Sausage Potato Kale Casserole with Bacon and Cream
A large batch of thin potatoes, pork sausage, bacon, and kale in a creamy Parmesan sauce, divided between two baking dishes.
Ingredients
Meat and potatoes
- 8 ounces bacon Reserve 1/4 cup rendered fat after cooking
- 1 pound raw Italian pork sausage Casings removed
- 7 cups peeled russet potato slices About 2 1/2 pounds; cut evenly 1/8 inch thick
- 1 teaspoon butter For two baking dishes
Kale cream sauce
- 1 small white onion Diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- 6 packed cups chopped kale leaves Washed; tough stems removed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg Beaten
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan Divided equally between sauce and topping
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- to taste fine salt Only after tasting the cooked sauce
Instructions
- Preheat to 400°F and grease two 3-quart baking dishes with the teaspoon of butter. Slice potatoes evenly ⅛ inch thick.
- Cook bacon until crisp and set aside ¼ cup rendered fat. Crumble bacon. Brown the pork sausage to 160°F and drain it.
- Split potatoes, sausage, and bacon equally between both dishes.
- Soften onion in reserved fat for 4–5 minutes in a large pot. Add garlic for 30 seconds, wilt kale in batches, then stir flour through for 1 minute.
- Add broth gradually while stirring. Simmer to thicken slightly, add cream and pepper, and adjust salt before introducing any egg.
- Remove from the burner. Slowly whisk ½ cup hot sauce into the beaten egg; stir this back into the main sauce with ¾ cup Parmesan.
- Distribute sauce over the two dishes. Seal with foil and bake 50–60 minutes. Uncover, divide the remaining cheese over them, and bake another 20–30 minutes or as needed.
- Check each center for 165°F and easy knife entry through the potatoes. Shield the tops if they darken early. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
This batch requires 6 quarts total baking capacity. The estimated cook time includes cooking the meats and sauce. Confirm potato tenderness in both dishes and a minimum 165°F center; elapsed time alone is insufficient.