Cheesy Pizza Tortellini One Pan Dinner

Ingredients You’ll Need

• For the Base
• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• For the Sauce and Pasta
• 24 oz jar marinara sauce
• 4 oz cream cheese (½ block)
• 19 oz bag frozen cheese tortellini
• For Topping
• Pepperoni (about ⅓ cup mini pepperoni, plus more for topping)
• Shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese

How to Make It

1. Brown the Beef: Put the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season it with salt, pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Break up the meat as it cooks until it’s browned.

2. Add Pepperoni: Toss in about a third of a cup of mini pepperoni (or regular pepperoni chopped up). Let it cook until the pepperoni starts getting browned and crispy around the edges.

3. Drain and Add Garlic: Drain off any excess grease from the pan. Add the minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until it smells amazing.

4. Make the Sauce: Pour in the marinara sauce and add the cream cheese. Stir everything together really well, breaking up the cream cheese as it melts into the sauce.

5. Cook the Tortellini: Add the frozen tortellini straight to the sauce. Stir well, cover the skillet, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let it cook for about 5 minutes or until the tortellini are tender. Stir once or twice while cooking.

6. Add Cheese and Pepperoni: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top. Add more pepperoni on top of the cheese.

7. Melt the Cheese: Either stick the whole skillet under the broiler for a couple minutes until the cheese melts and gets bubbly (watch it closely!), or just cover the pan and leave it on low heat on the stove until the cheese melts.

8. Serve Hot: Take it off the heat and serve right from the skillet. Enjoy your easy pizza-inspired dinner.

Extra Information

1. This is a true one-pan meal – everything cooks in the same skillet.
2. Frozen tortellini doesn’t need to be thawed – it cooks right in the sauce.
3. The cream cheese makes the marinara extra creamy and rich.
4. Mini pepperoni works best because they distribute evenly, but regular pepperoni chopped up works too.
5. If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, just melt the cheese on the stovetop with a lid.
6. This tastes like pizza but in pasta form – perfect for picky eaters who love pizza.
7. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Essential Tools

• Large oven-safe skillet (if broiling)
• Lid for skillet
• Wooden spoon or spatula