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Italian Zuppa Toscana Casserole

Italian Zuppa Toscana casserole is a creamy golden bake with thinly sliced potatoes, Italian sausage crumbles, and wilted kale in a cream base. It finishes with a parmesan crust that turns golden after a foil-covered bake and a final uncovered browning.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Italian sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage Casings removed
Russet potatoes
  • 4 russet potatoes Peeled and sliced thin
garlic
  • 3 garlic cloves Minced
onion
  • 1 onion Diced
kale
  • 2 cup kale Chopped
heavy cream
  • 2 cup heavy cream
chicken broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth
red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper To taste
parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese Grated

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 dish. Set it aside so the layers can go in right away.
Cook sausage and build the cream base
  1. Brown the Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart until fully cooked. Drain off excess fat and remove the sausage from the pan.
  2. Sauté the onion in the same pan for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the heavy cream, chicken broth, and red pepper flakes. Simmer briefly, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Assemble and bake
  1. Layer half the potato slices in the greased dish. Scatter half the sausage and half the kale over the potatoes.
  2. Repeat the layers with the remaining potato slices, sausage, and kale. Pour in the cream mixture evenly over everything and press down gently.
  3. Top with the parmesan cheese, cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes at 375°F. You should see bubbling around the edges.
  4. Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes at 375°F until potatoes are tender and the top is golden. Let it rest briefly before serving so the casserole sets.

Notes

Pro tip: slice potatoes thin for faster, even tenderness so the final uncovered bake can crisp the parmesan. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days in a covered container; freeze for up to 2 months if needed and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, but expect a slightly thinner, less rich texture.