Creamy Meat, Cheese, and Spinach Tortellini Bake

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese (Use as the center of the baking dish.)
• 24 oz pasta sauce (Jarred marinara or other pasta sauce.)
• 0.25 cup fresh basil (Sprinkle over the cream cheese; amount estimated from the transcript.)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (Amount estimated from the transcript.)
• 1 lb ground beef (Cooked; drain excess fat before using.)
• 20 oz spinach-and-cheese tortellini (Cooked before adding to the baking dish; the source does not state the package size, so 20 oz is estimated.)
• 1.5 cup mozzarella cheese (Sprinkle over the top; amount estimated from the transcript.)
• 0.25 cup Italian parsley (Chopped, for topping; amount estimated from the transcript.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Have the cooked ground beef and cooked spinach-and-cheese tortellini ready. If the beef has not already been prepared, cook it until no pink remains, then drain excess fat.

2. 2

   Place the 8 ounces of cream cheese in the center of an oven-safe baking dish.

3. 3

   Pour the 24-ounce jar of pasta sauce into the dish around the cream cheese, leaving the cream cheese in the center.

4. 4

   Sprinkle the basil over the cream cheese and sauce. Add the garlic powder.

5. 5

   Add the 1 pound of cooked ground beef to the baking dish around the cream cheese.

6. 6

   Add the cooked spinach-and-cheese tortellini to the dish, distributing it through the sauce and around the cream cheese.

7. 7

   Bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) for about 15 minutes, until the cream cheese is softened and heated through. The goal at this stage is to melt the cream cheese rather than brown the casserole.

8. 8

   Remove the dish from the oven and stir everything together thoroughly, breaking up the softened cream cheese so it blends with the pasta sauce and coats the beef and tortellini.

9. 9

   Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top, then scatter Italian parsley over the mozzarella.

10. 10

    Return the dish to the oven and bake for about 7 minutes more, until the mozzarella is melted and the dish is hot throughout.

11. 11

    Spoon into serving bowls and serve hot.

Notes

The transcript does not specify the amount of tortellini, basil, garlic powder, mozzarella, or parsley; those amounts are practical estimates. The tortellini is cooked before baking. Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3–4 days; reheat until steaming hot.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• baked
• pasta
• Italian-inspired
• comfort food
• cheesy
• ground beef
• family-friendly