Smitten Kitchen's Quick Sausage, Kale & Crouton Sauté Recipe

Name: Quick Sausage, Kale, and Crouton Sauté from Smitten Kitchen Every Day
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Olive oil; 2 cups (60 grams) 1-inch cubes sturdy white bread (such as sourdough or ciabatta); 1/2 pound (225 grams) fresh sweet Italian sausages, casings removed; 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed; 3/4 cup (200 grams) cooked white beans (about half a 15.5-ounce can); 2 big handfuls (or more, to taste) torn curly kale leaves; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; Red pepper flakes, to taste; 2 tablespoons (30ml) red wine vinegar; Grated Parmesan (optional)

Quick Sausage, Kale, and Crouton Saute — Summer Miller

The beauty of Deb Perelman -- herself, her blog, and her books -- is her sense of humor, humility and grace. She understands that cooking for a family is different than cooking for your own personal creative expression, or for a group of cherished friends.

When food meets the dinner deadlines of young children, life gets pretty intense. No one is more hardcore than a hungry toddler an hour shy of bedtime.

In her new book, Smitten Kitchen Every Day, Deb addresses the reality of feeding a family -- and wanting it to be a positive experience.

Get the book! Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites by Deb Perelman

Smitten Kitchen Every Day has more than 100 recipes that range from breads and biscuits, breakfast, vegetarian main dishes, meat main dishes, and dessert.

On the breakfast side of the things, Ricotta Blini with Honey, Orange, and Sea Salt grabbed my attention. These little cheese-stuffed pancakes are peppered with currents for an extra touch of sweetness. Deb also provides recipes for classics like blueberry muffins – it's always nice when you find a recipe that challenges your own standbys!

What I probably appreciate more than anything is Deb's inclusion of accessible, fuss-free vegetable main dishes (and not a single entrée includes a zucchini noodle). She unapologetically uses canned beans and pre-washed, chopped kale.

She knows that the goal is to serve good food that's full of flavor, but with the realistic expectations of those of us who put it on the table daily. The recipes, and her writing, are totally absent of pomp and circumstance. I love her for this.

I have several recipes I want to try from the book, but the first one on my list was this simple, and flavorful Quick Sausage, Kale and Crouton Sauté.

It had all the components of a great meal, like sausage, beans, and greens, but the biggest selling point was that it required only one pan for cooking. (Can I get an Amen, from all you mothers out there!)

I’ve made this dish twice already. The second time I added a small jar of artichoke hearts and an extra handful of kale just to increase the vegetable content. My entire family loved it both times. Although my children picked out the kale, they devoured the rest of it without a second thought.

The recipe requires a half can of beans and about a half pound of sausage, casings removed, which are somewhat awkward amounts to shop for. If your family is large enough (or has large enough appetites) and you have a big enough pan, this is an easy recipe to double. Go ahead and use up the entire package of sausage and can of beans.

The leftovers are great too, just reheat them on the stovetop so the bread will crisp up again.

Get the book! Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites by Deb Perelman

Quick Sausage, Kale, and Crouton Sauté from Smitten Kitchen Every Day

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 2 to 4 servings

Excerpted with permission from Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites. Copyright © 2017 by Deborah Perelman. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission from the publisher.

Olive oil
2 cups (60g) 1-inch cubes sturdy white bread (such as sourdough or ciabatta)
1/2 pound (225g) fresh sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 cup (200g) cooked white beans (about half a 15.5-ounce can)
2 big handfuls (or more, to taste) torn curly kale leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tablespoons (30ml) red wine vinegar
Grated Parmesan (optional)

Make the croutons

Heat two glugs of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread cubes and toast, stirring, until lightly browned and mostly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Cook the sausage

Push the croutons aside and add another glug to the pan, then the garlic and sausage meat. Cook, breaking up sausage into small bits, until browned all over.
Cook the greens and beans

Add the greens and cook until they begin to wilt, then add the beans and warm through. Season well with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes

Add vinegar to the pan and use it to scrape up any stuck bits.
Serve

Scrape the sauté into bowls, finish with cheese if desired, and inhale.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
345	Calories
20g	Fat
25g	Carbs
18g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories	345
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	25%
Saturated Fat 6g	32%
Cholesterol 32mg	11%
Sodium 576mg	25%
Total Carbohydrate 25g	9%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 12mg	61%
Calcium 102mg	8%
Iron 4mg	20%
Potassium 551mg	12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.