One Pot Creamy Kielbasa Tortellini

Name: One Pot Creamy Kielbasa Tortellini
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound kielbasa (thinly sliced); 3 cups water; 1 20-ounce package of cheese tortellini; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon dried minced onions; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/4 cup frozen peas; 1 1/2 cups heavy cream; 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese; Chopped parsley (optional)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Aug 22, 2016 · Modified: Mar 25, 2021 by Dee

This One Pot Creamy Kielbasa Tortellini is smothered in a light cheddar cheese sauce and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Even picky eaters love it!

Jump to Recipe -

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted a recipe for a one dish meal, and that's been way too long! I think I may be slightly addicted to these easy dinners, but they get the job done. Now that the kids are back in school, my energy level is at zero by dinnertime. And with homework, there's not a lot of time to spend washing dishes, so these one-dish wonders, as the Hubs calls them, are perfect!

I usually make these meals with chicken or beef, but this time I wanted something completely different. I grew up eating kielbasa, or Polish sausage, but we don't have it that often. And when we do have it, I usually make it with fried potatoes, or with haluski, or I serve it like a hot dog, in a bun. The kids like it though, and since it's already cooked, it doesn't take long at all to make.

If you're a Polish sausage fan, you might like these quick and easy kielbasa recipes

So the other day, my little guy asked for chicken tortellini, and since I had made that earlier in the week, I decided to combine kielbasa with the tortellini and see how the family liked it. I made this one pot creamy kielbasa tortellini -- an easy dinner recipe!

Tortellini needs a creamy sauce, and since cheddar cheese goes so well with kielbasa, I made a light creamy cheddar cheese sauce to coat the pasta and meat. I also added some frozen peas and a dash of fresh parsley to add a little more color to the dish.

I love using onions and garlic, and I usually use fresh. But, we were in a time crunch, so I opted to use dried onions and garlic, instead. If you have some extra time, by all means use the fresh. But there's nothing wrong with using dried spices!

My family is divided about cheese. Some love it, and some don't. The first time I made this one pot kielbasa tortellini skillet, I used about 3 cups of cheese, and some folks said that was way too cheesy. Of course, the cheese lovers thought it was just right!

This time, I only added 2 cups of cheddar cheese, and it was creamier, but just a tad less cheesy. Everyone loved it though, and there were no complaints. It's creamy, slightly smoky, cheesy and just a wonderfully satisfying meal.

And because you cook it all in one pot, clean up is super easy, as well! Happy mom, happy life, right?

New! If you have an Instant Pot, try Instant Pot creamy kielbasa tortellini!

How to Make One Pot Creamy Kielbasa Tortellini