This time, I had a plan! I saw the title of this recipe and decided to give the rest of the tortellini in the bag a go in this recipe with some chicken sausage. I used Johnsonville’s Three Cheese Italian Style Chicken Sausage Links. Man. That’s a mouth full. Mistake #1: let the whole thing cook too long. The liquid was gone and the tortellini was mush when we got home. It wasn’t purdy. Just sayin.
Some of them tried to do that in this batch. But I think I have a good game plan for the next time. Not to worry, dear readers. The recipe below adjusts the time accordingly for how it will turn out for you. The tortellini need to NOT be in the bottom of the pot. I’ve adjusted putting them in the top to prevent them from getting over cooked and turn to mush when you stir the pot.
I know what some of you are saying. “Why not just cook the tortellini separate?” Here’s the thing. For me, a slow cooker means I shouldn’t have to do anything extra to the food to create the meal. No extra browning, no side cooking, nothing besides throw it in the pot, set it, and forget it! I have AT MOST 10 minutes to assemble the ingredients in the slow cooker, so to have to brown, sauté, boil, etc, just isn’t in my minutes budget.
I thought this might be a little bland for our taste, but it was quite tasty! Now, remember, I don’t like the way garlic tastes in the slow cooker, so if you want to add some to your recipe, then by all means. I’m not going to judge. And please don’t judge me for not like the way garlic tastes in the slow cooker. It just has this flavor I can’t stand. LOVE garlic every other time! But not in the slow cooker.
The chicken sausage was delicious! I would highly recommend that again for other recipes. The chicken flavor with the Italian spices and the small bits of cheese inside were just the perfect complement to the cheese tortellini in this recipe. For some reason, I went with mostly squash blends in this one. It really is meant to be more of a minestrone type soup. Serve with some deliciously crusty bread for a tasty and hearty weeknight meal.
Tortellini Minestrone with Chicken Sausage
- 8 ounces chicken sausage
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 14 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
- 14 ounces frozen mixed squash
- 14 ounces canned tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
- 4 cups chicken broth, fat free
- 8 ounces tortellini
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Cooking Directions
- Place all ingredients, in order, in the liner of a slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours or until the tortellini is cooked.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese.
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