — even when you think the dinnertime cards are stacked against you?! I’ve tested it myself under the most stressful circumstances, and I can honestly say that it’s a WINNER. One skillet. Less than 30 minutes. Plenty of veggies to assuage any pasta guilt. Aaaaaaand…your roughhousing school-age boys will actually eat it!
The first time I tested this recipe was a few months ago when Spencer had first started potty training. Since he’s my third child, potty training looked a lot different for him than it did for the first two boys. Mamma was tired! No reward charts. No prize boxes. No constant reminders to go. No nothin’. He decided he was ready, and he basically taught himself. The only problem was that he wanted to do everything on his own.
So while I tried to be hands-off and let him do his “thing,” there were a few not-so-pretty days where I found dirty toilet paper in places it didn’t belong, and splashes of urine in other places it didn’t belong. I felt as though I was running around the house with cleaner and a towel every time I turned my back.
So what the HECK does Spencer’s potty training have to do with this tortellini recipe? Well, let’s just say that I was able to make the dish for dinner while simultaneously dodging roughhousing school-aged boys, mopping hardwood floors, and packing school lunches for the next day. It’s that easy. Potty training can be stressful, but dinner doesn’t have to be!
No matter what chaotic mess is going on your house at the end of the day, I can guarantee that this Chicken Sausage and Tortellini will be on the table in less than 30 minutes. Best of all, you’ll only have one skillet to wash…giving you more time to mop up the floor when your self-taught potty-training-child has left his mark!?
Enjoy, friends!
One Skillet Chicken Sausage and Tortellini
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 6
Ingredients
- ÂĽ cup olive oil
- 12 ounces fully-cooked chicken sausage, sliced into bite-sized rounds (I used Al Fresco Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage)
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 (12 ounce) package frozen baby broccoli florets, thawed
- 9 ounces fresh cheese tortellini (I used refrigerated Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini)
- 26 ounce jar marinara sauce (about 3.25 cups total)
- ½ cup chicken broth (or water)
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Garnish with grated Parmesan, fresh basil, parsley, or thyme, if desired
Instructions
- Heat olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat (about 1-2 minutes). Stir in sausage rounds and cook until browned (about 5 minutes). Add pepper, onion, broccoli, tortellini, marinara sauce, and broth (or water). Bring to a boil.
- Once the mixture boils, turn the heat to LOW, cover, and simmer for about 7-9 minutes (or until tortellini is tender). Remove from heat.
- Remove lid, sprinkle mozzarella over the tortellini, and place the lid back on top until the cheese melts (about 1 minute). Garnish with Parmesan and fresh herbs, if desired.
I love using tortellini in skillet meals! I just made a dish using Italian sausage the other week, so I’ve got to try this chicken sausage version. Love the pretty colors too, Blair! Looks delish!
Thanks, Gayle! We definitely have the same tastebuds! 🙂
No more potty training horror stories!! LOL. We keep trying to get ours to take interest, but NOT INTERESTED. I cannot wait to stop buying diapers for both kids. UGH. Busy moms love one pot meals. Once again you nailed it and the photos are stunning!
Ugh…boys are tough when it comes to the potty training, Chrissa. My best tip is to just wait until they’re ready. Forcing it is such a wasted, stressful effort! My boys were each 3 years old before they seemed ready to handle it, so don’t worry about your little guy. It will happen! 🙂
I absolutely LOVE one skillet dinners, even though my potty training days are 20 years behind me! I promise it will happen one day…and in the meantime, yay you for this scrumptious recipe!
Hah! Thank you so much, Kate! I’m sure that I will still love one skillet meals in 20 years as well! 🙂 Have a great week!
Yummy! This makes a delicious lunch idea, Blair!
Thanks, Agness! I agree — it’s great for lunch or dinner!
Just found your site and have to say thank you so much for including nutritional info! Having recently been diagnosed as Type 2 Diabetic, that’s quickly becoming the first thing I look for whenever I find a delicious looking recipe. And I’ve bookmarked several of your recipes to try in the very near future because I know they fit within my dietary limits. Looking foward to checking out more recipes!
Hi, Sue! I’m so glad that you find the nutrition information helpful and that you will try some new recipes from the blog. Enjoy, and thanks again for reading along with us!
What a wonderful recipe! And so easy. One pot meals are so convenient. And I love the blue skillet.
Thanks so much, Danielle! I agree — one pot meals are the way to go!
I saw this recipe on Pinterest and it’s one of the best I’ve ever tried. It’s very easy to make and so flavorful. My husband really liked it and suggested that I make it the next time we have company. By the way, this is the first time I’ve ever left a comment about a recipe. It was that good!
Hi, Marian! Thank you SO much for your kind words! I really appreciate your feedback and I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe! Have a great week. 🙂
Do you think this recipe would work as a crockpot meal. As a working mother of 2 young children I have found the crockpot to be a helpful friend
Hi, Amy! I totally understand what you mean when you say that the slow cooker is helpful as a busy mom! I use my Crock Pot at least once a week for that same reason!
I have never tried this particular recipe in the slow cooker, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. If you need more easy slow cooker recipes, though, my blog has TONS of them. You can search for “slow cooker” in the search bar in my righthand sidebar and see plenty of options. Here’s a link directly to the slow cooker list, too: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/?s=slow+cooker