Crock Pot Steak Bites and Tortellini
Crock Pot Steak Bites and Tortellini is made with tender pieces of beef, cheese tortellini, and a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce for an easy slow cooker dinner.
A Crock Pot Steak and Pasta Dinner
Crock Pot Steak Bites and Tortellini has quickly become a dinner favorite in my kitchen. I had a lot of fun with this one and the combination of flavors and it ended up being a real hit! The steak comes out so tender (just don’t be tempted to open that lid while cooking!) and it pairs great with that creamy sauce and tortellini pasta!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, if you are in a rush you can skip it. It does add color and depth of flavor but if you are in a hurry, then just skip it.
Adding the heavy cream at the end avoids curdling.
Stir gently once tortellini is added to keep pasta intact. Also, we’re adding to towards the end so it doesn’t overcook and fall apart.
While this is totally a full meal in itself, I like to add some vegetables to round it out some. Using something simple like frozen veggies in the microwave is an easy way to make a healthier side dish to go along with the steak and tortellini. Or just throw together a little bagged salad.
Add some sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh) or fresh baby spinach near the end for more flavor and texture.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- stew beef– but any kind of steak can be cut up and used for this.
- yellow onion – a sweet onion or even a shallot would work here. If you don’t like onion, leave it out. Or if you prefer your onion extra soft, I would sauté it first before adding to the slow cooker.
- garlic– if you have fresh garlic, please use that. It will always give you the best garlic flavor but you can use the jarred stuff if you don’t want to mess with fresh.
- beef broth– Chicken Broth can replace beef broth if needed. As always, low sodium or no sodium broth can be used if you’re worried about sodium intake.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Italian seasoning – I think the Italian seasoning worked great with the other flavors here but you can use another seasoning you prefer (I think a garlic and herb seasoning would be wonderful.)
- heavy cream – Half-and-half can replace heavy cream for a lighter sauce. I do not recommend milk as it won’t give you the same consistency.
- frozen cheese tortellini– I used frozen tortellini for simplicity and ease of this recipe. Refrigerated tortellini works with a little less cook time. I haven’t tested it with refrigerated tortellini so you’ll have to play it by ear on the cook time. If you don’t have tortellini, you can use gnocchi instead.
- shredded Parmesan cheese
How To Make Crock Pot Steak Bites and Tortellini
Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, sear beef until browned on both sides. You aren’t cooking all the way through, just giving it some color. Once browned, transfer beef to a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Add in onion, garlic, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning to the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours, until beef is tender. It is not recommended to cook on high as the meat may not come out as tender. NOTE: Do not open the lid while cooking. Every time you open the lid to check on the meat, it will take longer to cook and the meat may not come out as tender. After cooking time is complete, stir in heavy cream and tortellini. Cover and cook an additional 30–40 minutes or until tortellini is tender and cooked through.
Stir in shredded Parmesan cheese just before serving. Enjoy!
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Crock Pot Steak Bites and Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds stew beef (your favorite steak will also work)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon oil (olive, avocado or vegetable oil)
- 1 small onion, diced (see notes below)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups beef broth (can use low or no sodium)
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 20 ounce bag frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Season 1½ pounds stew beef with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Once oil is hot, sear beef until browned on both sides. You aren’t cooking all the way through, just giving it some color.
- Once browned, transfer beef to a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
- Add in 1 small onion, diced, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 2 cups beef broth, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours, until beef is tender. It is not recommended to cook on high as the meat may not come out as tender.NOTE: Do not open the lid while cooking. Every time you open the lid to check on the meat, it will take longer to cook and you're negating the whole point of using a slow cooker. The meat may not come out as tender if you keep lifting the lid to check on it, so just let it cook and leave it alone.
- After cooking time is complete, stir in ¾ cup heavy cream and 20 ounce bag frozen cheese tortellini. Gently stir together.
- Cover and cook an additional 30–40 minutes, until tortellini is tender.
- Stir in shredded 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese just before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- If you like your onion super soft, I would sauté it first in the skillet before adding to the slow cooker.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Absolutely love this recipe
Thanks so very much Thomas!