This one-pot Italian chicken sausage recipe is easy enough for a weeknight dinner and special enough for company. Made with less than 10 ingredients, it’s healthy, hearty and definitely one for the books.
I love this dinner. It’s got everything I look for in a cozy, cold-weather meal. Tons of greens, protein, and of course, flavor. There’s no doubt this meal is hearty and comforting, but it’s hearty in a sense that it fills me up without being heavy.
And by layering flavor every step of the way, this recipe relies on a few quality ingredients to pull the weight instead of added fat and salt.
Classic Italian sausage links would be great here, but I wanted to create a dinner that had all of the aspects of comfort food without the added grease. And chicken sausages were the answer. With so many options for chicken sausage nowadays you can definitely find some with great texture and bold flavor.
Are chicken sausages healthy?
In general, chicken sausage is a great way to add protein and flavor to a dish without adding a ton of saturated fat. Like with anything, there will be a few outliers, but most chicken sausages are lower in fat than their pork counterparts.
If you’re watching fat content, look for sausages that have 7–10 grams of fat and around 2 grams of saturated fat per serving/link. Both of which are pretty normal ranges for chicken sausages.
Sugar content is also important. I often seek out savory sausages because they’re lower in sugar than sweeter varieties such as “sweet apple” or “sweet and smoky.”
Be sure to look at the ingredient list, is sugar one of the first ingredients? If so, look for a different flavor or brand that has sugar towards the end of the ingredients list, preferably in the 2% or less segment. As a guideline, I look for sausages that have 4 grams or less of sugar per serving/link.
Are chicken sausages precooked?
Just about any chicken sausages you’ll be able to find will be precooked. It’s best to get in the habit of double checking the label to verify, but most chicken sausages will be fully cooked. Another beauty of chicken sausage!
How long do chicken sausages last?
- Unopened chicken sausages will last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
- After opening, chicken sausages will last 1 week in the refrigerator.
- Chicken sausage will last about 2 months in the freezer.
How else can you serve chicken sausage?
You can serve chicken sausage in a variety of ways. Here are some of my favorite methods.
- Slice sausage into coins then sauté with mushrooms, then toss with greens for a quick salad.
- Slice sausage into coins and toss with peppers, sweet potatoes, greens beans, a splash of olive oil and a few spices. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast (or grill in a grill pan) until veggies are tender. A quick and easy sheet pan dinner.
- Slice sausage into coins and saute until golden brown. Toss with pasta and a creamy sauce.
Fill out the menu!
If you’re feeding a hungry crew, having guests over, or want to make a special meal, check out my Easy Sunday Night Tuscan Dinner Menu! It features some really delicious crispy potatoes.
Tuscan Chicken Sausages with White Beans and Kale
★★★★★5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Lauren Grant of Zestful Kitchen
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Healthy, hearty and easy to make, these Italian chicken sausages simmered with tomatoes, white beans and kale are perfect for feeding a hungry family.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cans (15-ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained with juices reserved
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Sweet Italian-Style Chicken Sausages
- 1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- ¼–½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Combine ½ cup beans, ½ cup tomatoes, reserved tomato juice and chicken broth in the bowl of a food processor; purée until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven until shimmering. Add sausages and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add onion to fat left in pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in puréed bean mixture and cook 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in kale, remaining tomatoes, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is wilted and tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in remaining beans and nestle sausages into pot; adding any accumulated juices.
Cover and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and sausages are heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
In addition to using the Dutch oven, I also like to use my cast-iron enameled braiser for this recipe. You can also use a large pot.
What equipment you’ll need:
- Food processor
- Dutch oven, cast-iron enameled braiser, or large pot
Ingredient Swaps:
- Use any canned, diced tomatoes you have on hand
- Use any sausage links you have on hand
- Use any dried Italians herbs you have on hand such as dried basil, rosemary, thyme, and/or oregano (fennel would also be great!)
- Use any broth or stock you have on hand (if you don’t have any, you can use some water, just be sure to season more heavily with salt).
Nutrition
- Calories: 301
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 977mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 63mg
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This recipe was inspired by a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen’s cookbookCook It in Your Dutch Oven.
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About The Author
Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.
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