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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.
Awesome dish!
So tasty, delicious, easy to make and easy to clean up
Elsa, I am happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your comment!
This looks so good! Can you substitute hamburger for the sausage? Thanks! Can't wait to make this!
Thank you, Shirley! Yes, you can substitute hamburger meat for the sausage but will probably have to adjust seasonings, such as add extra salt since sausage is usually salty.
Delicious!
I stumbled upon this recipe when I wss pregnant with my first that was almost 4 years ago even tho it gave me heartburn kept making it, lol. I used spicy italian sausage because that's all I had plus I like it a bit spicy and it turned out great . ever since then I've been making this. it is absolutely delicious, simple ingredients and quick to make. even if you dont have half and half, I've used milk or heavy cream in the past worked out great making it again tonight !
Love this recipe. Made no changes. Second time making it, I mixed the pork sausage with spicy ones. Husband love it!!!
Easy and delicious. Doubled the recipe and used more cheese. I made it in my electric pot and it worked great. Definitely will make again.
Do let leftovers freeze well?
Great comfort food recipe! Super easy and only one pot! I added mushrooms and green & black olives. I also subbed in ground beef, cheddar cheese and shells because that’s what I had on hand. I may skip the half&half next time but it came out really good!
Oh my gosh, this recipe is so good. So easy to make, doesn’t take too long to be ready and it was wonderfully delicious. Thank you for sharing
How would I adjust this recipe to use 16oz of macaroni?
Your recipe is AWESOME! I made it last night and my husband and I are planning to keep this recipe as a “KEEPER”. Thank you!
Thank you, Beckie, for such a positive comment! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Recipe is very good .... 20 minutes is too long to cook the macaroni ...
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I am going to make this over the weekend, but just to confirm, no spices?
No spices. A lot of flavor comes from the sausage and from the marinara sauce. Enjoy the recipe!
This was absolutely amazing. It was quick and easy. I changed it a bit adding onion as well as one green pepper and one red for color. I also added an entire cup of cheese as we love cheese
Glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment!