Thursday's Take-Out

Ok, ok...
Several of you have asked for the recipe for the soup Jonathan brought to the chili/soup cook-off a couple Fridays ago.
I'll give it to you, but you first must understand something....

That was MY recipe!!

I found it, I made it, I tweaked it and made it again, I fed it to my husband like the good diligent wife I am and he loved it the second the spoon touched his dry, hungry mouth. When it came time for the cook-off, he betrayed me! Took my own recipe and entered it into the competition against me!
Do you understand what I'm trying to say here, people?! 
*heaving heavily with blood shot eyes and sweat dripping from forehead*
So.
Now that we have that out of the way, here is the recipe.
(But I'm warning you, if I find this in the next Chili/Soup Cook-off......I'm coming after you...)

Olive Garden's Zuppa Tuscana Soup Knock-off

 Ingredients:
1 lb Sage Sausage
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
5-7 slices of bacon
5 medium russet potatoes, sliced thin (about 1/4")
2 c kale, chopped
1 c heavy whipping cream or half and half
1 qt water
2 cans of chicken broth
2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

Directions: 
Brown the sausage with the onion and garlic in a skillet. Drain and set aside. Wipe the pan out and fry the bacon until brown and crisp. Set aside on paper towels and pat dry. Combine the water, broth and potatoes in a soup pot until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes. Add sausage and bacon and simmer another 10 minutes. Add the kale and cream. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer until heated through. Do not allow to boil. 

Serves 4. 

(remember, you have been warned....)