Slow Cooker Cheese Tortellini and Sausage

Thanks to the folks from Lid Pocket® for sending me a free holder. All opinions are my own.

It’s been a while since I’ve used my slow cooker, but this week is going to be hectic, so I knew planning slow cooker meals was the best thing to do.  It also gave me a chance to use the Lid Pocket® I received a few months ago.

This thing is cool.  It gives you a safe place to keep your slow cooker lid while you stir, check, and serve your food.  You don’t have to push stuff out of the way on your counter or find something to lay the lid on.

The low-down:

• Hands-Free solution when seasoning, stirring or serving
• Built-in Drip Catcher collects condensation
• Keeps your counter top free and clean
• Stores inside the crock
• Fits 3-Quart and up – round to oval slow cookers
• Fits the majority of slow cookers

Here’s what I cooked last night. The Lid Pocket kept the mess from the sauce off of the counter…it was a huge help!

Adapted from KeyIngredient.com

• 1 bag (19 oz.) frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 bag fresh spinach
• 2 cans(14.5 oz each) Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 4 cups low-fat chicken broth
• 16 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper, to taste

1. Brown the sausage in a skillet on the stove top until cooked and crumbled. Drain.
2. Add the sausage and remaining ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine.
3. Cook, on LOW for 5 hours, stirring twice during cooking.