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Home » Blog » Recipes » Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole

Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole

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Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole is a Whole30-friendly, comforting supper that will please the whole family! Eat it now, or slice it up and toss it in the fridge for the coming week’s packed lunches!

An overhead shot of Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole, a one-pan, Whole30-friendly, comforting supper that will please the whole family!

Time for another brand spankin’new recipe: Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole! This Whole30-friendly weeknight supper is a family favorite. This comforting casserole is a cinch to throw together, and my boys love it because the flavors remind them of pizza. Plus, I always have plenty of time to throw together a big green salad while my Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole bakes in the oven.

By the way, you should feel free to mix up the greens to use up whatever you have lying around in the fridge—but if you’re following a Whole30, make sure to use compliant Italian sausage and marinara sauce.

A side shot of Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole.

This Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole is perfect to eat now or to make-ahead for packed meals. Simply slice it up and toss it in the fridge for the coming week’s pack-and-go lunches!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 2½ tablespoons ghee, avocado oil, olive oil, or your favorite cooking fat, divided
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 large carrots, diced
  • ½ pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt (or my Magic Mushroom Powder)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
  • 1 pound lacinato kale, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup store-bought marinara sauce
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 5 large eggs, whisked
  • ¼ cup Paleo-friendly pesto (like my Arugula Pesto) (optional)

Equipment:

  • Measuring spoons
  • Measuring cups
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cutting board
  • 12-inch cast-iron skillet
  • Silicone spatula
  • Large bowl
  • 13 by 9-inch casserole dish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F with the rack in the middle. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons cooking fat to the pan when it’s hot.

A spoon with ghee is hovering over a hot cast iron skillet.

Grease a 9 x 13 casserole pan with the remaining ½ tablespoon of fat.

Some olive oil is poured into a white casserole dish to coat the inner surface.

Toss the onions, carrots, and mushrooms into the skillet.

Frying diced carrots, onions, and sliced mushrooms in a large cast iron skillet.

Cook until the moisture has evaporated from the mushrooms and the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

A side view of a large cast iron skillet filled with vegetables for Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole.

Season with about 1 teaspoon of Magic Mushroom Powder (or salt) and a sprinkle of pepper. Stir to incorporate.

The vegetable filling for Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole is seasoned with a sprinkle of Nom Nom Paleo's Magic Mushroom Powder.

Transfer to the greased baking pan.

The vegetable filling for Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole is spooned into a greased casserole dish.

Decrease the heat to medium, and add the sausage to the now-empty skillet. Break up the meat with a spatula.

Bulk Italian Sausage is cooked in a large cast iron skillet.

Cook, over medium heat, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until it’s no longer pink.

A closeup of the cooked Italian sausage in the cast iron skillet.

Add the kale and stir to combine. Sauté until the greens are wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

Shredded kale is added to the cooked Italian sausage in a large cast iron skillet.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Minced garlic is added from a garlic press to the cooked sausage and kale in the cast iron skillet.

Pour in the marinara sauce and add the oregano.

Marinara sauce is added to the italian sausage and kale in the cast iron skillet

Season to taste with another ½ teaspoon of Magic Mushroom Powder or with salt and pepper. Stir well to incorporate.

A closeup of the cooked sausage, kale, and marinara sauce in the cast iron skillet.

Transfer the sausage mixture to the ingredients in the casserole pan.

A large spoon transfers the cooked sausage, kale, and marinara to the greased casserole dish.

Pour in the whisked eggs to the casserole pan and stir to combine. 

A bowl of whisked eggs is poured into the casserole dish.

Smooth the top of the casserole with a spatula. (Optional: dollop spoonfuls of Paleo-friendly pesto on top before baking.)

An overhead shot of someone mixing the Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole with a spoon.

Put the casserole in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the eggs are set and browned on the edges.

A side shot of the Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole coming out of the oven.

Rest the casserole for 5-10 minutes, and then slice and serve. Extras can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 4 months.

A square slice of Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole is being transferred to a white dish.


A note to my Nomsters: This is one of a series of daily blog posts I’m writing in the month of January 2018 to help those doing a Whole30 to kick off the New Year. Not sure what the Whole30 is, or want info on how to get started? Read my Whole30 prep post—and then come back to Nom Nom Paleo every single day for recipes to inspire, delight, and sustain you on your Whole30!


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

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Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole by Michelle Tam https://nomnompaleo.com
Print Recipe

Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole

Italian Sausage + Kale Casserole is a Whole30-friendly, comforting supper that will please the whole family! Eat it now, or slice it up and toss it in the fridge for the coming week’s pack-and-go lunches! 
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Italian, Make-Ahead, Paleo, Primal, Weeknight, Whole30
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

  • 2½ tablespoons ghee avocado oil, olive oil, or your favorite cooking fat, divided
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 large carrots diced
  • ½ pound cremini mushrooms thinly sliced
  • Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt or my Magic Mushroom Powder
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
  • 1 pound lacinato kale stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup store-bought marinara sauce
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 5 large eggs whisked
  • ¼ cup Paleo-friendly pesto like my Arugula Pesto (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F with the rack in the middle. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons cooking fat to the pan when it’s hot.
  • Grease a 9 x 13 casserole pan with the remaining ½ tablespoon of fat.
  • Toss the onions, carrots, and mushrooms into the skillet. Cook until the moisture has evaporated from the mushrooms and the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Season the veggies with about 1 teaspoon of Magic Mushroom Powder (or salt) and a sprinkle of pepper. Stir to incorporate and then transfer to the greased baking pan.
  • Decrease the heat to medium, and add the sausage to the now-empty skillet. Break up the meat with a spatula.  Cook, over medium heat, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until it’s no longer pink.
  • Add the kale and stir to combine. Sauté until the greens are wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
  • Pour in the marinara sauce and add the oregano. Season to taste with another ½ teaspoon of Magic Mushroom Powder or with salt and pepper. Stir well to incorporate.
  • Transfer the sausage mixture to the ingredients in the casserole pan. 
  • Pour in the whisked eggs to the casserole pan and stir to combine. Smooth the top of the casserole with a spatula. (Optional: dollop spoonfuls of Paleo-friendly pesto on top before baking.)
  • Put the casserole in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the eggs are set and browned on the edges.
  • Rest the casserole for 5-10 minutes, and then slice and serve. Extras can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 4 months.

Notes

A tasty variation: Dollop on spoonfuls of pesto (e.g. Arugula Pesto) onto the top before baking!
Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

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