Tortellini Chicken Bake

*recipe updated 4/21/2025*

Cheese tortellini, chunks of tender chicken, and mushrooms in a creamy sauce. This easy dinner recipe is always a hit with the whole family.

Why I love this recipe

I have been making this recipe for years. This recipe is easy to make when bringing someone a meal because even the pickiest eaters love it. It’s a casserole that is easy to separate. If someone doesn’t want the mushrooms, they can push them aside. A kid who eats nothing but chicken nuggets will love the tortellini in creamy sauce. It comes together quickly and is very forgivable when it comes to ingredients. You can use heavy cream or whole milk if you don’t have sour cream. Don’t have Monterey jack cheese; use mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese. Fresh tortellini or frozen both work great. I also love chicken tortellini because I can make it a day or two in advance and bake it whenever. I hope you love this easy dinner as much as we do. Now let’s get cookin”!

Gather these ingredients

How to make Chicken Tortellini Bake

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cook the cheese tortellini according to the package instructions. Drain well in a colander and arrange in an even layer in a 9×13 baking dish. 

Place flour in a shallow dish, mix with seasoning salt, and dredge chicken chunks in flour. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken pieces in butter in shifts; do not try to cook all the chicken at once. When the chicken pieces are golden brown, remove them to a plate and add more chicken to the pan until all the chicken is cooked. 

Layer tender chicken pieces over tortellini in a casserole dish. No need to grease pan.

*Clean and trim mushrooms.

Without cleaning the pan, add 3/4 cup chopped onion to it. The moisture from the onions will help loosen all the browned goodness from the chicken. Using a spatula, saute onions and loosen browned bits when they start to look translucent.

Add mushrooms to the pan and saute with the onions. Cook mushrooms until they start to brown and give off water.

Add 1 can of chicken stock or broth and chicken bouillon to the pan. Scrape up any browned bits with a spatula.

Keep the stove at medium heat and add sour cream and remainder of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Stir continuously until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes creamy. This will take a few minutes. Be patient with the cheese; she wants to turn into a glob. Keep stirring; it will all work out, I promise. 

Pour sauce over tortellini and juicy chicken pieces. It’s lookin’ good! Give the baking dish a little jiggle on the counter to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed; you can also use a spatula. 

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and seal around the edges. Place in a 325-degree preheated oven for 30 minutes. 

Tips & Variations

• Tortellini: I have used dried tortellini pasta, fresh, and frozen in this recipe. They all work. You could also use different varieties of filled tortellini. Spinach and cheese filled are our next favrotie variety to use.
• Making ahead / Freezing: This casserole is perfect for meal prep. Make ahead and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to allow the dish to cool completely before placing it in the fridge. Remove and bake at 325 for 45 minutes. I would not recommend freezing this recipe. It dried out, and the sauce did not hold up like when I made it fresh and baked it.
• Proteins: I have also made this with a 1.5 pounds of ground turkey or ground chicken. Brown meat with onions, add in mushrooms, saute until mushrooms start to brown. then sprinkle meat and onions with flour and make sauce the same as below.
• Seasoning: 1. Feel free to get creative with adding different spices to this recipe. 2. If I have fresh basil I will chop a couple tablespoons and add them to the sauce. 3. Add fresh ground black pepper, to the sauce while it’s simmering. 4. A teaspoon of Italian seasoning also complements this dish well, add to the sauce.
• Serving: Serve this creamy chicken tortellini bake with a side of green beans or broccoli, a salad, and garlic bread will make your meal complete! 
• Add spinach: Chop 2 cups of fresh spinach, sprinkle over the chicken, and pour sauce over the top. Measure the spinach before chopping.

When I bring this meal to another family, I usually make them a big green salad, bring them some garlic bread or dinner rolls, and, of course, some cookies or muffins. This recipe is one of my family’s favorite dinners. I hope yours loves it, too. Please take a moment to rate the recipe in the recipe card below, share it on your social media, tag Eat2gather, and, of course, do not forget to pin it to your dinner board on Pinterest. 

Thanks for being here, XO Sheila