With gooey white cheddar and high-protein cottage cheese, this breakfast casserole with turkey sausage and kale is the ultimate Sunday breakfast or protein-packed meal prep! Saute the turkey in the same skillet the mixture is baked in for a super easy breakfast that makes enough for 8 large servings.
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recipe quick notes
The best part according to Mika: I know kale gets a bad rap, but when paired with the warm heat from jalapenos and lots of cheese, I promise you will want the kale! Even better, you can swap the jalapenos for pimiento sweet peppers to make it more kid-friendly.
Protein: 31 grams
Time: 20 minutes of work and 40 minutes to bake
Best for: a cozy Saturday morning that doubles as meal prep
why you need this breakfast bake
Kale is one of those ingredients that is often the subject of videos highlighting how not good it is. But, I’m here to tell you it’s all in how you prepare it. You make it into kale chips, toss it in a stir fry, and so much more!
Beyond using it for a variety of dinner recipes, it also makes a great breakfast addition like in this egg bake! The trick is to use small pieces and do not, please please please, do not use the stems. And for the high protein part - cottage cheese is a no-brainer, just like in our bacon cottage cheese egg bake!
In addition to learning how to properly use kale, here’s why else you need this recipe!
- Easy to make with simple ingredients and since the turkey sausage and kale can be cooked in the same skillet the egg bake is baked in.
- Versatile in that it’s a stunner of a breakfast casserole to serve to friends and family but also that it keeps really well so you can have it ready for an easy breakfast throughout the week.
- Packed with flavor and has the perfect texture thanks to white cheddar, jalapenos, and a hefty dose of salt and pepper.
let us know your favorite thing about the recipe ⭐️ →
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ingredients & substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for full quantities for this egg casserole.
- The base: to make the base of this egg bake we need cottage cheese, white cheddar, eggs, flour, and baking powder. The flour and baking powder help the mixture to rise and hold its shape since cottage cheese is heavier than the traditional heavy cream.
- The “stuff”: grab plain turkey sausage (breakfast sausage will work too) and any type of kale. I like to use prewashed and chopped kale and then just pick out the pieces that don’t have stems. But, Tuscan kale tastes a little better.
- Spices: these are really simple, just salt, pepper, and pickled jalapenos (red pepper flakes work too). The key here is to use enough salt to bring out the delicious flavor. If your family doesn’t like spice, you can use jarred pimiento sweet peppers.
allergy swaps
- Gluten-free: Feel free to use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour will not work.
- Dairy-free: I felt like I needed to touch on this because I tried this recipe so many times without cheese and with dairy-free cheese. It just doesn’t taste as good, plain and simple. You can use dairy-free cream cheese in place of white cheddar and vegan heavy cream in place of cottage cheese but again, the flavor is just different.
- Vegetarian: If you need a veggie breakfast casserole, simply leave out the turkey sausage and pick another vegetable to add.
how to make this kale and turkey sausage breakfast casserole (with photo & video!)
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full easy breakfast casserole recipe!
- Saute the turkey and kale preferably in a cast iron, dutch oven, or other oven-safe large skillet
- Blend the eggs, cottage cheese, half of the white cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, flour, baking soda, and jalapenos till just combined
- Combine the egg mixture, turkey, and eggs, and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake until just set, let cool for 10 minutes, then enjoy!
video of how to make the recipe
expert tips
- Use a cast iron or oven-safe large skillet to have fewer pans. This way you can cook and bake everything in one skillet.
- Blend the egg mixture until just combined to make one creamy consistent texture. Some lumps are fine, but flour has a habit of clumping so blending it for 30 seconds solves this issue.
- Put the sausage and kale in an even layer under the eggs. This keeps everything pretty evenly spread out while baked.
common questions
Yup just saute the turkey sausage and kale in a skillet and then transfer to an 8x8 baking dish or large casserole dish. Bake as directed.
If you don’t like kale, you can make this with spinach or other dark leafy greens. For a different flavor, you can try sweet potatoes, bell peppers, or hash browns. You can also leave it out.
Yes, you can use mozzarella, gruyere, goat cheese, pepper jack cheese, or an Italian blend in place of the white cheddar.
troubleshooting & testing notes
I’m dairy-free, can I still make this?
