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Homemade mac and cheese with sausage and bell peppers smothered in marinara sauce and cream. This skillet mac and cheese is a perfect weeknight family dinner as it takes only 30 minutes and is made in one pan!
In this mac and cheese recipe, everything is cooked in one skillet: sausage, bell peppers, and even pasta! The clean-up after dinner is super easy! This dish will become your family's favorite!
I've made this homemade mac and cheese with sausage and bell peppers a couple of weeks ago as my lunch to take to work - and it was so good and easy to make!
How to make skillet mac and cheese
First, start by cooking sausage on medium heat, in a large skillet until the meat is brown. Drain off fat. Then, add diced bell peppers:
Next, add dried elbow macaroni, marinara sauce, and water:
Bring to boil; reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes until macaroni is tender, occasionally stirring. Add half and half, sprinkle with cheese, and mix everything well. Remove from heat, cover and let it sit for about 2 minutes or until the cheese melts:
Your pasta is ready to serve: only 45 minutes from start to finish!
4.69 from 279 votes
Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers (30-Minute, One-Pan Recipe)
In this homemade mac and cheese recipe, everything is cooked in one skillet: sausage, bell peppers, and even pasta! This delicious red sauce macaroni and cheese will become your new family favorite!
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories per serving 437 kcal
Author: Julia
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork sausage
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 8 oz elbow macaroni uncooked
- 18 oz marinara sauce
- 18 oz water
- ⅓ cup half and half
- ⅓ cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
In a large skillet cook sausage on medium heat, until meat is brown. Drain off fat.
Add diced bell peppers, dried elbow macaroni, marinara sauce, and water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes until macaroni is tender, occasionally stirring.
Add half and half, sprinkle with cheese, and mix everything well. Remove from heat, cover and let it sit for about 2 minutes or until cheese melts.
Notes
WHAT IS HALF AND HALF? To make 1 cup of half and half, combine ½ cup of milk and ½ cup of heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream).
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers (30-Minute, One-Pan Recipe)
Amount per Serving
Calories
437
% Daily Value*
Fat
24
g
37
%
Saturated Fat
9
g
56
%
Trans Fat
0.2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
10
g
Cholesterol
64
mg
21
%
Sodium
939
mg
41
%
Potassium
631
mg
18
%
Carbohydrates
36
g
12
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
6
g
7
%
Protein
20
g
40
%
Vitamin A
1757
IU
35
%
Vitamin C
57
mg
Calcium
78
mg
8
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Schranz FrigyesThanks for the mac and cheese recipe! Big Bang! My son eats this morning, noon and night!
Reply
- Julia
Schranz, sounds like this recipe is a favorite with your son - I am so happy to hear that! ❤️❤️
Reply
- Melissa Torres
Great recipe! You can add anything you have on hand to it to spruce it up. The peppers were perfect and then we added red pepper flakes, garlic herb seasoning and pepper. Used cheddar and all enjoyed it.
Reply
- Julia
Melissa, I am so glad you loved this dish! ❤️ Love the addition of red pepper flakes and garlic herb seasoning!
Reply
- Barbara
Good flavor but I'm not a lover of peppers so for me it had 1 to many peppers. I used mild cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella as that's what I had on hand. It just seems so runny with all the liquids it has in it. But the real test will come when my son decides if he likes it or not. lol
Reply
- Julia
Barbara, thank you for trying this recipe - I hope your son likes it! 🙂 If it's too runny, just add gradually a bit more cheese to thicken it up!
Reply
- Amanda
I just cooked this , it was awesome , loved it , will make again
Reply
- Veronica
This is a delicious quick easy weekday dinner! I followed the recipe as it is and it turned out great.
Reply
- Julia
Veronica, I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Reply
- Amanda
Made this using ground turkey, small shells and hom*o milk cause thats what I had on hand. And I added onions and used chicken stock instead of plain water to make up for some missing flavour from the turkey and it was so good. My 3yo keeps going on about how it was delicious. Such a fast meal, 1 pot, using things I usually have on hand. Will make again!
Reply
- Gavin
This looks amazingly nummy yummy. Gonna throw down on it tonight
Reply
- Julia
Gavin, I hope you enjoyed it!
Reply
- Sandy
This was so easy and fast to make and the best part...my family loved it! It will be a regular meal at this house!
Reply
- Julia
Sandy, thank you for taking the time to share such a positive comment - it made my day! 🙂
Reply
- Suzyn
I made this tonight and it was a huge hit! The teenager ate seconds, so this will make it into our rotation! When I make this again for more people I will do more than the double batch I made tonight.
Reply
- Julia
Suzyn, I am so glad you tried this recipe and loved it! 🙂 Thank you for the comment and 5-star review - I really appreciate it! 🙂 🙂
Reply
- Nicole Mckee
This is our easy go to for week night dinner. We both love it!!
Reply
- Julia
Nicole, so glad you love this recipe! ❤️
Reply
- Steve
Can you freeze this after cooking?
Reply
- Julia
I would cook this recipe but not add the cream and cheese if you would like to freeze it. When you thaw this, reheat this on the stove top until hot, then add the cream and melt the cheese. Otherwise, the cheese-based cream sauces don't freeze well and lose their texture.
Reply
- Nyesha M
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and would sometimes substitute certain ingredients but it still came out so good. I love it
Reply
- Julia
Nyesha, I am so glad you've enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a positive comment! 🙂
Reply
- Jill
This is a family favorite. I make this all the time. Only thing I do different is I use great value mushroom spaghetti sauce (its my familys favorite) instead of marinara. Then I add a can of mushrooms. Thank you!!
Reply
- Julia
Jill, I am so happy this recipe is one of your favorites! Thank you for such a positive comment! 🙂
Reply
- Nathan Reardon
This is amazing! My whole family loved it! Will defo be saving this recipe for future!
Reply
- Julia
Nathan, I am glad to hear this recipe is worth repeating! 🙂
Reply
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