This Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Bake is here to save your weeknight dinners and make your whole family happy! Add this to your school night rotation and rest easy knowing you’ve served a delicious, nutrient-dense meal.
If you’ve ever had the popular “Marry Me Chicken,” but wished it was a complete meal, this Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Bake is what you’re looking for! It has very similar flavors, but with the addition of the tortellini, this becomes a complete skillet meal the whole family will love.
Don’t let the “dairy-free” label fool you – this meal is incredibly warm and creamy, perfect as a comforting dinner after a long day! Plus, with the veggies incorporated into the sauce, this is a delicious one-skillet meal. My kids love this recipe, and I bet yours will too!
Ingredients:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Kosher Salt
- Pepper
- Paprika
- Cassava Flour
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Shallot
- Baby Bella Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil
- Dijon Mustard
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- Baby Spinach
- Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Sub heavy creamer if preferred!
- Dairy-Free Spinach Tortellini
- Basil
- Parmesan (Optional)
Step-by-step:
Step one: prep the chicken
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform ½-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels.
step two: season the chicken
Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Next, sprinkle with the cassava. Using your hands, rub the cassava into the chicken so that it is well coated in the flour.
step three: cook the chicken
Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (I use a braiser) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a clean plate, it doesn’t need to be fully cooked as it will finish in the oven.
step four: cook the veggies
Reduce the heat to medium and if the skillet seems dry, add 1 tablespoon more oil to the pan. Add the shallot, mushrooms, garlic and cook, tossing, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
step five: add the rest of the skillet ingredients
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, dijon, and the broth and whisk to combine. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, salt, pepper and cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
step six: combine with the tortellini
Once simmering, add the tortellini and basil and gently toss until well combined and the basil has just wilted.
step seven: add the chicken back to the skillet
Remove from the heat and nestle the chicken breasts into the skillet. Top with parmesan, if using, then transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is just cooked through and the tortellini is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
step eight: garnish and serve!
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving! I like to finish mine with a bit more fresh basil leaves, for garnish.
Recipe FAQs:
It sure can! Instead of dairy-free tortellini, you can use any tortellini you find in the refrigerated section, and you can sub heavy cream for the coconut milk!
Yes – make sure to use a full-fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk makes this recipe too watery!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe! Leave a comment after you make it!
Want some more skillet meals? Try these!
Easy Sausage Cauliflower Gnocchi Skillet
Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Bake
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon cassava flour sub all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the Skillet:
- 1 large shallot halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cups thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (sub heavy cream)
- 18 ounces kite hill dairy-free spinach tortellini (sub any tortellini found in the refrigerator section)
- 1 cup packed basil leaves plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan optional, omit for Dairy Free
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform ½-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Season both sides of the chicken with the salt, pepper, and paprika. Next, sprinkle with the cassava and using your hands, rub the cassava into the chicken so that it is well coated in the flour.
- Heat the oil in a large, oven safe skillet (I use a braiser) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a clean plate, it doesn’t need to be fully cooked as it will finish in the oven.
- Reduce the heat to medium and if the skillet seems dry, add 1 tbsp more oil to the pan. Add the shallot, mushrooms, garlic and cook, tossing, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, dijon and the broth and whisk to combine. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
- Add the spinach, salt, pepper and cook, stirring, until wilted.
- Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, add the tortellini and basil and gently toss until well combined and the basil has just wilted.
- Remove from the heat and nestle the chicken breasts into the skillet. Top with parmesan, if using, then transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is just cooked through and the tortellini is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving! I like to finish mine with a bit more fresh basil leaves, for garnish.
Nutrition
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
The post Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Bake appeared first on The Defined Dish.
We make soup for dinner all of the time, especially during the cold winter months. A few favorites include: Minestrone Soup, White Bean Soup, Zuppa Toscana, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, and this Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup. This soup has it all…sausage, tortellini pasta, vegetables, and cheese. It is the perfect one pot meal and always…