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.
I’m making this tomorrow, forgot the mushrooms when I shopped. I want to add beans to it, what do you think? one can of cannellini, black or kidney beans? Am I completely mad or what?
I would try cannellini or garbanzo beans.
This was so good I can’t stop this about it.
This is truly one of my favorite casseroles. I make it on the reg! I chop the mushrooms very tiny because I hate their texture but love their flavor. I never measure the kale I just usually do two bunches. Hard not to eat the whole pan
Easy peasy and delicious! Made enough for 2 people to have large servings and still had leftovers for lunch today and a bit in the freezer for a lazy night dinner. 🙂 I made it exactly as recipe indicated and added the optional pesto.