Ham & Cheese Tortellini – use that leftover ham to make this easy creamy tortellini dinner in 20 minutes! Great one pan meal any night of the week!
Do you ever wonder what to do with leftover ham? My family loves Baked Ham, so we don’t always just reserve it for holidays. But it makes way more than we can eat, so I am always on the lookout for what to do with leftover ham. And this cheese tortellini is one of the most requested!
There is almost always enough leftover ham to make this tortellini as well as my husband’s favorite Ham and Bean Soup. I have been known to buy the diced ham at the store just to make this cheese tortellini as well, it is that good!

One pan meals are the best for busy weeknights, and this one is so easy! It is ready in 20 minutes and you can use fresh or frozen ravioli, so there are no excuses.
What You’ll Need To Make This
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Diced Ham
- Tortellini
- Chicken Broth
- Heavy Cream
- Monterey Jack Cheese
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Salt and Pepper
I almost always have tortellini in my fridge and freezer because it makes for such an easy dinner. Tortellini recipes are so versatile. You can use cheese filled like in this recipe, or meat filled in this Tomato-Basil Tortellini.

Recipes For Leftover Ham
- Creamy Spring Gnocchi
- Ham & Cheese Sliders
- Ham and Cheese Biscuits
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
- Ham and Split Pea Soup
- Crispy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Throw in a few peas into these tortellini recipe and you have a full meal on the table in just minutes. It is great for busy weeknights and the perfect way to use up leftovers.

How to make One Pan Cheese Tortellini
- To heat leftover ham add just a little bit of oil into a skillet and heat over high heat. Add diced ham and onion and let it cook for a few minutes to get a nice golden crust on the ham and the onions are soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for just about a minute, until you can start to smell it. This ensures that it doesn’t burn as the rest onions cook.
- Pour the cheese tortellini and chicken stock into the skillet. Everything cooks together and the pasta gets soft and delicious.
- Once the tortellini is cooked, add the heavy cream, cheese, and the seasonings. You will get a creamy and delicious sauce. Yes, you can use another milk product here, it may just not be as thick and creamy.
- If you want to add peas add them in with the cheese to get them to warm through.
- Serve immediately. Leftovers are great for lunch the next day as well.

More Great Pasta Recipes

Ham & Cheese Tortellini

Ham & Cheese Tortellini - use that leftover ham to make this easy creamy tortellini dinner in 20 minutes! Great one pan meal any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups ham, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (1 pound) package frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add ham and onions, saute for 5-6 minutes until onions are tender and the ham is lightly browned. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add tortellini, chicken stock, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until tortellini is cooked.
- Stir in cheese and heavy cream until melted.
- Serve immediately
Notes
Adapted from Kevin & Amanda
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Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 380Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 101mgSodium 1289mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 27g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
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TidyMom says
We are having cheese tortellini tonight! I already have ground beef thawed out, but I can’t wait to try this next time.
Annie says
What a delicious dish! This looks great! Sometimes you just cannot beat a nice hearty pasta dish!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
I make tortellini for dinner once a week because our kiddos love it! This looks so creamy and delish!
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
Oh, I LOVE this!! Totally putting this on the meal plan next week to help use up that leftover Easter ham I know we will have. 🙂
Andi @ The Weary Chef says
This looks scrumptious! Perfect way to use up leftover ham!
Michelle says
I love a good and easy skillet meal! Great use for leftover Easter ham!
krissy says
YUM! This was so good! cheesy and delicious! My very picky kids loved it as well. I also paired it with the salad you reccomended! great choice!
Anna says
Love this idea for leftover ham!
Trang says
Yeah, for easy one pan meal recipes! XOXO
Kristyn says
Oh, wow..this looks so creamy & delicious! I love tortellini and adding ham is a great idea! I will need to try this for my family! They’ll love it!
Sara Welch says
We always have left over ham and I typically make sandwiches. But, this looks like a great idea and different from what I usually make! I’ll give this a try!
Cindy Gordon says
I don’t know why I’ve never thought of making a ham and cheese pasta. This looks SO good!
Beth Pierce says
Great idea for leftovers! My kids love tortellinis so this will be the perfect dinner during the week!
Jocelyn says
What a great way to use up the extra ham from the weekend! I can’t wait to make it next week.
Taylor says
Perfect way to use leftover ham from Easter! Yum!
Cathy says
Why is tortellini SO GOOD!? This combo sounds awesome!
Sandra Stroup says
Made this tonight was Very good Only thing I did different was omit the pepper flakes and I
Used hall pepper Jack cheese and half Monterey Jack cheese instead of all Monterey Jack. Used left over ham. Came out perfect. Everyone loved it.