Turkey Sausage and Kale Casserole

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I grew up on casseroles, and so they’ll at all times have a particular place in my coronary heart. There’s one thing comforting a few dish that’s baked to bubbly perfection and served family-style. As an grownup, I nonetheless love them, however my palate has positively grown up, too. This Turkey Sausage and Kale Casserole is scrumptious and just a bit refined. I’ve given this simple pasta bake a heat, autumn-inspired twist by utilizing turkey sausage, mushrooms, kale, and a touch of nutmeg! It’s budget-friendly whereas nonetheless feeling elevated, comes collectively in about an hour, and makes sufficient to feed a household of 6!

Overhead view of turkey sausage and kale casserole on a plate.

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Tacky Turkey Sausage and Kale Pasta Casserole

This turkey sausage casserole is the proper mixture of simple and comforting, good for a busy night time. I begin with rigatoni and smoky browned turkey sausage (or leftover roast turkey once I’ve acquired some!), then toss in sautéed mushrooms and onions for earthy depth. The silky creamy sauce will get successful of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and a whisper of nutmeg—aka my secret contact to make it style like fall in a casserole dish. Recent kale and cream cheese add richness, and a layer of mozzarella on prime bakes up golden and bubbly. This simple pasta casserole is my type of consolation meals, proper right here. 🤤

Get inventive with the protein. Turkey smoked sausage is unbelievable right here, however you can simply use hen sausage, Italian sausage, floor turkey, cubed or shredded hen, and even leftover roast turkey from the vacations. In the event you’re utilizing floor meat, crumble and brown it as an alternative of slicing.
Not a kale fan? I really like kale, but it surely does are typically bitter. If in case you have youngsters or choosy eaters, you might need to swap it out with spinach or one other leafy inexperienced like Swiss chard. Are you workforce kale? Let me know within the feedback beneath!
Cook dinner the pasta till simply tender. It’ll proceed cooking within the oven, so that you don’t need it overdone!
Regulate the seasonings. I seasoned this simple turkey sausage and kale casserole with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. You may omit the nutmeg in case you don’t have it, however you can additionally add onion powder, paprika, cayenne, or different spices and herbs to fit your style.
The butter and flour are the bottom for the roux, which is a thickening agent that’s about equal elements fats and flour. It helps give the sauce a creamy consistency, with out including heavy cream or canned soups, so don’t skip this step!

learn how to make Turkey Sausage and Kale Casserole step-by-step images

Ingredients to make turkey sausage and kale casserole.

Collect your whole components and preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, after which set it apart for now.

Cook dinner the pasta: Add water to a medium-sized pot and produce it to a boil on the stovetop. As soon as the water is boiling, add 8 oz. rigatoni pasta and cook dinner for about 10 minutes, or simply till tender. Drain and funky the pasta in a colander. Place the cooled pasta in a big bowl and put aside.

Brown the turkey sausage: In the meantime, warmth a medium skillet over medium warmth and add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and 13 oz. sliced turkey smoked sausage. Brown the sausage on one facet for five minutes…

Sliced turkey sausage browning in a skillet.

…then flip them over and brown for an extra 5 minutes on the opposite facet. Take away the sausage from the skillet and set it apart.

Diced onions and mushrooms in a skillet.

Sauté the veggies: Add 8 oz. sliced white mushrooms and 1 diced onion to the identical skillet you browned the sausage in. Sauté the greens for five minutes, stirring sometimes to forestall sticking.

Flour added to sauteed mushrooms and onions in a skillet.

Make a roux: Soften 2 Tbsp butter within the pan with the mushrooms and onions. Then, sprinkle ¼ cup flour into the skillet, stir, and cook dinner for 1 minute.

Milk being poured into a skillet to make a creamy mushroom onion sauce.

Make the casserole filling: Now, add 2 cups milk, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and ⅛ tsp nutmeg. Cook dinner till the liquid has thickened, about 2 minutes.

A hand using a knife to slice fresh kale on a green cutting board.

In the event you haven’t already, take away the robust stems from 1 bunch washed kale and chop the leaves into bite-sized items.

Fresh kale and cream cheese added to a skillet to make the filling for turkey sausage and kale casserole.

Add the kale and 4 oz. cream cheese to your skillet. Stir and mix till the kale wilts and the cheese is melted. This took about 2 minutes for me.

Browned sliced turkey sausage added to a creamy kale and mushroom sauce in a skillet.

Now add the browned sausage (and any drippings) to the skillet and fold to mix with the creamy sauce.

Pasta with a creamy kale sauce in a bowl to make sausage and kale casserole.

Pour your turkey sausage casserole combination into the massive bowl with the pasta and fold till mixed.

Turkey sausage and kale casserole in a baking dish topped with cheese.

Bake: Pour the casserole combine into your ready 9×13 casserole dish. Unfold it out evenly and prime with 1½ cups shredded mozzarella.

Baked Turkey sausage and kale casserole in a baking dish.

Bake the casserole in your preheated oven, uncovered, for 25-Half-hour till golden and effervescent. Serve and luxuriate in!

A plate of turkey sausage and kale casserole on a plate with a fork taking some.

Serving Solutions

This turkey sausage pasta bake doesn’t want a lot to make it an entire meal. I normally serve it with a easy facet salad produced from blended greens and a balsamic French dressing. A slice of garlic bread or crusty baguette can be an awesome alternative! If I’m feeding an even bigger group, I’ll throw collectively some roasted greens like Brussels sprouts or inexperienced beans on the facet. This dish is hearty sufficient to face by itself, so you possibly can maintain sides minimal and nonetheless have everybody leaving the desk glad.

Storage & Reheating

You possibly can retailer this turkey and kale casserole in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days, making it good for meal prep or having fun with leftovers all through the week. You may as well freeze it for as much as 3 months in an hermetic container. I like to recommend thawing it in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating. If you reheat it (both within the microwave or again within the oven at 350°F), you might want so as to add a splash of milk if the pasta has absorbed an excessive amount of sauce.

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