Italian Sausage & Tortellini Skillet Meal
Our Italian Sausage and Tortellini Skillet meal has been created as the result of a challenge to create recipes on a very tight budget.
This Italian Sausage and Tortellini Skillet meal has a lot going for it besides being easy to prepare. It is ready in 30 minutes and is almost a one-dish dinner.
Plus this meal is loaded with lip-smacking flavor. Pasta and sausage are a yummy combo! The cost to prepare this dish for a family of four is about $1.57 per serving.
The result with this particular dish is a win at our house. I did go slightly over budget, less than one dollar but the meal is delicious and ready in under 30 minutes.
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Table of Contents
- Feeding America Challenge
- Italian Sausage & Tortellini Skillet with Vegetables Recipe
- More Budget Friendly Meal Recipes
Feeding America Challenge
September is Hunger Action Month providing us with an opportunity to bring attention to food insecurity in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 in 8 Americans were food insecure in 2017!
That’s 40 million people – more than 12 million of which are children – with a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.
The Meal Budget
$5.50 is the average amount a family of four is provided for each meal on a SNAP budget. (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
That is $5.50 not per person. It’s the total which breaks down to about $1.38 per person for one meal. What kind of meals can you prepare on that budget?
I have teamed up with some talented and budget conscience food bloggers who accepted the challenge to try to create a meal for a family of four for $5.50. You will find their budget-friendly meals when you scroll all the way down.
We want to share with you how far these dollars go, or don’t go and to encourage you to donate to organizations addressing hunger issues. Feeding America and local food banks are the boots on the ground helping to feed our neighbors daily.
COST BREAKDOWN
- Johnsonville Italian Sweet Sausage was on a 3 Day Sale at Kroger for $2.49
- Buitoni Mushroom Agnolotti Tortellini (9 oz.) was on clearance for $1.16 each and I bought two of these.
- Classico Four Cheese Alfredo Sauce (15 oz.) was on sale at Kroger for $1.49. My Kroger did not have a store brand available.
These three items come to $6.30 which is .80¢ over budget. It is still a cheap meal coming in at about $1.57 per person but it exceeds the SNAP allotment and there are no vegetables other than the mushrooms in the Tortellini.
I had a half package of frozen peas and carrots in my freezer so I added those to have some vegetables in this dish. The cost of the half package is about .59¢ which when calculated into the cost of the meal takes the total to $1.39 over budget.
We also keep a jar of Parmesan Cheese in the refrigerator for Italian dinners and I did not calculate that into the cost.
How To Donate to Feeding America
As a group, we’re supporting Feeding America’s efforts to end hunger. Please make a donation in any amount, even $5, to Feeding America here: http://help.feedingamerica.org/goto/FoodBloggers
There are also many great local organizations fighting hunger too. When you visit the Feeding America site you can also click on ‘Find A Food Bank’ to donate or volunteer at a food bank in your area.
Italian Sausage & Tortellini Skillet with Vegetables Recipe
This easy recipe for Italian Sausage & Tortellini Skillet does not sacrifice flavor. It checks all the boxes for a favorite family recipe to make again and again.
Ingredients
- 1 package Sweet Italian Sausage
- 2 (9 oz.) pkg. stuffed Tortellini (I used Buitoni Mushroom Agnolotti)
- 1 (15 oz.) jar Alfredo pasta sauce (I used Four Cheese)
- 1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots
I would call this easy pasta dinner recipe a hearty dish, the stick-to-the-ribs kind. It’s also ready in 30 minutes and just plain scrumptious without needing an arsenal of spices in the ingredients. There are only 4 ingredients!
Italian Sausage & Tortellini Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 package Sweet Italian Sausage
- 2 (9 oz.) pkg. stuffed Tortellini (I used Buitoni Mushroom Agnolotti)
- 1 (15 oz.) jar Alfredo pasta sauce (I used Four Cheese)
- 1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots
Instructions
- Cut the sausage into bite size pieces and brown in a large skillet
- Drain the sausage on paper toweling
- Pour the oil out of the skillet and return the browned sausage to the skillet
- Add the Alfredo Sauce and peas to the skillet with the burner on low
- Heat through stirring occasionally
- Boil the tortellini according to package directions while the skillet dish is heating.
- Drain the tortellini and add to the skillet, stir gently.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
OPTIONAL
You can drain the tortellini and add it to the plate then top it with the meat and vegetables thereby skipping adding it into the skillet.
More Budget Friendly Meal Recipes
- Kielbasa and Vegetable Skillet from Kate’s Recipe Box
- Italian Sausage Alfredo Tortellini from Intelligent Domestications
- Budget Beef Vegetable Lo Mein from Palatable Pastime
- Veggie Burrito Bowls from Simple and Savory
- Cheesy Black Bean Frittatas from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Creamy Spinach & Black Bean Falutas from Savory Moments
- Mindful Shopping, Cooking Frugally, and Helping Others from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Feed a Family of Four for One Day in under $16 from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Bean Pasta) from The Baking Fairy
- Sausage Green Bean Alfredo from Cookaholic Wife
- Sheet Pan Crustless Quiche from Frugal & Fit
- Comforting Chicken and Veggie Noodle Soup & Chili and Cheese Baked Potatoes from the Foodette & Family
- Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet with Buttered Rice from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Chicken Caesar Pasta from Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
- Stove-Top Chicken Noodle Soup from Blogghetti
- Pepper Jack Quiche with a Potato Crust from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Broccoli Mac Kielbasa Casserole from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Great way to stretch the budget and so tasty too!
What a great deal on the Tortellini! I had thought about using it as well, however my local store sells it starting at $3.99! I really do need to start shopping at a different store!!!
I will include this recipe and ingredients during the next few months as we do our food pantry distributions. It will be a nice change of pace for our clients.