Description
Whipping up Million Dollar Baked Tortellini feels like sharing a warm hug from my kitchen straight to your dinner table. Creamy cheese, tender pasta, and hearty meat come together in one delicious baked casserole that’ll make your family ask for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound tortellini
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 2 cups marinara sauce
Supporting Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
Seasonings:
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 375°F and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook 1 pound tortellini according to package directions, then drain thoroughly.
- Brown 1 pound ground beef in a skillet over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, carefully draining excess fat.
- Mix 2 cups marinara sauce, ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning into the meat.
- Whisk 8 ounces softened cream cheese and ½ cup sour cream into the meat mixture until completely smooth.
- Spread half the tortellini across the bottom of your prepared baking dish.
- Pour half the meat and cream sauce over the tortellini, ensuring even coverage.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup Parmesan and ¾ cup mozzarella cheese over the first layer.
- Repeat layering with remaining tortellini, meat sauce, ¼ cup Parmesan, and ¾ cup mozzarella.
- Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue baking for 10 more minutes until cheese turns golden and bubbly.
- Rest the casserole for 5 minutes before serving to let flavors settle and sauce thicken.
Notes
- Choose full-fat cream cheese for the richest, most luxurious texture in your casserole.
- Thaw frozen tortellini completely before cooking to prevent excess water from diluting the sauce.
- Swap ground beef with plant-based crumbles for a vegetarian version that maintains the same hearty flavor profile.
- Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes after baking to help it set and make serving easier without falling apart.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg