This Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Bacon is incredibly easy to prepare and makes for a perfect, satisfying weeknight dinner. Leveraging the convenience of frozen tortellini and pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, this meal comes together in record time, proving that delicious doesn’t have to mean complicated or time-consuming.
Tortellini has a magical way of simplifying dinnertime, transforming ordinary meals into something special with minimal effort. Its versatility allows for countless creative dishes, making it a true hero in any home cook’s pantry. If you’re looking to explore more delightful ways to incorporate tortellini into your menu and elevate your meal rotation, consider these other fantastic options:
- A comforting Chicken Tortellini Soup, perfect for a chilly evening or when you need a hearty yet quick bowl of warmth.
- A cheesy, satisfying Spinach and Artichoke Tortellini Bake, an ideal choice for feeding a crowd or for meal prepping a delicious, make-ahead dinner.
This post is brought to you by Hunt’s tomatoes. All opinions expressed herein are my own and reflect my genuine experience with their products.
Mastering the Art of the Weeknight Meal: A Culinary Philosophy for Busy Lives
The pursuit of the perfect weeknight meal is a constant in many households, and it’s a topic I often emphasize because I live and breathe it daily. It’s about more than just sustenance; it’s about finding that sweet spot where exceptional flavor, essential nutrition, and undeniable convenience brilliantly converge. While I truly cherish those moments when I can immerse myself in the kitchen, dedicating hours to craft an elaborate meal from scratch for my loved ones, the relentless reality of daily life often dictates a vastly different pace.
Just last Sunday, I indulged in such a culinary adventure. I spent a good two hours meticulously preparing a delicious, slow-cooked dinner, relishing every step of the process. It was a joyful experience, one where I truly reveled in the art of cooking. Yet, the irony wasn’t lost on me: after all that significant effort, we gathered around the table, eagerly devoured the meal in a mere ten minutes, and were then left with a daunting stack of dishes to tackle. This stark contrast vividly highlights why, for most nights of the week, a swift, satisfying, and easy-to-clean-up meal is not just a preference, but an absolute necessity for maintaining sanity amidst a busy schedule.
Let’s be candid: how often do our demanding schedules truly permit a two-hour cooking marathon followed by extensive cleanup? For most of us, the honest answer is “rarely, if ever.” While a leisurely Sunday might occasionally allow for such an endeavor, the demanding rhythm of Monday through Friday makes it an almost impossible feat. This profound realization underpins my unwavering focus on creating and sharing recipes that are inherently easy, remarkably fast, and perfectly suited for the weeknight rush. My mission is to empower you to put wholesome, flavorful meals on the table without feeling overwhelmed by the clock or the complexity of the recipe.
My Blueprint for Effortless & Delicious Weeknight Dinners
When I sit down to plan my weekly menu and decide what culinary creations will grace our dinner table during the bustling workweek, I adhere to a strict, three-pronged set of criteria. These guidelines ensure that the meals I prepare are not only delicious but also practical, budget-friendly, and, most importantly, stress-free:
1. Simplicity in Ingredients: A Streamlined Shopping List is Key. My first point of evaluation for any potential recipe is its ingredient list. If it reads like a grocery store manifest with 30 different items, many of which are obscure or require a special trip, it’s typically a hard pass. While I appreciate that complex spice blends can contribute to deep, nuanced flavors, a recipe that significantly inflates my grocery bill or demands an extensive treasure hunt for ingredients will likely be skipped. My unwavering goal is to utilize common, accessible ingredients that are either already on hand in my pantry or easily found during a standard grocery run, saving both time and money.
2. Minimal Prep Time is Paramount: Maximizing Efficiency. For someone like me who works from home, the active cooking time on the stove or in the oven isn’t always the biggest constraint. However, the hands-on “prep time” – the chopping, measuring, slicing, and initial assembly – needs to be short and sweet. My personal ceiling for active prep time is a maximum of 30 minutes. This allows me to quickly get dinner started without feeling overwhelmed, even on the busiest of days, ensuring that the cooking process remains enjoyable rather than a chore.
3. Guaranteed Family Approval (or at least partial!): The Ultimate Litmus Test. This criterion, while seemingly straightforward, is often the most challenging aspect of meal planning. With some of the world’s pickiest eaters under my roof, gaining universal approval is a rare and celebrated triumph. Despite my best efforts to introduce a diverse array of foods since they began solids, their palates remain wonderfully (and sometimes frustratingly) selective. So, if a meal can elicit positive reactions from at least two of my family members, prompting them to eat without complaint, I consider that a resounding success. It’s a win in my book when I don’t have to resort to elaborate negotiations or persuasive tactics just to get them to eat a wholesome meal.
Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Bacon: A Stellar Weeknight Winner
I am thrilled to announce that this Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Bacon triumphantly ticks all three of my demanding weeknight meal requirements, making it an absolute champion in my kitchen! Let’s review how it measures up:
- Few Ingredients? Check! This recipe calls for a wonderfully streamlined list of easily obtainable items, ensuring your grocery run is quick, efficient, and doesn’t require a special expedition for obscure products.
- 30 Minutes or Less Prep Time? Check! From the moment you start prepping to the instant it hits the table, this dish is genuinely ready in approximately 30 minutes. This incredible speed frees up your evenings for other activities, whether it’s helping with homework, enjoying family time, or simply relaxing after a long day.
- At Least Two Family Members Approve? Check, check, and check! This recipe was an undeniable hit with everyone. All three of my children, along with my husband, eagerly polished off their plates – a truly rare and joyous occurrence in my household! There were no bribes, no coercion, just genuine enjoyment and requests for seconds. That, my friends, is the definition of a culinary victory and a recipe worth repeating!