You can and I’ve tested it many times without cheese and with vegan alternatives. The best option I’ve found is to use vegan heavy cream in place of cottage cheese and vegan cream cheese in place of white cheddar. I want to be clear that the flavor and texture is not the same but it’s *pretty* good.
Using flavored turkey sausage
Initially, I tested this with chorizo-style turkey sausage and turkey breakfast sausage and it was ok, Honestly the texture of seasoned turkey sausage is a little odd so I decided keeping it simple was the winner, just like in our Ground Turkey Sliders.
My egg mixture is lumpy!
The best way to avoid this is the blend the mixture until just combined but some lumps are fine! If the eggs are blended too much I found that the air whipped into them makes the texture a little weird when baked.
how to store & meal prep it
Storage
To store this egg bake, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze it, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in an air-tight container or plastic bag. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
When you’re ready to eat it, simply reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or in the microwave from the fridge to heat through. To enjoy from frozen, let it thaw in the fridge the night before and then reheat in the oven or microwave.
Meal prep
I highly recommend making a batch of this and storing individual servings in Tupperware as needed. Then you can quickly grab it and go!
If you want to save time in the morning when you make this, you can also saute the turkey sausage and kale up to 3 days in advance.
Recipe
breakfast casserole with turkey sausage and kale
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet or 8x8 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey sausage
- 2 cup kale (chopped without the stem)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 9 eggs
- ¼ cup pickeled jalapenos
- 8 oz white cheddar (or Italian blend or mozzerella)
- 3 tablespoon flour (all purpose or 1:1 gluten free)
- 16 oz cottage cheese
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute the 1 pound ground turkey sausage, preferably in an oven safe skillet like a cast iron or dutch oven.
- While it cooks, make the egg mixture by adding the 9 eggs, ¼ cup pickeled jalapenos, half of the 8 oz white cheddar, 3 tablespoon flour, 16 oz cottage cheese, ¾ teaspoon baking powder¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper to a blender. Blend until just combined but not too fluffy.When the turkey sausage is almost done, add the 2 cup kale and saute until wilted.
- With the kale and turkey sausage on the bottom, pour the egg mixture over the top. If you are not using an oven safe skillet, place the sausage and kale in an 8x8 baking or casserole dish and pour the egg mixture over the top. Shred the remaining half of the white cheddar and sprinkle over the top.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until just set. The egg bake will continue to bake once removed from the oven. To not over bake the dish, check that the eggs are just done by holding the sides and gently shaking the dish. The center of the eggs should be solid with a slight wobble.Let it cool for 10 minutes and then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use a cast iron or oven-safe large skillet to have fewer pans. This way you can cook and bake everything in one skillet.
- Blend the egg mixture until just combined to make one creamy consistent texture. Some lumps are fine, but flour has a habit of clumping so blending it for 30 seconds solves this issue.
- Put the sausage and kale in an even layer under the eggs. This keeps everything pretty evenly spread out while baked.
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
I made this recipe and it was great! I didn't have Fresno peppers, so used jalapeño - just a bit. Also substituted regular Jimmy Dean sausage, and it was plenty spicy. Easy to make and delicious!
Hi Kelly,
We're glad to hear the jalapeno and Jimmy Dean sausage substitute worked well for you. Thanks for sharing!
-Dan & Mika
Tried it with bacon instead of sausage, jalapeños (just a bit), and chili garlic sauce (didn't have chipotle, or Fresno chilis) and paired it with the Immunity Smoothie. Awesome Saturday breakfast!
Breakfast treat today! Awesome!
Great recipe. This is a great site for all recipe ideas!
This recipe is ridiculously good. I made it for meal prep and converted to 6 servings instead of 8 because I need that much protein and I’m starving in the morning. But oh my goodness is it delicious and satisfying and filling. I did make just a couple tweaks for personal preference and to use what I had on hand - spinach instead of kale, and I added 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds to the egg mixture before blending because I do like that sausage-y flavor. I even had two servings in one day (breakfast and dinner with an arugula salad) it’s that good. I will have this in my fridge all the time now for a quick, satisfying meal.
that sounds amazing!! So happy to be a part of your weekly meal planning 🙂