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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!
Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers (30-Minute, One-Pan Recipe)
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
Nutrition
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.
Delicious using just what the recipe calls for, I used hot Italian pork sausage because we like spicy food, extra cheese because we LOVE cheese. Will make again and again.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your comment!
Could you leave out half and half?
I used can milk, I didnt have any half and half and it came out great. My husband just kept saying how good it was.
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.
Enjoy the recipe!
Can I use tomato sauce instead of marinara sauce?
Yes, you can! Might have to add some spices, such as dried basil and a small amount of red pepper flakes.
How much is in a serving?
The whole recipe makes 6 servings.
SO GOOD! THANKS FOR SHARING
You are very welcome! 🙂
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!!
Thank you, Tracy! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Excited to try this tonight, ive heard great things about this receipt from co workers. will update tonight!
Enjoy!
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.
What kind of sausage did you use, was it breakfast pork sausage, or Italian sausage?
I used regular pork sausage (sausage roll).
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your feedback!
If I want to make and freeze, to warm in oven for future meal, would I do anything diffetently?
No, I just cook the dish as directed and freeze it after it's cooked.
I just made this. It was delicious. Definitely would recommend it for anyone to make. Will definitely be making it again. So easy to make too.
Thank you for such a positive comment! I am glad you enjoyed this pasta! 🙂
Looks pretty good but can hardly be called Mac and CHEESE with only 1/3 cup of cheese...that’s just my opinion.
Do you have an Instant Pot version?
Ran across this recipe looks delish I’m going to make it for dinner tomorrow night I will let you know how it turns out
Enjoy!
Is it really 18 oz of water and 18 oz of sauce?
Yes. Keep in mind that you are cooking the pasta in the same pan as the sauce, that's why you add 18 oz of water and 18 oz of sauce.