Easy Spicy Sausage Slow Cooker Cheesy Tortellini

This Easy Spicy Sausage Slow Cooker Cheesy Tortellini is a busy weeknight’s hero. It’s so easy to throw together and the hearty, meaty, cheesy tortellini goodness will have you making this again and again.

If you are searching for a delicious slow cooker cheesy tortellini meal to add to your weekly rotation, then look no further. This meal comes together so quickly. What’s better than covering your slow cooker with the lid and forgetting about it? Nothing. Especially during those hectic weeknights.

These are crazy times that we are in right now. Homeschooling, errands, the teen (and his job), the toddler, the baby and the nephew I see a lot, make for some very chaotic days. There are those extra special days where it seems like it’s all falling apart. Your young friends are not cooperating, and they’re crying and they’re arguing and they’re staining your rug. It makes getting a good meal on the table seem impossible. Well my friends, these are the days that the slow cooker was built for!

Any tips to make this slow cooker meal extra quick to throw together?

Yes! In fact, the very secret to making this slow cooker meal a quick prep one is to make your meat ahead of time. Of course, leftovers would work wonderfully for this as well. I roasted my hot Italian sausage in the oven while we ate dinner the night before.

If you need a speedy side, my Quick and Easy 5-Minute 5-Ingredient Garlic Bread is always a family favorite. And if you need an equally as effortless dessert, then my Easy 20-Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Croissants have your name written all over them for dessert!

What are different variations that I can make with this slow cooker cheesy tortellini recipe?

Typically, I make this recipe with ground beef (which I cook ahead of time), mushrooms and spinach. Following the recipe below, I would add the cooked beef in the meat sauce at the beginning of the cooking process in place of the hot Italian sausage. After cooking for three hours, I would add the fresh mushroom and spinach at the same time. Then, I would add the bag of meat tortellini from the freezer. Stir everything together, per usual. Top with the cheese and herbs and cover for the remaining cook time.

This slow cooker cheesy tortellini recipe would also be amazing for a meatless Monday meal with some of your favorite veggies.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Add hot Italian sausage to a pan sprayed baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the sausage halfway through cooking. Once cooked, slice sausage thinly. Pro Tip: Sausage is such an easy and low maintenance meat to cook so baking the sausage the night before is a great time saver.

2. Set crockpot to low heat. Pan spray the pot and add meat sauce, minced garlic, salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, dried parsley flakes, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, Equal and thinly sliced sausage and stir until well combined. Cover for 3 hours.

3. Add the bag of frozen meat tortellini straight from the freezer. Stir to mix in with the sauce. Cover with the Italian cheese blend. Sprinkle the top of the cheese with ½ teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Cover and cook for an additional 2 hours.

What are you making for dinner tonight? Let me know what variation you came up with for this slow cooker cheesy tortellini meal in the comments below!

Easy Spicy Sausage Slow Cooker Cheesy Tortellini

Dominique Collins-Bloomfield

This Easy Spicy Sausage Slow Cooker Cheesy Tortellini is a busy weeknight's hero. It's so easy to throw together and the hearty, meaty, cheesy tortellini goodness will have you making this again and again.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Ingredients

  

• 1 Pound hot Italian sausage
• 36 Ounces meat sauce (canned/jarred)
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (jar)
• 1½ Teaspoon salt
• ½ and ½ Teaspoon black pepper
• 1 and 1 Teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1½ Packets Equal (or 1 tablespoon sugar)
• 26 Ounces frozen meat tortellini
• 8 Ounces bagged Italian cheese blend

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°. Add hot Italian sausage to a pan sprayed baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the sausage halfway through cooking. Once cooked, slice sausage thinly. Pro Tip: Sausage is such an easy and low maintenance meat to cook so baking the sausage the night before is a great time saver.
• Set crockpot to low heat. Pan spray the pot and add meat sauce, minced garlic, salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, dried parsley flakes, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, Equal and thinly sliced sausage and stir until well combined. Cover for 3 hours.
• Add the bag of frozen meat tortellini straight from the freezer. Stir to mix in with the sauce. Cover with the Italian cheese blend. Sprinkle the top of the cheese with ½ teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Cover and cook for an additional 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!