This Baked Tortellini with Turkey and Vegetables is an easy dinner idea, prepped in just 5 minutes and freezer friendly! Perfect for leftover turkey and a family favorite.
As much as I don’t want to think about them because we just started school here, the holidays are coming.
And since I love buying and cooking up a turkey while they’re on sale in the fall (this Crockpot Turkey with garlic butter is a favorite!), it’s fun to come up with a variety of ways to use all that meat in everyday recipes that my family loves.
In this Baked Tortellini, simple frozen cheese tortellini (feel free to use fresh if you have it on hand!) is paired with tomato sauce, leftover cooked turkey, zucchini, tomatoes, roasted red peppers and spinach for a dinner my family can never refuse.
But we top it with melty cheese just to be sure 😉
If you’re buying a cooking a turkey just for the leftovers (they’re the best part of any holiday, right??), I recommend freezing it in portions just large enough to throw in a casserole or soup.
How to freeze leftover turkey:
- Chop or shred and place in medium freezer bags in the freezer. It’ll be good for 3 months and ready for so many easy weeknight meals!
- If you’ve planned ahead, you can thaw your desired portion in the refrigerator overnight and it’ll be ready to use.
- If you need to thaw turkey quickly, place the bag in a shallow sink of cool water for 30-45 minutes, turning half way through and breaking up frozen chunks with your hands.
- Leftover turkey also freezes perfectly in soups and casseroles and more, which makes those crazy weeknights even more manageable!
What if I don’t have leftover turkey?
You can absolutely make this Baked Tortellini with fresh turkey, but you’ll need to cook some up first.
The easiest way to do this is to buy a couple of turkey thighs, drumsticks, or breast filets. They are usually inexpensive and easy to cook.
I love to do mine in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker because it’s always moist and falling off the bone — I throw them in for about 15 minutes on high pressure and a full natural release. The meat is easy to pull of the bone and shred with just two forks.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, check out these tips on Canadian Turkey for cooking turkey cuts.
How to make Baked Cheese Tortellini:
There really are not very many rules when it comes to baked tortellini!
Since we’re staring with store bought cheese tortellini and leftover turkey, this recipe is a no-brainer and you could use almost any sauce and vegetables you want to complete the meal.
(But check out this glorious combo we’ve got above prior to adding the sauce — so much goodness going on in here!)
The one thing I do recommend is covering the pasta when you bake it to keep in all of that saucy moisture, then uncovering for the last 10 minutes when you add the cheese. This also helps the vegetables to cook!
Here’s what we’re throwing into this Baked Turkey Tortellini:
- Tortellini
- Tomato sauce
- Leftover chopped turkey
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Roasted red peppers — right from the jar or roast your own.
- Spinach — fresh or frozen will do!
- And a good sprinkling of cheese to finish
And here are a few other suggestions:
- Alfredo sauce, peas and broccoli
- Pesto, cherry tomatoes and green beans
- White sauce, sweet corn and bacon
Other turkey recipes you’ll love:
- Turkey Stuffed Peppers
- Turkey Noodle Soup (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
- One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini Soup Recipe + VIDEO
- One Pot Turkey Chili Mac Recipe
*This post is generously sponsored by Turkey Farmers of Canada and I was compensated for my time in creating this recipe — thank you for supporting the brands that support The Recipe Rebel! For more tasty turkey recipes, visit thinkturkey.ca
Baked Tortellini with Turkey and Vegetables
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 6 cups frozen cheese tortellini (600g) *or fresh
- 3 cups shredded, cooked turkey (380g)
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes (275g)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini (185g)
- 1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped (150g)
- 1 cup fresh chopped spinach (30g)
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13" casserole dish.
- Place tortellini, turkey, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and spinach in the prepared dish and stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, stir together tomato sauce, cream, salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Pour over pasta in dish and spread with a spatula.
- Cover with foil or a lid and bake for 50-60 minutes, until vegetables are cooked to desired tenderness and sauce is hot and bubbling.
- Remove foil or lid and sprinkle with cheese. Continue baking until melted, or broil until lightly browned if desired. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Susan says
This is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made! I used cooked ground turkey and skipped the cream, and it still came out AMAZING! This is now a go to recipe for sure🤘
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Susan! So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for this kind review!