Description
This White Bean Sausage Skillet is a cozy, one-pan dinner with browned sausage, creamy white beans (no cream needed!), wilted kale, bright lemon, and Parmesan. Weeknight-friendly and ridiculously satisfying with crusty bread.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 to 14 ounces smoked or Italian sausage, sliced ¼-inch thick
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15-ounce) cans white beans (great northern, butter beans, or cannellini), drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups chicken stock, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
½ bunch curly kale, stemmed and torn (about 3 cups packed)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
Crusty bread, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned on both sides, 4–5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add two-thirds of the beans and 1 cup chicken stock. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
In a bowl, mash the remaining beans with a fork into a thick paste. Stir mashed beans into the skillet. Simmer 2–3 minutes until bubbling and warmed through.
Add kale, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook—stirring often—until kale wilts and sauce turns creamy and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
Stir in Parmesan and lemon juice. Add remaining stock a splash at a time if you want it creamier. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve warm with extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes, plus crusty bread if desired.
Notes
Creamier sauce: Mash the beans really well and add stock slowly until silky.
Greens swap: Spinach works (stir in at the end), or use Swiss chard.
Sausage options: Smoked sausage = deeper flavor; Italian sausage = herby/spicy.
Leftovers: Reheat gently with a splash of stock to loosen the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop / Skillet
- Cuisine: American (Italian-inspired)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 580 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 1440 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg