Crockpot Creamy Tortellini Sausage Stew is a thick and creamy soup that only has a few ingredients including diced tomatoes and cream cheese.
A THICK AND FILLING CROCK POT RECIPE
If you are looking for a super easy, affordable and filling meal, this tortellini stew is it! This recipe checks off all of those boxes. It is absolutely delicious and is one of my family's favorite meals - no matter if it's summer or winter. It can be served with a fresh green salad or bread - whatever you prefer!
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS ITALIAN STEW:
- If you'd rather use ground beef, chicken sausage or turkey sausage in this, it's easy to substitute! Or leave it out altogether for a meatless meal.
- Don't like spinach? Just leave it out. Or you can even substitute with kale if you prefer or some other leafy green.
- This can be made on the stovetop. Follow directions as written just don't add the tortellini. Put it all in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Cook on medium-low for about 30-40 minutes (covered.) Cook tortellini to package directions, then add in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- Italian sausage (sweet, mild or hot)
- salt and pepper
- chicken broth (plus more to thin stew, to preference, optional)
- Italian-style diced tomatoes
- cream cheese
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- frozen cheese tortellini
- fresh baby spinach
- Parmesan cheese
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT CREAMY TORTELLINI SAUSAGE STEW:
Brown and crumble ground Italian sausage. Season with salt and pepper. Drain excess grease. Place cooked sausage into the bottom of a 4-quart crock pot.
Pour in chicken broth.
Add in Italian diced tomatoes. Then pour into crock pot. Top with chunks of cream cheese.
Sprinkle Italian seasoning and garlic powder onto soup mixture. Top with frozen cheese tortellini and baby spinach.
Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Uncover and stir well. If cream cheese isn't fully melted, cover and allow to cook for additional 20 minutes. Also, at this point, if the stew is too thick for your preference, then pour in additional chicken broth until you reach desired thickness/thin-ness.
Then serve! Top with shredded Parmesan cheese (optional.)
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Crock Pot Creamy Tortellini Sausage Stew (+Video)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 32 ounce container chicken broth
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, cut into chunks
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 19 ounce bag frozen cheese tortellini
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Brown and crumble ground Italian sausage. Season with salt and pepper. Drain excess grease. Place cooked sausage into the bottom of a 4-quart crock pot.
- Pour in chicken broth.
- Add in Italian diced tomatoes. Then pour into crock pot. Top with chunks of cream cheese.
- Sprinkle Italian seasoning and garlic salt onto soup mixture. Top with frozen cheese tortellini and baby spinach.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- Uncover and stir well. If cream cheese isn't fully melted, cover and allow to cook for additional 20 minutes.
- Then serve! Top with shredded Parmesan cheese (optional).
Video
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 can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: October 2017
Updated & republished: June 2020
Donna
Can I use refrigerated cheese tortellini as long as it's around 19oz? If I wanted to add fresh mushrooms how much and when should I add them so it keeps the nice thick consistency? Would I need to add additional cream cheese to help keep the consistency?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Yes you could just keep an eye you don’t overcook them or they’ll just fall apart. I haven’t tested this with mushrooms so you’ll just have to play that one by ear.
Charlla Maggi
Could I double this recipe? I plan to cook on the stove top. Making for a large group.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Yes you sure can! Just make sure you use a large stock pot. 🙂
Darlene
Hey Brandie, this is an awesome recipe. I made it last week and loved it all week. I’m single so a pot like this gives me lunches or dinners for the whole week. Mine ended up like a stew bc the tortellini soaked up the juices. But it was awesome. Am making it again this weekend again with ground beef. So looking forward to it. I use your recipes more than any other site. YOU ROCK!! Thanks.
Lacey
I'd love to make this! I tend to like soups with a thicker broth...would I use less liquid? Or does it thicken upon standing?
Cassandra
This is truly one of my favorite recipes. My whole family loves it! So easy to make too! Thank you!
Michelle
Super excited to make this tonight for dinner what is the serving sizes and is the nutrition for the whole thing?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hey Michelle! I always encourage folks to use their own trusted nutrition calculators. My recipe card calculates an estimate but I don't hold it to any exact calculations. Please use your own trusted calculated and enter in the amounts. Depending on how large your servings are, this should serve about 6 people. 🙂
LEENY
DELICIOUS!!! I made it exactly as written except I didn't add the tortellini until about an hour before we ate. This was so yummy, and really delicious as leftovers too! Thanks for the recipe!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Love hearing this Leeny! Yay!!
Christine
Can i use heavy cream in place of cream chhese? And if so when do I add heavy cream
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Christine! I am sure you could but I haven't tested it so I couldn't say for sure. I'm sorry!
KellyL
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe perfect for a cold rainy Sunday dinner.
Staci
This recipe was phenomenal!! We enjoyed this so much. My husband couldn’t quit raving. I made this with a home made bread and it couldn’t have been better. Use high quality Parmesan cheese with this. It’s worthy of it. Thank you for a recipe that will be used again and again in our home.
Joe
This was a hit! So incredibly easy and absolutely delicious. I used sweet sausage and grownup spinach (couldn’t find baby). I also did not add additional chicken broth at the end as I was fine with the consistency.
Meg
I only have a 7-quart crockpot- will that matter? This sounds so delicious!
Adam
Very good! Only change is I'll add a bit more seasoning next time. I used a mix of ground beef and ground pork. I had to let it cook an additional hour because the cream cheese did not melt and the spinach did not cook down.Very hearty and good for cold days.
Diego Lopes
This sausage stew looks so creamy and yummy! I can't wait to try it myself. Thank you for sharing it!