Three Cheese Tortellini Bake

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian Inspired, Southern

Keyword cheese-tortellini-recipes, three-cheese-tortellini-bake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Stand time 5

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 574kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Prepare the cheese tortellini per the package directions slightly under cooking. [i.e. Cook for 7 minutes instead of 9] Drain well.
On the stovetop in a deep large skillet heat a couple of drizzles of olive oil. Add the diced onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens and is beginning to brown then add the garlic. Sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant.
To the pan add the ground beef and Italian sausage. Season with salt and black pepper to your taste. Cook until no pink remains, then drain all excess fat from the pan.
Next, add marinara sauce. Stir until combined then remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl whisk or stir together the cream cheese, dry Italian seasoning and milk.
Assemble: Layer half of the cheese tortellini in the bottom of the prepared dish. Drizzle with 1/3 of the sauce.
Use a teaspoon to dollop 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture randomly over the sauce, then cover with 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Repeat layers with cheese tortellini, 1/3 sauce, the remaining cream cheese mixture. Top with final 1/3 of sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella cheese on top.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and the cheese has browned.
Rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve.

Tortellini - You can use the same amount of dry tortellini, refrigerated tortellini or frozen tortellini for this recipe. Regardless, refer to the package directions for cooking, then proceed with the recipe.
Protein - You could use ground chicken, ground sausage or ground turkey in the sauce.
Best Pasta Sauce to Use - Use a quality prepared marinara sauce for the best and most delicious end result. It's perfectly fine to use your favorite brand and flavor, that's seasoned to your liking.
Cream Cheese - You can replace the cream cheese mixture with ricotta cheese. When doing so, add one large beaten egg to the mixture and dollop if between layers per the recipe.
Pepperoni - You could add a layer of pepperoni.
Veggies - You could add baby spinach, red peppers or mushrooms to the meat sauce. When adding peppers or mushrooms, sauté them with the onion.
Fresh Herbs - You could add fresh parsley, oregano or rosemary
Cheese - You can use a bag of Italian blend cheese from the grocery store to expedite assembly and add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for serving.
Serving Options - Serve this casserole with roasted vegetables or a seven layer salad to round out the meal.