With this weeks wintery weather here in western Canada I can safely say it’s casserole season! Which for me is a great because I love saucy and satisfying dishes that warm the house and fill it with mouth watering aroma. So while I’m not actually crazy about the weather, it does give cause to make Italian Turkey Kale Rolls. They’re a tasty way to warm your belly and beat off this weeks chill.
Ground turkey is spiced up with Italian sausage, herbs and spices then combined with rice and rolled into kale leaves. Baked until flavours meld and the turkey is cooked through then topped with a sprinkling of cheese and given a quick broil. The resulting roll is tender, full of flavour and laden with tomatoey sauce. These tasty rolls are hearty and satisfying without being heavy, not to mention a great way to eat a little kale.
I would consider Italian Turkey Kale Rolls a weekend recipe as there’s some prep and an hour long baking time. So a lazy Sunday afternoon is in order. The recipe does make 14 large rolls which for many of us will mean leftovers. Easy to portion out and freeze the leftovers to save for another wintery day when your time is limited.  Enjoy!
Recipe source for Italian Turkey Kale Rolls: Â Compelled To Cook
- 1/2 cup long grain rice
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 14 large fresh kale leaves about 3 bunches
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3/4 pound bulk Italian Sausage about 2 links
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion 1/4" dice
- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1/4" dice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley or 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 cup finely grated fresh parmesan cheese optional
- 1 284ml can tomato soup
- 1 cup diced canned tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Bring water and salt to a boil, add rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool while continuing.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a simmer. Trim the bottom 2-3 inches from kale leaves. Blanch leaves in water for 3 minutes. Remove using a slotted scoop to a cold water bath or cold running water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.
- In a large bowl combine ground turkey, Italian sausage, onion, green pepper, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Mix gently just to combine all ingredients. Gently mix in rice.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Lay a kale leaf flat and dab with a paper towel to grab any excess moisture. Scoop a generous 1/4 cup of filling onto leaf and roll leaf over filling, tucking in the sides as mush as possible. If the leaf is not large enough to tuck the sides simply press them around the filling. Place roll into a greased 13"x 9" casserole dish. Repeat with remaining kale and filling, stacking rolls tightly in pan getting 2 rows of 7.
- Pour sauce evenly over rolls, cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired and broil 2-3 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.
- In a medium bowl whisk together all ingredients and set aside until rolls are assembled.
I found that it takes 3 bunches of fresh kale to yield the 14 large leaves. Â Save the smaller leaves for another use. It may be necessary to trim out about 1" of the center stem from the bottom of the cooked kale leaf to allow the leaf to roll nicely. Â Don't worry too much about tucking in the sides as they are packed tightly in the pan and hold their shape when cooked.
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