This Million Dollar Tortellini Bake is an easy, cheesy comfort-food dinner made with cheese tortellini, marinara sauce, and a creamy cheese filling, then topped with plenty of melted mozzarella. It has all the cozy flavors of baked pasta without a ton of prep, making it perfect for an easy family dinner.
If you love my Million Dollar Ravioli Bake, this is another simple version to add to your dinner rotation. Using cheese tortellini makes every bite extra cheesy, and because the tortellini is cooked before it goes into the casserole, it only needs a short time in the oven to get hot and bubbly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy weeknight dinner: Most of the work is simply cooking the tortellini and assembling the casserole.
- Budget-friendly: It uses simple grocery-store ingredients without needing an expensive cut of meat.
- Super cheesy: Cheese-filled tortellini plus a creamy filling and mozzarella makes this one for the cheese lovers.
- Family-friendly: It’s basically everything you love about cheesy baked pasta in one easy casserole.
- Great for leftovers: The leftovers reheat really well for lunch or dinner the next day.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Creamy Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Casserole
- 1 (20–25 oz) package cheese tortellini, cooked just until al dente and drained
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook cheese tortellini until just al dente according to package directions; drain and set aside.
- Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat; drain excess grease.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in marinara, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Mix softened cream cheese, sour cream, and ¼ cup Parmesan until smooth.
- Spread about 1 cup meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Layer half the cooked tortellini, half the cream cheese mixture, half the remaining meat sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella.
- Repeat with remaining tortellini, cream cheese mixture, meat sauce, mozzarella, and ½ cup Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake 15–20 minutes.
- Uncover and bake another 5–10 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Tips for the Best Tortellini Bake
Don’t overcook the tortellini. Cook it just until al dente. Very soft tortellini can become mushy once it goes into the oven.
Soften the cream cheese first. This makes it much easier to combine with the other cheeses and spread throughout the casserole.
Use your favorite marinara. Because we’re keeping this recipe simple, using a marinara sauce your family already likes makes a big difference.
Let it rest before serving. Giving the casserole about five minutes to sit helps everything settle and makes it easier to scoop.
Can I Use Frozen Tortellini?
Yes. Cook the frozen tortellini according to the package instructions before assembling the casserole. Again, I recommend cooking it just until al dente so it doesn’t get too soft while baking.
What to Serve With Million Dollar Tortellini Bake
Because this casserole is already pretty filling, I like keeping the sides simple. Try it with:
- Garlic bread
- A simple side salad
- Roasted broccoli
- Steamed green beans
- Roasted zucchini
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover tortellini bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave, or you can cover the baking dish with foil and warm the leftovers in the oven until heated through.
An Easy Budget-Friendly Family Dinner
I’m always looking for dinners that feel comforting without requiring a huge grocery list, and this Million Dollar Tortellini Bake definitely checks that box. It’s cheesy, filling, easy to make, and uses ingredients you can find at just about any grocery store.
Plus, it’s one of those dinners that feels a little more exciting than simply serving pasta and sauce, without actually adding much more work. Add some garlic bread or a vegetable on the side and dinner is done!
Million Dollar Tortellini Bake
Description
Million Dollar Tortellini Bake is an easy family dinner made with cheese tortellini, marinara, a creamy cheese filling and melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
Creamy Layer
Casserole
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
-
Cook cheese tortellini until just al dente according to package directions; drain and set aside.
-
Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat; drain excess grease.
-
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
-
Stir in marinara, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes.
-
Mix softened cream cheese, sour cream, and ¼ cup Parmesan until smooth.
-
Spread about 1 cup meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
-
Layer half the cooked tortellini, half the cream cheese mixture, half the remaining meat sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella.
-
Repeat with remaining tortellini, cream cheese mixture, meat sauce, mozzarella, and ½ cup Parmesan.
-
Cover with foil and bake 15–20 minutes.
-
Uncover and bake another 5–10 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
-
Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Note
Tips for the Best Tortellini Bake
Don't overcook the tortellini. Cook it just until al dente. Very soft tortellini can become mushy once it goes into the oven.
Soften the cream cheese first. This makes it much easier to combine with the other cheeses and spread throughout the casserole.
Use your favorite marinara. Because we're keeping this recipe simple, using a marinara sauce your family already likes makes a big difference.
Let it rest before serving. Giving the casserole about five minutes to sit helps everything settle and makes it easier to scoop.
