Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
Overhead of the breakfast casserole baked in a cast iron with a slice cut.

breakfast casserole with turkey sausage and kale

Author: Mika Kinney
5 from 5 votes
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!
Total Time: 50 minutes
Protein: 31g
Serves: 8
Print Pin
Save Recipe Recipe Card

💌 Save to your inbox!

Send this recipe straight to your inbox by entering your email. As a bonus, you'll receive our top tips for getting more protein into your diet.

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.
    Sauteing the sausage and kale in a skillet.
  • 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.
    The egg mixture poured over the sausage and kale.
  • 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

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.
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.
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.
Common Questions:
Can I make this if I don’t have a cast iron skillet?
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.
What can I do if I don’t like kale?
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.
Can I use a different type of cheese?
Yes, you can use mozzarella, gruyere, goat cheese, pepper jack cheese, or an Italian blend in place of the white cheddar. 

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.

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: egg bake, high protein, kale

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 265mg | Sodium: 1108mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2420IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 353mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you try this? We'd love to hear how it went. Please leave a review below! For more protein recipes join our email list!