The secret to this recipe’s incredible speed and simplicity lies in its clever use of convenience ingredients that are readily available and require minimal fuss. We leverage the magic of frozen tortellini, a smart staple I often keep stocked in my freezer for emergency dinners or when I need a quick, comforting pasta fix. Complementing this is pre-cooked, shredded chicken. I usually have a batch of shredded chicken frozen for quick meal additions, but if you don’t, a readily available rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store works perfectly and is an excellent time-saver, requiring only a few minutes to shred.
The Unsung Hero: Quality Diced Tomatoes (Sponsored by Hunt’s)
Beyond the inherent convenience of frozen pasta and pre-cooked chicken, another key ingredient truly elevates this dish to its delicious potential: quality canned tomatoes. While my pantry isn’t overflowing with an extensive array of canned goods, diced tomatoes are an absolute essential for countless recipes, and my unwavering go-to choice is always Hunt’s. There are several compelling reasons why Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes consistently stand out as the best in my estimation, forming the vibrant heart of our creamy tomato sauce.
Firstly, I deeply appreciate that Hunt’s tomatoes are picked at the absolute peak of ripeness. This meticulous dedication to harvesting at the optimal moment translates directly into superior flavor and a naturally sweet, robust taste. Frankly, I often find that the rich, full-bodied flavor of Hunt’s canned tomatoes surpasses that of many “fresh” tomatoes available in grocery stores, which can sometimes be picked prematurely and lack true depth. This consistent, vibrant quality ensures a delicious and authentic base for all my tomato-based culinary creations.
But for me, the most significant selling point, and one that deeply resonates with my values, is Hunt’s innovative and responsible peeling process. Unlike some brands that might rely on harsh chemicals like lye* for peeling, Hunt’s employs a modern, gentle method called FlashSteam™. This advanced technique exclusively utilizes steam from hot water to delicately remove the tomato skins. The beauty of FlashSteam™ is twofold: it meticulously preserves the natural integrity, vibrant color, and fresh flavor of the tomatoes, and crucially, it avoids the use of chemical by-products, meaning nothing harmful is introduced back into the earth. This unwavering commitment to both superior product quality and admirable environmental responsibility is truly commendable and makes Hunt’s my preferred brand for all my tomato-centric recipes. It’s a choice I feel genuinely good about, both for my family’s nourishment and for its positive impact on the planet.
To further streamline this already simple Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Bacon recipe, you could certainly choose to omit the shredded chicken. However, I highly recommend including it for the significant added protein boost it provides, transforming the dish into a more complete and satisfying meal. As a bonus, my children are surprisingly amenable to eating shredded chicken, so I seize every opportunity to incorporate this wholesome ingredient into their meals whenever I can. It makes this dish even more filling, balanced, and appealing to diverse palates.
This delightful pasta dish has consistently earned a unanimous “two thumbs up” from everyone at my table, from the youngest eaters to the most discerning adults. It’s a powerful testament to the fact that quick and easy meals can also be incredibly flavorful, deeply satisfying, and genuinely family-friendly. I wholeheartedly encourage you to add this fantastic Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Bacon to your rotation of favorite weeknight dinners; it’s guaranteed to become a household favorite!
Explore More Easy & Delicious Pasta Dinners
If you’ve fallen in love with the simplicity and incredible flavor of this Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Bacon, you’ll be thrilled to discover more of my go-to easy pasta recipes that promise minimal fuss and maximum taste:
- Hearty Baked Penne Pasta: A comforting and cheesy casserole that’s perfect for family dinners or feeding a crowd, offering layers of flavor and satisfying textures.
- One-Skillet Lasagna: Experience all the classic, rich flavors of traditional lasagna, but ingeniously made in a single pan for remarkably easy preparation and even simpler cleanup.
- Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta: A luxurious yet surprisingly quick seafood pasta dish that feels incredibly gourmet and is perfect for a special weeknight treat or a casual gathering.
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Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Bacon Recipe
This Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Bacon is a super simple dish, making it the perfect choice for a fast and flavorful weeknight dinner. The combination of frozen tortellini and pre-cooked rotisserie chicken ensures it comes together incredibly quickly!
Recipe Details
- Author: Deborah Harroun
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 4 servings
- Course: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes, drained
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, crushed
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
- 19 oz package frozen cheese tortellini
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken recommended for convenience)
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Place the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the bacon is fully crisp and golden. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the cooked bacon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but about 1 tablespoon of the rendered bacon grease from the skillet, then return the pan to the heat.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet with the remaining bacon grease and sauté for about 30 seconds, or until it becomes wonderfully fragrant. Immediately stir in the chicken stock and the drained diced tomatoes. Season the mixture generously with Italian seasoning. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook until it is heated through, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Carefully add the cubed cream cheese to the simmering tomato mixture. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and vigorously, until the cream cheese has completely melted into the sauce and the mixture has slightly thickened to a beautifully creamy consistency. This process typically takes approximately 10 minutes.
- While the creamy tomato sauce is simmering and thickening, cook the frozen tortellini according to the package directions. It is important to ensure it’s cooked just al dente. Once cooked, thoroughly drain the tortellini.
- When the sauce has reached the desired creamy thickness, add the cooked tortellini, the shredded chicken, and the crispy bacon back into the skillet. Stir gently but thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well combined and evenly coated in the rich, delicious sauce. Serve immediately, topped with a generous sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese, if desired, for an extra burst of flavor.
Keywords: 30 minute meal, easy pasta recipes, shredded chicken, weeknight dinner, creamy tortellini, bacon pasta, tomato sauce, Italian cuisine
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*It is important to note that lye peeling is generally recognized as safe by the FDA and has no known adverse effects on the healthfulness or nutritional value of tomatoes.
This content is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hunt’s. All opinions and the accompanying text are entirely my own and reflect my genuine product experiences.