Table of Contents
- Why this recipe works.
- Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Here’s how to make this recipe.
- These pro tips will make this recipe a success.
- Frequently asked questions about this recipe.
- You'll love these other weeknight dinner recipes.
- Watch how to make this recipe.
- Have I convinced you to make this recipe?
- Skillet Sausage with White Beans & Kale Recipe
Made all in one skillet, this smoky sausage dish paired with white beans and kale is the perfect easy weeknight meal. While kale may not be everyone’s favorite, once wilted over heat, it takes on a delicious creamy texture. The white beans work to add a bit of heartiness to this healthy recipe that can be made in 30 minutes or less.
Why this recipe works.
Creating a weeknight meal that can be served in 30 minutes is a tall order. To make a meal that is nourishing, filling, and delicious, the recipe needs to be foolproof. Skillet sausage with white beans and kale is the answer. The entire recipe is made in one skillet. The meal starts with a good sausage. Sausage is packed with flavor and protein. Scoring the sausage a few times will release some of the flavor into the skillet and give texture to the sausage. Kale is quickly wilted in the same skillet and stirred together with canned white beans for a starchy filling side. Everything is finished in the oven in a few minutes for a quick and satisfying meal.
Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Sausage can be a pantry staple kept in the freezer when a quick meal is needed. Choose a good quality sausage for a nice smokey flavor.
- Kale can become sweet and tender when quickly wilted over the heat. Kale adds a healthy green full of vitamins and gives a complimentary texture to the creamy beans.
- Soy sauce will work as a flavor enhancer in this recipe. The soy sauce is added to heighten both the impact of the kale and the white beans and is an ingredient that’s absolutely necessary.
- White beans are an easy canned item to keep in the pantry. Make sure to drain and rinse beans for a clean flavor and no excess moisture in the meal.
- Parmesan cheese is the finishing touch with a big flavor impact. A small amount goes a long way with a salty, nutty flavor.
Here’s how to make this recipe.
- Prepare the sausage. Using a knife, create four to five relief cuts about ¼ of the way through each sausage link. Heat one tablespoon of neutral oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage cut-side down to the hot oil and allow it to brown for three to five minutes. Once one side is browned, flip it and allow the other side to brown. Once browned, remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside, reserving the oil in the skillet.
- Sauté the onion. Turn down the heat on the stovetop to medium-low. Chop or dice an onion and add it to the hot oil remaining in the skillet. Add in the salt, mix it with the onion, and let the onion sauté for four to six minutes. When the onion is beginning to brown, add in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook it for 30 seconds to one minute.
- Wilt the kale. Strip the kale leaves from the stem. Roll the leaves slightly and use a knife to roughly chop the leaves. Add the kale to the skillet along with the soy sauce. Stir these together to begin the wilting process.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bake. To the wilted kale, add the drained and rinsed white beans, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and chicken stock. Stir everything together to thoroughly incorporate the additional flavorings. Then add the sausage back into the skillet, nestling each one down into the kale and white bean mixture. Place the skillet in the preheated 350°F oven and bake for eight to ten minutes to warm everything through. Once baked, remove the skillet, squeeze on a bit of fresh lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.
These pro tips will make this recipe a success.
- Creating relief cuts in the sausage is done for two reasons. First, these cuts will create additional surface area and texture for each sausage link to brown when placed in the skillet. Seconds, this extra browning will also transfer additional flavor to the skillet, heightening the flavor in the rest of the recipe.
- When it comes to garlic, the cooking time is very important. Garlic can tend to have a raw flavor, so it’s imperative that it’s cooked slightly to reduce the raw flavor. Garlic is susceptible to burning quickly, so make sure not to cook the garlic for too long. About 30 seconds to one minute should be the right amount of time needed.
- Make sure to both drain and rinse the white beans before adding them to the recipe. This will remove the canning liquid around the beans, which can become thick and heavy. The beans’ flavor is much better without this liquid.
Frequently asked questions about this recipe.
Is there a specific type of sausage that works well in this recipe? Could ground sausage be used as well?
Personally, I love to use Italian sausage in this recipe, which I feel works really well with all of the other flavors. Choose a sausage you like that has a good smokey flavor.
Will any type of kale work in this recipe? Or is there a specific type of kale that will be the best?
For this recipe, I prefer curly kale as it has a great texture and wilts quickly. Any type of kale can work.
How long does this recipe last once prepared?
As leftovers, the dish will last 7-10 days in the refrigerator. The meal can be made into a salad with leftovers by adding more greens and chopping the sausage into small pieces.
