One of the things I love about this recipe, besides the comfort food factor, is the short list of simple ingredients!
It's done is 20 minutes or less, too. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- This is an easy weeknight dinner that comes together in 20 minutes or less. Your entire family will enjoy this meal - this great recipe is going to become a part of your regular rotation!
- When you're craving something creamy, quick, and comforting for dinner, this sausage Alfredo recipe really hits the spot.
- One of the things I absolutely adore about this easy dinner recipe is the number of possible variations. This recipe is made with simple ingredients, and can be modified easily!
Imagine you're late leaving work...
Traffic is terrible. It's cold and drizzling. By the time you walk in the door you want nothing more than a hot bath, a soft robe, and...
Hellooooo Sausage Alfredo Skillet Dinner! Ahhhh......
🧾 Ingredients
Just six simple ingredients!
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🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions for this creamy sausage Alfredo skillet dinner are in the green recipe card below.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chopped onions and saute. Add in the sliced sausage and cook together.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and alfredo sauce.
- Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top.
- Place under a broiler and cook until the top is golden brown.
🎥 Video
🥄 Equipment
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
🥫 Storage
Store leftovers covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
You can also freeze this creamy smoked sausage and pasta recipe in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Just pop it into a sturdy ziploc freezer bag or a freezer container.
📖 Variations
- I like to use spicy smoked sausage because it's a nice contrast with the creamy sauce.
- Try cooked Italian sausage instead of smoked sausage - either sweet or hot (or a mixture of the two!).
- Chicken sausage, andouille sausage, and smoked turkey sausage all are delicious in this recipe.
- Of course, cooked, leftover chicken is delicious in this dish.
- Add green and red bell peppers in the pan when you are sautéing the onions for both color and flavor.
- Mix up cultures with the addition of some poblano pepper or a little jalapeno.
- A few handfuls of fresh, baby spinach is good in this dish.
- I like shell pasta because it collects the sauce but penne pasta, fusilli, farfalle, and rotini are good, too.
- Use smoked Provolone instead of Mozzarella on the top before broiling.
- Next time, try adding parmesan cheese on top with the Mozzarella for an extra cheesy flavor.
- If you happen to have some cooked broccoli, green peas, green beans, or whatever - toss it in.
- Use cooked chicken or turkey in place of the sausage. Make it FAST by picking up a rotisserie chicken at the store!
- Cheese tortellini works well in this recipe.
- Add some crushed red pepper flakes for heat.
- Chopped pimento is a delicious addition.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Use an oven safe skillet when preparing this recipe so that you can put the whole thing straight in the oven when it is ready.
- You can assemble this up to a day ahead of time in a baking dish and then just shove the whole thing in the oven for about 30 minutes if the idea of cleaning up after dinner is overwhelming.
- Using an iron skillet allows you to put the whole thing in the oven to crisp up the top.
- Don't let the sauce come to a boil - it can separate a little. Heat it at a simmer.
- Save time by buying chopped onions or chopped onions and Bell peppers in the produce section of your store.
👩🍳 FAQs
The great part about this sausage alfredo pasta is that you can really use your favorite pasta, as long as it is similar in size and shape to medium pasta shells. I personally love this recipe with penne pasta or bowties.
Absolutely! Replace the sausage with some vegetables, beans or plant based sausage to make this easy dinner recipe vegetarian friendly.
📚 Related recipes
- One of my favorite recipes is my chicken lasagna with homemade alfredo sauce. If you're a huge fan of this sausage alfredo bake, you are going to love this cheesy take on a classic dish.
- The cheesy sauce in my baked macaroni and cheese makes it the perfect comfort food.
- And if you're really in the mood for fettucine alfredo, my alfredo chicken ravioli is for you! I can guarantee this recipe will be a huge hit the whole family will love.
🍽️ Serve with...
- My southern green beans are the perfect veggie side dish to balance out the creamy alfredo sauce!
- There is no greater combo than pasta and breadsticks. Try pairing your dinner tonight with fazoli's garlic breadsticks.
- A fluffy white cupcake is a great dessert to go along with this hearty dinner.
- For a lighter dessert, you can't go wrong with my red white and blue fruit salad.
