Zuppa Toscana (olive Garden Copycat)

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1 pound ground Italian sausage (I recommend spicy)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced

1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

5 to 6 cups chicken stock

2 to 3 cups chopped fresh kale

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

6 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

Cook sausage in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a separate plate, reserving 1 tablespoon grease in the stockpot for later*, and discarding the excess grease. (I actually like to briefly rinse my cooked sausage in a strainer to remove even more excess grease.) Set aside.
Add onions to the stockpot (with the grease), and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, and cooked sausage, and continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the kale and cream, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm, garnished with the bacon bits.