Homemade Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers, smothered in marinara sauce and cream.
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, SO EASY TO MAKE!
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!
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!
- 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
- 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.
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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What is exactly 18 oz. of water and marinara. About 2 cups?
Yes! 16 oz is 2 cups, and 18 oz is a little bit more than 2 cups.
Hi! Just found your blog and love it!!! For the 1 lb. breakfast sausage, are you meaning like a Jimmy Dean sausage roll? Or from the butcher department? Also, I looked for a place to sign up for emails but couldn’t find it. Can you help?!! Thank you!!
Yes, Jimmy Dean sausage roll – that’s exactly what I used! Of course, you can also use the sausage from the butcher department if you like.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight. Everyone loved it. I served it with fresh homemade Rosemary and Olive Oil bread that I made in my bread machine during the same day. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I actually added a few substitutions. I put spinach and cremini mushrooms in mine along side the other ingredients that the recipe called for. I diced up and saluted an onion along with the spicy Italian sausage. I cooked mine in a Dutch Oven. I will definitely make this for my family again. Cheers.
Thank you, Michelle! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Spinach and mushrooms are great additions! Serving this mac and cheese with the homemade bread sounds so good!
Great recipe. Now that we are gluten-free what changes would we need to make?
To make this gluten free, use gluten free pasta. I have successfully used brown gluten-free rice elbow pasta in this recipe. Also, just to be on the safe side, make sure all other ingredients are gluten-free.