If you are anything like me, and I bet you are, you're mind goes blank when you're in a hurry. It's one reason I love my make ahead pizza dough.
I end up throwing dinner on the table and yelling over my shoulder as I slink out of the room, "cut up some lettuce to have with it".
Here are some quick and easy menu ideas when this comforting smoked sausage recipe is your main course:
- Sliced tomatoes with Italian vinaigrette, 30 minute garlic bread or bread from the grocery store, melon slices
- Steamed, buttered broccoli, hot Italian bread, chocolate cobbler (microwave in minutes)
- Green beans sauteed with garlic, brown and serve rolls, ice cream
- Mixed baby lettuce greens with mandarin orange slices, purchased bread sticks, cookies
If you'd like a wine to serve with this dish I'd recommend a Pinot Bianco, Reisling, or Pinot Grigio. If you're more of a beer person a craft IPA really works.
📞 The last word
When you need quick, creamy comfort food you'll love this easy Sausage Alfredo skillet dinner!
Caramelized onions, smoked sausage, and cooked shell pasta are stirred together with Alfredo sauce then topped with Mozzarella.
After a few minutes under the broiler the dish comes to the table steaming; bubbling hot with a golden brown, crispy-cheesy crust. Your family will love it!
Tortellini alla panna is another quick and comforting recipe.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Smoked Sausage Alfredo Skillet Dinner
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 12 ounces medium shell pasta, cooked
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 12 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
- 15 ounces Alfredo Sauce, commercial or homemade
- 1 cup Mozzarella, shredded
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Instructions
- Preheat the broiler.
- Cook the pasta 10 minutes in salted boiling water to cover, or as directed on package.
- Drain.
- Meanwhile melt the butter in a heavy, 12-inch iron skillet.
- Add the chopped onion and saute about 3 minutes.
- Add the sausage and continue to saute, stirring often, about 2 more minutes or until the onion is golden and soft.
- Stir in the drained pasta and the Alfredo Sauce.
- Sprinkle with Mozzarella.
- Place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is melted and gooey.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can assemble this up to a day ahead of time in a baking dish and then just shove the whole thing in the oven for about 30 minutes if the idea of cleaning up after dinner is overwhelming.
- Using an iron skillet allows you to put the whole thing in the oven to crisp up the top.
- Don't let the sauce come to a boil - it can separate a little. Heat it at a simmer.
- Save time by buying chopped onions or chopped onions and Bell peppers in the produce section of your store.
- I like to use spicy smoked sausage because it's a nice contrast with the creamy sauce.
- Try cooked Italian sausage instead of smoked sausage - either sweet or hot (or a mixture of the two!).
- Of course, cooked, leftover chicken is delicious in this dish.
- Add green and red Bell peppers in the pan when you are sautéing the onions for both color and flavor.
- Mix up cultures with the addition of some poblano pepper or a little jalapeno.
- A few handfuls of fresh, baby spinach is good in this dish.
- I like shell pasta because it collects the sauce but penne pasta, fusilli, farfalle, and rotini are good, too.
- Use smoked Provolone instead of Mozzarella on the top before broiling.
- If you happen to have some cooked broccoli, peas, green beans, or whatever - toss it in.
- Use cooked chicken or turkey in place of the sausage.
- Cheese tortellini works well in this recipe.
- Add some crushed red pepper for heat.
- Chopped pimento is a delicious addition.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.We All Need Comforting Once in Awhile
A Caribbean vacation in the first week of January sounds like a great idea until you come home to snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. Thanks a lot, Texas.
I came home from vacation with some sort of respiratory infection that's left me exhausted, a backlog of work that's piled up more than anticipated, colder than normal temperatures, and a heater with a loose wire that only works when all the planets are in the proper alignment.
Since it's too cold to throw peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the family and call it dinner I've been thankful for quick and easy dinners like this.
I mean, when it's cold and blustery who wouldn't want to come home to creamy comfort food?
First published January 2018. Last updated January 10, 2022 for better images and readability. The recipe was downsized to reflect changes in smoked sausage packaging.
Gwen
This was easy and delicious.
Jennifer
What do you mean it's too cold to do PB&J? When it's that cold, YOU TOAST THE BREAD FIRST. Problem solved. 🙂
Marye Audet
HA!!! I love it.