You’ll love these other weeknight dinner recipes.
Watch how to make this recipe.
More dinner recipes to try
Squash Kale Lasagna
1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Kielbasa with Cabbage & Apple
50 minutes mins
The Best Homemade Goulash
1 hour hr
One Skillet Lemon Chicken with Orzo & Kale
1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Have I convinced you to make this recipe?
I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they too can make, enjoy, and love!
Skillet Sausage with White Beans & Kale
Made all in one skillet, this smoky sausage dish paired with white beans and kale is the perfect easy weeknight meal. While kale may not be everyone’s favorite, once wilted over heat, it takes on a delicious creamy texture. The white beans work to add a bit of heartiness to this healthy recipe that can be made in 30 minutes or less.
Ingredients
- 4 links sausage
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch kale stems removed and chopped
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 14-oz cans white kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 4 oz Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp oil in a 10-inch or 12-inch oven-safe skillet. Using a knife, create 4 or 5 cuts about ¼-inch deep on each sausage. Once the oil is hot, place the sausages in the oil cut-side down. Sauté the sausage until it is browned, 3-5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, 3-5 minutes. Once the sausage is browned on both sides, remove the meat from the skillet.4 links sausage
- Turn the skillet to medium-low heat and add the prepared onion and salt. Sauté the onion until soft and beginning to brown, 4-6 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir the garlic for 30 seconds to warm. Add the kale and soy sauce and sauté the kale in the soy sauce until it is wilted, 3-4 minutes. Add the white beans, lemon juice, ¾ of the Parmesan cheese, and the chicken stock. Stir to combine and bring the stock to a simmer. Once the stock is simmering, add the browned sausage on top of the mixture.1 medium onion, ½ tsp kosher salt, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, 1 bunch kale, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 14-oz cans white kidney beans, 2 tsp lemon juice, 4 oz Parmesan cheese, ½ cup chicken stock
- Place the skillet in the preheated 350°F oven. Bake until the sausage and beans are warmed through, 8-10 minutes. Once baked, remove the skillet from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and squeeze with additional lemon juice.
Notes
- Creating relief cuts in the sausage is done for two reasons. First, these cuts will create additional surface area and texture for each sausage link to brown when placed in the skillet. Seconds, this extra browning will also transfer additional flavor to the skillet, heightening the flavor in the rest of the recipe.
- When it comes to garlic, the cooking time is very important. Garlic can tend to have a raw flavor, so it’s imperative that it’s cooked slightly to reduce the raw flavor. Garlic is susceptible to burning quickly, so make sure not to cook the garlic for too long. About 30 seconds to one minute should be the right amount of time needed.
- Make sure to both drain and rinse the white beans before adding them to the recipe. This will remove the canning liquid around the beans, which can become thick and heavy. The beans’ flavor is much better without this liquid.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 871kcal
Absolutely delicious. Such simple ingredients, straight forward directions and a wonderful dish, full of depth. I think I may try some diced Roma tomatoes near the end for a pop of color and a little freshness. Or…leave just as it is. Oh, it was terrific!
I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! l substitued canned pinto beans for the white beans because that is what I had. We will definitely be making this on a regular rotation.
I’m hooked on so many of wise guides recipes and no nonsense approach to cooking. I am a senior so I have my ‘favourite’ tastes and preferred foods but am generally open to just about anything. Noted this recipe a week or so ago so picked up kale when shopping. As Kaleb mentions most ingredients are pantry staples.
Well, the dish was surprisingly good. The fresh lemon really saved it. But when I make again, I’ll use spinach instead of kale. Kale just did not soften down to silkiness or loose it rough edge. If you are making this with kale, chop it REALLY fine.
Easy and delicious! It was a winner with my husband, as well. The excellent directions and pro tips were appreciated. I look forward to adding this recipe to my menu rotation. Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe! Perfect for a cold winter night. Full of flavor, easy to make and you don’t need any extra side dishes with it! My husband doesn’t like kale but loved this dish. I used mild Italian sausage. I didn’t have white beans so I used chickpeas. I didn’t have chicken broth so I dissolved a chicken bouillon cube in 1/2 C boiling water instead.
I have made this recipe twice in the past two weeks! My family and I absolutely love this dish, so much flavor and it is so simple. This is my new favorite dish!
Made it all on the stove top. Added some ham and some smoked chiles along with a lot of garden Kale and Swiss Chard. What a great way to use my garden veggies. It was a meal that everyone liked.