Veggie Mac & Chicken Bowls
on May 04, 2025
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This veggie-packed mac and cheese with chicken sausage is a hearty, flavorful twist on the classic comfort dish. Featuring savory chicken sausage links, tender elbow pasta, and a colorful medley of bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini, onion, and spinach, this recipe balances indulgence with wholesome ingredients. Finished with a generous helping of parmesan cheese and seasoned simply with salt and pepper, it’s a satisfying meal that brings together the richness of mac and cheese with the freshness of vibrant vegetables and the savory bite of Italian-inspired sausage. Add these Veggie Mac & Chicken Bowls to your meal prep rotation! You’ll be so happy that you did!
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION / MACROS
Makes: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 bowl
Calories: 473
Macros: 36.6p / 40c / 18.7f (5g fiber)
Search the food database in the MyFitnessPal or MacrosFirst apps by looking up Stay Fit Mom Veggie Mac & Chicken Bowls 2025 to add it to your food diary.
INGREDIENTS
- Chicken sausage links (I used Gilbert’s Craft Sausages Caprese)
- Elbow pasta
- 2Bell peppers
- Asparagus
- Zucchini
- Onion
- Spinach
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper
SUBSTITUTIONS
Protein:
- Instead of chicken sausage: Use turkey sausage, vegetarian sausage, grilled chicken, or crumbled tofu for a meatless option.
Pasta:
- Instead of elbow pasta: Any short pasta like penne, rotini, shells, or gluten-free alternatives work well.
Vegetables:
- Instead of bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini, spinach, onion: Substitute with what you have—try broccoli, mushrooms, peas, kale, cherry tomatoes, or green beans.
Cheese:
- Instead of parmesan: Try shredded cheddar, mozzarella, Gruyère, or a dairy-free cheese if needed.
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Supplies Used
10.5 inch Non-Stick Pan – I have featured this pan several times in the last while. It’s amazing for SO many recipes!
4 cup glass bowls – Get the new Stay Fit Mom bowls for all your meal prep needs!!
Half size sheet pan – This is the perfect size for 5, 4 cup glass bowls. You can, of course, use a full size sheet pan but your bowls will slide around a little bit more.
Storing and Reheating Instructions:
Storing:
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: For longer storage, freeze in a sealed, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely before freezing.
Reheating:
- Microwave: Heat individual portions in a microwave-safe bowl, covered loosely, for 1–2 minutes. Add a splash of milk or water to keep it creamy, stirring halfway through.
- Oven: If you have extra time on your hands, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes.
To keep the pasta from drying out when reheating, add a splash of milk, cream, or broth before heating—about 1–2 tablespoons per serving. This helps loosen the cheese sauce and restore its creaminess. Cover the dish (with a lid or foil in the oven, or a microwave-safe cover) to trap steam and prevent moisture loss. Stir halfway through reheating for even texture and heat distribution.
More SFM Meal Prep Recipes You Might Like:
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Veggie Mac & Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
- 6 chicken sausage links, (I used Gilbert's Craft Sausages Caprese)
- 5 ounces elbow pasta
- 250 g bell peppers, diced
- 250 g asparagus, diced
- 250 g zucchini, diced
- 50 g onion, diced
- 5 handfuls spinach
- 70 g parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water. Strain and set aside.
- Over medium heat, cook your peppers, asparagus, zucchini, onions, and sliced chicken sausage. Cook until veggies are soft. Add the spinach and cook until wilted.
- Lay out 5 meal prep containers. To each container add 1/5 of the cooked pasta noodles (about 3/4 cup), 1/5 of the chicken sausage, and 1/5 of the veggies (about 1 & 1/2 cups), and 14g of parmesan cheese.
- Let cool before covering with lids and placing in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Notes
- Find in MyFitnessPal and the MacrosFirst app food database by searching, “Stay Fit Mom Veggie Mac & Chicken Bowls 2025.”
Can you clarify the amount of sausage links to use? I used 6 of the Gilbert’s but it did not equal 25oz.
Hi Jenni,
I’m sorry about that! I just removed the 25oz. from the recipe card, that was a mistake. It’s definitely just the 6 links, which will be about 12oz.
My family loved this recipe. It was very simple to put together. We substituted green beans for the asparagus. I also threw in a squash. I did not have any onions and we didn’t miss them. We did add about a half of a teaspoon of smoked paprika in the end. We will be adding this to our regular recipe rotation.
I’m not able to get 5 3/4cup servings of pasta from 5oz? Is it 15oz of pasta?
Hi Meredith, yes it’s 5 ounces of pasta. That’s uncooked, so once cooked it will give you about 3/4 cups per bowl.
This is a very simple recipe that I enjoyed making. I seasoned it a little more for my taste and look forward to having it again!
This is so good! Love this recipe!
So good! I used Banza pasta for added protein and fiber. The flavors are really good and along with good protein, I got in all those veggies!!! Win. Win!