Italian Sausage and 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!
Table of Contents
A healthy Italian casserole!
Time for another one-pan dish: Italian Sausage and Kale Casserole! This Whole30-compatible 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 and Kale Casserole bakes in the oven.
This Italian Sausage and 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!
Ingredients
- Italian Sausage
- Eggs
- Lacinato kale
- Cremini mushrooms
- Carrots
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Store-bought marinara sauce
- Ghee, Extra virgin olive oil, or cooking fat of choice
- Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Dried oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Paleo-friendly pesto (like my Arugula Pesto) (optional)
How to make Italian Sausage and Kale Casserole
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 with about 1 teaspoon of Magic Mushroom Powder (or salt) and a sprinkle of pepper. Stir to incorporate.
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.
How to save leftovers
Extra casserole can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 4 months.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Italian Sausage and Kale Casserole
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 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was amazing. I didn’t have enough eggs, so I made the sauce alone and put it on spaghetti squash.
If I wanted to use kale that is bagged and chopped how much should I use? Also, same question for frozen? I am guessing the weight in your recipe is after stemming?
This is SO good. It was hard not to finish it in one sitting. I made a couple of mods based on what I had on hand. Kale/chard combo, crumbled turkey meatballs instead of Italian sausage, and a basil walnut pesto made from scratch. It tastes like lasagna and I will definitely be making it again. Thank you so much!!
Is there a substitute for mushrooms?
Making this tonight! What would be a could veggie side or maybe a side salad?
Just a big green salad!
Love this one!
This is an outstanding recipe! It scratches all the Pizza / Lasagna itches one may have.
I have made it three times, usually with Spicy Italian Sausage, and it is flawless. I am pumped whenever I have leftovers in the fridge. Thank you!
Where do you get bulk italian sausage that’s sugar free?
In Portland, you can buy sugar-free bulk Italian sausage at New Seasons. In the Bay Area, I get sugar-free sausage from Belcampo. Belcampo also ships nationwide! Use the code TAM10 to save 10% off.
What if we want to leave out the mushrooms? Substitute or just leave it out? We will still use the magic mushroom powder.
Totally fine to leave them out!
Anyone try with spinach or arugula instead of kale?
You can definitely make this with spinach or Swiss chard. I haven’t tried it with arugula, but I bet it would also work!