I’m sharing #SausageFamily in my life as part of a Johnsonville sponsored series for Socialstars™
Stovetop Sausage Mac and Cheese makes a hearty family meal and it can be made in under 30 minutes using only one pan.
I love the flavor that ground sausage adds to mac and cheese and the fact that it makes it feel more like a main dish.
It’s every bit as delicious as this Super Creamy Mac & Cheese.
I like to use Johnsonville All Natural Fresh Italian Mild Ground Sausage. It is so convenient and easy to cook with because it comes packaged the way ground beef does . Just unwrap the package and toss the sausage in a pan to brown it. There’s no need to get your hands all messy trying to remove the sausage from casings.
Johnsonville Italian Mild Ground Sausage has so much depth of flavor with the perfect blend of Italian herbs and spices.
Because Johnsonville Italian Mild Ground Sausage has so much flavor, only a few ingredients are needed to make this cheesy and delicious mac and cheese. I like to cook a little onion with the sausage. Once the sausage is cooked and crumbled, I add a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup of half-and-half, and an 8-ounce package of macaroni.
Let it simmer until the macaroni is cooked and then add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. It may look a little liquidy at first but once the cheese is melted and mixed in and it cools slightly, it will really thicken up.
Stovetop Sausage Mac and Cheese couldn’t be easier to make and there are hardly any dishes to clean.
Got to love a meal that can be on the table in under 30 minutes and is so cheesy and satisfying with a bite of yummy ground sausage in every bite!
Watch the video below to see how easy this recipe is!
Stovetop Sausage Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound Johnsonville Italian Mild Ground Sausage
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1 (8-ounce) package macaroni pasta
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Place sausage and onion in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking sausage apart with a wooden spoon, until sausage is no longer pink.
- Add diced tomatoes, water, half-and-half, and macaroni. Cook, stirring frequently for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the cheddar cheese will add some saltiness.
- Sprinkle cheese on top and stir until melted and mixed in. Remove from heat.
Great comfort food! I added some garlic, chipotle chili powder, and oregano! Then I used a cup of cheddar cheese and a cup of mozzarella to make it super creamy!
Delicious, great comfort food!
This recipe was so stinking easy and good!! I used cheese cheese along with the cheddar at the end. Phenomenal!
I changed some ingredients, instead of heavy cream I used cream cheese. And I used salsa for the diced tomato. Velveeta cheese instead of cheddar. It was great.
So… You didn’t make the recipe at all then.
Do you cook your macaroni first or not?
A definite family favorite. I usually make a pound of pasta and double everything else. You can use less cheddar and substitute some cream cheese to lessen the “bite.” My kids are coming home from college for the first time this weekend and this quick and easy dish is on the menu.
Excellent, loved it even more the second time making it. Followed recipe exactly, was perfect!
Did I miss to simmer? Simmer and cover??
Same question
I made this mac and sausage recipe a little different. I used one of each sweet and hot sausage cooked in the air fryer. Mixed in a bowl one egg, a can of milk, and some butter. I slightly cooked the macaroni. In a frying pan with a little olive oil sauteed onions, mixed peppers, scallions, garlic, hot peppers, and frozen mixed vegetables added some smoked paprika and a little salt and pepper. Shredded mild cheddar cheese. Placed all ingredients in a pan layered the cheese and poured the liquid over everything and cooked it in a 375 oven. Made a salad and dinner was served.
This literally has almost nothing in common with the original recipe. Ratings should be based on the actual recipe, not your interpretation.
Just made this in a cast iron skillet. One of the best easy meals I’ve ever made. WE ADDED: Chilli powder, a little white pepper and some parsley. Perfection! Thanks for a delicious and easy recipe!
Easy weeknight recipe with staple ingredients we keep in the house. We loved it!
Can I use milk instead of half and half? I only have 1%
I used sour cream instead!
love this easy recipe. used buttermilk because I was out of milk.
YUM! My kids gobbled this Sausage Mac n’ Cheese up! Thanks for the easy recipe! 🙂
Family loved it! I used gluten free macaroni and they never knew the difference.
Has so much flavor! Almost too much actually, but I like this as a starting point for sure. And it is one pan and so simple. Usually home made Mac n Cheese comes out so bland, this gives it that kick it needs. Thank you for posting this.
I made a few adjustments for my taste. Here is what I did:
*Used 1/4 C of Heavy cream since I didn’t have half & half. I added an additional 1/4 water and some powdered milk to make up the 1/2 cup called for in the recipe but next time I will leave the extra 1/4 cup out as mine came out a bit too liquidy.
*Reduced sausage/onion mixture to 3/4 lbs of sausage as it seemed like way too much sausage to pasta ratio.
*Added 4 Oz of Cream Cheese
*Added another cup (113 g) of Monterey Jack Cheese
**NEXT TIME – Do not add salt. I think the cheese has enough salt – reduce liquid by a half a cup total – Maybe add another 1 cup of Cheddar – Use Medium Cheddar instead of Sharp as Sausage has enough bite. It will help mellow the dish.
Ok. I’ve tasted this again after it has set and after I’ve given my taste buds a break.
My conclusion?
Reduce the water I used as stated by 1/4 a 1/2 cup. Reduce the added salt to nothing or just a smidge.
But, other than that,
the way I cooked it is awesome sauce 👍.
This stuff is reeeeally good (see above for alterations).
I super appreciate this recipe and as always, recipes can be tweaked to adjust to personal preferences. That’s the beauty of online recipes. They are an incredible starting point. To some this will be spot-on perfect. I promise 👍. And to others, their tastes needs to adjust it one way or the other. That’s okay.
Personally, I have struggled finding a good Mac n Cheese recipe online that didn’t come out bland or just bad. This one, answered the call. It was just what the doctor ordered and so full of flavor.
Try it.
Even if you add or take away some things… I promise
You won’t be disappointed.
Add a can of tomato soup!!! It works magic!!!
Great recipe. I actually didn’t use but one cup of cheese and it was still amazing. Loved it!!!
This dish was phenomenal!!!
Your a life saver!! Last minute recipe I made. It’s quick, easy and tastes amazing!! Going to make it again . Thank you so much!!
Do you drain the grease from the cooked sausage crumbles?
Yes, if there is a lot of grease, go ahead and drain it.
Any recipe that uses Italian sausage I not only drain, but I also rinse it in a strainer. It makes a world of difference.
Do you drain tomatoes ?