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Pasta Chicken

Skillet Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers

Published: May 21, 2015 | 153 Comments

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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 45 minutes to make!

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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!

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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, SO 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:

cooking sausage and bell peppers for mac and cheese recipe

Next, add dried elbow macaroni, marinara sauce, and water:

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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:

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Your pasta is ready to serve: only 45 minutes from start to finish!

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5 from 24 votes
Skillet Mac and Cheese
Print
Skillet Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

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! 

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 436 kcal
Author: Julia
Ingredients
  • 1 lb pork sausage
  • 2 bell peppers , diced
  • 8 oz elbow macaroni , dry
  • 18 oz marinara sauce
  • 18 oz water
  • 1/3 cup half and half
  • 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet cook sausage on medium heat, until meat is brown. Drain off fat.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
Recipe Notes

WHAT IS HALF AND HALF? To make 1 cup of half and half, combine 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream).

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Nutrition Facts
Skillet Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 436 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 978mg 41%
Potassium 647mg 18%
Total Carbohydrates 35g 12%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 6g
Protein 19g 38%
Vitamin A 24.2%
Vitamin C 57.9%
Calcium 7.6%
Iron 13.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Filed Under: Bell Peppers, Cheese, Dinner, Gluten Free, Mozzarella, Pasta, Recipe, Vegetables Published: May 21, 2015 153 Comments

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Previous Post: « Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Pasta with Bell Peppers, Asparagus, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Next Post: Garlic Shrimp Pasta with Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelsey

    Nov 21, 2019 at 12:57 pm

    Could you leave out half and half?

    Reply
  2. Lloyd

    Nov 05, 2019 at 10:54 pm

    This sounds goofy. I always look at other people’s Recipes and see how I can add different ingredients to spice it up a little. I love to cook. I’ll try it your way first. I’m sure its good.

    Reply
    • Julia

      Nov 12, 2019 at 9:02 pm

      Enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  3. Sandi

    Oct 23, 2019 at 6:01 pm

    Can I use tomato sauce instead of marinara sauce?

    Reply
    • Julia

      Oct 30, 2019 at 9:19 pm

      Yes, you can! Might have to add some spices, such as dried basil and a small amount of red pepper flakes.

      Reply
  4. Sharon

    Oct 21, 2019 at 11:07 pm

    How much is in a serving?

    Reply
    • Julia

      Oct 30, 2019 at 9:33 pm

      The whole recipe makes 6 servings.

      Reply
  5. SARAH

    Oct 21, 2019 at 9:09 am

    SO GOOD! THANKS FOR SHARING

    Reply
    • Julia

      Oct 30, 2019 at 9:39 pm

      You are very welcome! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Tracy

    Oct 14, 2019 at 7:52 pm

    Excellent!!! I used 1 green pepper and 1 red pepper. Used Bob Evans zesty hot sausage and 1/2 red onion. Was fantastic!! Definitely will make again!! Yum!!

    Reply
    • Julia

      Oct 31, 2019 at 3:11 pm

      Thank you, Tracy! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Angie

    Aug 26, 2019 at 11:57 am

    Excited to try this tonight, ive heard great things about this receipt from co workers. will update tonight!

    Reply
    • Julia

      Sep 28, 2019 at 5:51 pm

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Tricia

    Aug 15, 2019 at 3:14 pm

    Delicious! Will definitely make again, but with 1 bell pepper instead of two. I whos also cook the bell peppers a little first before adding remaining ingredients. They were to crunchy for my taste.

    Reply
    • Sharon

      Aug 21, 2019 at 1:58 pm

      What kind of sausage did you use, was it breakfast pork sausage, or Italian sausage?

      Reply
      • Julia

        Sep 28, 2019 at 6:16 pm

        I used regular pork sausage (sausage roll).

        Reply
    • Julia

      Sep 28, 2019 at 8:03 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your feedback!

      Reply
  9. Lynn

    Aug 11, 2019 at 8:05 pm

    If I want to make and freeze, to warm in oven for future meal, would I do anything diffetently?

    Reply
    • Julia

      Sep 28, 2019 at 8:14 pm

      No, I just cook the dish as directed and freeze it after it’s cooked.

      Reply
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