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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Food for Thought: Crockpot Love - Cheesy Italian Tortellini

This dish was SO yummy! I will be making this again SOON. I don't think the fella has ever told me that many times how good dinner was and that he wanted more. :) Made my day.




Ingredients
1 lb of mild ground italian sausage
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes with italian herbs, undrained
1 15oz jar of marinara of choice
1 9oz pkg of refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 cup of shredded mozzerela cheese
1 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms

Directions:

1) In a skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until brown, then drain.

2) Spray the inside of your pot with cooking spray. Then mix in the cooked sausage, marinara sauce, mushrooms and tomatoes.


3) Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.

4) Stir in torellini and sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook on low for an additional 15 minutes.


VIOLA!


Even Little Miss gobbled hers up! :)





ETA: This recipe was made previous to Little Miss starting her Gluten Free adventures!
I now make the same sauce base for her with Conte's Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli. Delish!



20 comments:

  1. I'm so glad to have found this recipe! We've been buying 2 packs of refrigerated tortellini from Sam's Club recently. It's so cheap that way! The problem is, we're getting really bored with regular tortellini. This will be a good and easy way to spice it up! So I really appreciate this recipe! :)

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  2. So glad to hear that! I will have to look at Sam's to compare pricing. Thanks for sharing!

    It is VERY yummy! My bf was already commenting this morning that he is looking forward to the leftovers. lol

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  3. Man, that looks yummy! I need a crock pot! I'm putting it on my Christmas list this year for sure because I want to make this SOOOO bad!

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  4. Mine is my best friend, Krista! haha ;) they're not that expensive to get a nice basic one (that's really all you need - like $30-40.)
    I have one with a timer on my Christmas wish list though, hehe.

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  5. Looks delicious and so easy! I'm going to have to look through all of your recipes! New GFC follower from Tasty Thursday! :)

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  6. My mom made this one when you posted it last week! hehe She LOVED it! I can't wait to give it a try :)

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  7. Think we will try this next week..looks yummy and easy!!

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  8. Does the tortellini need to be cooked before adding it to the crock pot? Also, would it mess things up if I had it in the crockpot for 9 or 10 hours instead of 6 to 7? I just moved out on my own and I'm clueless in the kitchen!

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    1. No and no :) you don't need to precook the tortellini UNLESS maybe you're using the frozen kind. We use the refrigerated Buitoni brand.
      I've also let our cook on low way longer - like 10-12 EEK haha and it still tasted delish!

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  9. The marinara and the sausage are already cooked so it really doesn't need to cook for 6-7 hours. The tortellini may need to be cooked for more than 15 minutes though.

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    1. Dear Anonymous, by cooking it down the diced tomatoes and seasonings cook together with the sauce and meat - trust me, it's better! I've made this on the stove top in a "quick" fashion, and while still good, definitely better slow cooking in the crock. That being said, you could still def eat it before the 6-7 hour mark if you need. :)

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  10. What size crockpot did you do this recipe in?

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    1. We have an older, smallerish one :) I believe it's only a 3-4 qt. crock pot. Thanks!

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  11. Do you use gluten free tortellini? If so what brand and where do you get it?

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    1. No, unfortunately this is a recipe we posted prior to starting our Gluten Free journey, though it still continues to be a favorite meal for the fella! ;)
      That being said we HAVE found some amazing cheese ravioli that is gluten free and is DELISH used in this same way - however it's frozen not refrigerated so I usually cook it seperatly and then add to the sauce.
      It's Conte's brand and they sell it in the freezer section at my grocer. Here's the info: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FSK4OS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FSK4OS&linkCode=as2&tag=keemcgblo-20 Thanks!

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  12. I made this and doubled it. Big hit! I alsoadded extra tortelli, so so good!

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  13. Could you cook it on high for 3-4 hours??

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  14. Hi Leah, YES you can! :) But I will tell you the sauce is so much better cooked low and slow, letting those tomatoes really cook down.

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  15. How many servings does this make?

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Let me know your thoughts!