This One Pan Ham & Cheese Tortellini is super creamy and flavorful, and a delicious was to celebrate National Cheese Day! Everything is cooked together in one pan for a quick, family-friendly weeknight meal with easy clean up.
It’s no secret that we’re cheese lovers. Just a quick look around at recipes like our Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese or Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham and you’ll be hooked just like we are.
One Pan Ham & Cheese Tortellini Recipe
Ham & Cheese go together like peanut butter and jelly. That saltiness of the ham is mellowed by the creaminess of the cheese, and on the flip side, the creaminess of the cheese is cut by the saltiness of the ham. My kids are huge fans of tortellini, so pairing that with ham and cheese for National Cheese Day was kind of a no-brainer.
Plus if you’ve been a reader for a while you’ve probably tried some of our other favorite one pan meals, like Italian Sausage & Tortellini and Beef Stroganoff. If you haven’t tried a one pan meal yet, what are you waiting for?! They are a huge time saver in the kitchen, especially on busy weeknights when cooking is the last thing you want to do. No slaving over a hot stove for hours, no heating up the kitchen for an hour with a hot oven. Just 10-15 minutes on the stovetop is all you need for this One Pan Ham & Cheese Tortellini!
If you’re not a fan of tortellini, we can’t be friends. Kidding…sort of. But if you’re not, then you could use a dry pasta in this dish in place of the tortellini. The cook time will have to be lengthened a bit, and you might need a bit more liquid, but the method is pretty much the same.
How to Make One Pan Ham and Cheese Tortellini
- Heat olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Dice up an onion and add it to the skillet and let them soften for several minutes.
- Dice up some leftover ham into cubes (or buy it already cut up) and a couple cloves of garlic. Let the ham get nice and golden brown. Since it’s already fully cooked, you don’t have to worry about the ham cooking, just brown it til it looks pretty.
- Add chicken broth, tortellini and heavy cream to the pan and stir until it’s all combined. Bring it to a boil and let it cook uncovered until most of the liquid is absorbed and the tortellini are nice tender.
- To the tortellini, stir in some Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Then top with more mozzarella and slide the skillet into the oven under the broiler. Watch it closely to avoid scorching, but let the cheese bubble and brown.
Tips and Tricks
- When the One Pan Ham & Cheese Tortellini is finished cooking, you’re going to top it with a ton of cheese. Half of that cheese is stirred right in with the ham and pasta to create the sauce. The rest of the cheese is left right on top of the pasta to melt and create that lovely golden crust under the broiler. Now if you’re adverse to turning on the broiler for a few minutes you can just cover the pan with it’s lid or some foil and let the cheese just melt on it’s own. It will take about 5-10 minutes. I recommend the broiler method because the cheese gets ooey gooey and those golden brown mozzarella bits. So good!
- Watch the tortellini closely as it cooks because it does cook quickly. If there is any liquid left in the pan, you can spoon some out before adding the cheese. A little liquid is ok because that’s the base of the sauce.
- If you’re not a fan of ham, that’s ok! This recipe also works with leftover chicken.
One Pan Ham & Cheese Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups diced ham
- 1 20- ounce package fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups fresh shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened. Add diced ham and garlic and cook for several minutes, until browned.
- Add chicken broth, tortellini and heavy cream. Stir until combined and bring to a boil. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and tortellini are tender.
- Meanwhile, heat the broiler on your oven (place the rack in the center of your oven).
- Remove from heat. Stir in half of the Mozzarella and all of the Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Top with remaining Mozzarella and place under the pre-heated broiler for about 3-5 minutes, until golden and bubbly (watch closely to avoid burning). OR if you prefer not to use the broiler, cover and let sit for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Here are a bunch more cheesy recipe that are perfect for celebrating National Cheese Day!
- Stovetop Shells & Cheese
- Creamy 4-Cheese Spaghetti
- Chicken, Bacon & Blue Mac & Cheese
- Baked Ham & Cheese Roll-Ups
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
- One Pan Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- One Pan Taco Mac & Cheese
And how about these awesome NEW recipes from some of my friends!
- Cheddar Broccoli Soup From Ashlee Marie
- Cheesy Garlic Bread from Life Made Simple
- Stuffed Cheese Buns from The Baker Upstairs
- Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from Creations by Kara
- Fromage Fort (Cheese Spread) from Foodie with Family
- Cheese Blintzes with Fresh Strawberries from Real Mom Kitchen
- Cheesy Pesto Bread from Gather for Bread
- Instant Pot Cheesy Enchilada Rice from 365 Days of Slow Cooking
And how about a few more just for fun…
- Pimento Cheese from Foodtastic Mom
- Italian Cheesy Bites from Fed Up Foodie
- Pepperoni Grilled Cheese with Marinara Soup from A Mindful Mom
- Triple Cheddar Chicken Pasta from Lil Luna
Hi! I’m Kristin, the creative mind behind Yellow Bliss Road where you will be inspired by tons of easy to follow recipes, lots of free printables, and a little sprinkling of life thrown in for good measure.
Shara says
April 13, 2019 at 6:46 pmI made this tonight and my whole family went back for seconds!
Kristin says
April 19, 2019 at 7:47 pmThat’s awesome Shara! thank you for your positive feedback.
Carol says
March 3, 2019 at 4:56 pmThis is so yummy! My family now gets very excited when I bring home tortellini! Also good with pepperoni if you don’t have ham 😋😋
Kristin says
March 4, 2019 at 9:03 amThank you Carol!
Ritik chopra says
August 3, 2018 at 8:19 amit is so tasty just loved it
Caitlin Mahoney says
April 3, 2018 at 1:05 pmDo you pre cook the tortellini?
Kristin says
April 3, 2018 at 2:31 pmNo, it goes in uncooked.
Kara says
March 21, 2018 at 5:24 pmMaking it tonight for dinner!! Looks pretty delicious
E says
January 2, 2018 at 12:19 pmWhere can I find nutritional information? says servings but no calorie information etc.
Kristin says
January 2, 2018 at 5:57 pmYou can find nutritional information by using an online app like my fitness pal.
Jeanette says
June 24, 2017 at 8:01 pmCannot wait to try all these yummy looking food recipes- thank you for sharing
Melanie @ Gather for Bread says
June 4, 2017 at 4:43 pmLove these flavors!
Jill says
June 4, 2017 at 7:36 amThis looks so delicious, I am drooling. Pinned it to try! Thanks for including my pimento cheese link too! 🙂
Ben Myhre says
June 4, 2017 at 6:34 amThere is lots of cheese and heavy cream in this. The makings for an awesome dish!