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    Skillet Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers

    Published: May 21, 2015 / 202 Comments

    565.0K shares
    • Facebook6.5K
    Recipe Print

    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 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:

    add macaroni to sausage, bell peppers and tomato sauce

    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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    Skillet Mac and Cheese
    4.82 from 111 votes

    Skillet Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers

    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! 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories per serving 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
    • 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).
    Follow Julia on Pinterest and Facebook to get more recipes and dinner ideas for your weekly meal planning!

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Skillet Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    436
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    23
    g
    35
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    8
    g
    50
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    64
    mg
    21
    %
    Sodium
     
    978
    mg
    43
    %
    Potassium
     
    647
    mg
    18
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    35
    g
    12
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    13
    %
    Sugar
     
    6
    g
    7
    %
    Protein
     
    19
    g
    38
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1210
    IU
    24
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    47.8
    mg
    58
    %
    Calcium
     
    76
    mg
    8
    %
    Iron
     
    2.4
    mg
    13
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    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!
    « Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Pasta with Bell Peppers, Asparagus, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
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    565.0K shares
    • Facebook6.5K

    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

    I appreciate your feedback!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Erin

      March 12, 2022 at 2:11 pm

      Would I be able to use Spaghetti Sauce instead of marinara for this?

      Reply
      • Julia

        March 21, 2022 at 11:18 pm

        As long as it's red tomato spaghetti sauce - you can use it in this recipe!

        Reply
    2. Tracy

      March 04, 2022 at 4:04 pm

      I'm going to make this for the first time tonight but I noticed that the beginning you had the green bell pepper in there the red bell pepper but I wasn't sure what the green was is that onions

      Reply
      • Julia

        March 22, 2022 at 12:25 am

        Tracy, you can use both green and red bell peppers in this recipe. What you see in the end on top of the dish as a garnish are chopped green onions! They are delicious!

        Reply
    3. Jane

      March 02, 2022 at 8:40 pm

      Made this tonight and it was very good…a perfect weeknight dinner! Easy and fast!
      I used ground beef so added chopped onions, 2 cloves chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper. Was a big hit!!
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jane

        March 02, 2022 at 8:42 pm

        Sorry I didn’t see a star rating before posting! Definitely 5 Stars !!

        Reply
        • Julia

          March 22, 2022 at 12:34 am

          Jane, thank you so much for the 5-star rating! 🙂

          Reply
      • Julia

        March 22, 2022 at 12:37 am

        Jane, I am glad you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it! Thank you for this wonderful and detailed feedback! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Vicki B.

      December 13, 2021 at 2:37 pm

      It’s one of my husbands favorite meals! I use hot Italian sausage! I love one skillet meals and this is one I make a lot!! Super easy and tasty!!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        December 14, 2021 at 5:52 pm

        Vicki, your comment made my day! 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to share such a positive comment!

        Reply
    5. Julia Cyr

      September 23, 2021 at 3:39 pm

      I made this and me and my husband loved it! I would like to make it again as a freezer meal since I have a baby coming. What would you suggest for freezing?

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 24, 2021 at 12:57 pm

        This should freeze well. Use an airtight container. When reheating, reheat gently on low-medium heat and add extra liquid (milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream) to thin out the sauce.

        Reply
    6. Sandra Lewis

      September 05, 2021 at 6:58 pm

      I made this for supper tonight and it was absolutely delicious. I used ground beef instead of sausage meat, otherwise I followed your ingredient list. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 22, 2021 at 4:50 pm

        Sandra, I am so glad you tried this and liked it! Thank you for the 5-star review - I really appreciate it! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Ret Yeager

      August 04, 2021 at 7:54 pm

      I planned this for dinner, found I didn’t have marinara sauce so I used pizza sauce. It was delicious — a keeper!

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 13, 2021 at 8:21 pm

        So glad you liked it! Good to know pizza sauce worked!

        Reply
    8. Julie Spencer

      May 09, 2021 at 9:27 pm

      Really enjoyed this! I subbed a bell pepper for two jalapeños. I also did 24 oz marinara, but cut the water down to 12 oz to balance it out. Mixed in some kale at the end (I love kale) and it gave it some extra color. Really pleasantly surprised with how well this turned out.

      Reply
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