Creamy Apple Pork Casserole
Tender pork, sweet apples, and a creamy hard cider sauce come together in this comforting Apple Pork Casserole. This easy one-pan dinner is perfect for a cozy family meal, especially during the fall season.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1.75 lbs Pork I used a Pork Butt
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Onion Diced
- 12 Button Mushrooms Sliced
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 Carrots Cut in ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup Hard Cider
- 1¾ cup Chicken Stock
- ⅔ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tablespoon Sage
- 2 Apples Sliced
- ½ cup Frozen Peas
Instructions
- Prepare the Pork: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Cut the pork butt into bite-sized pieces and season generously with salt and pepper. Cut mushrooms in half, cut onion into chunks, and cut carrots into 1 inch thick pieces. 1.75 lbs Pork 1½ tsp salt ½ tsp Pepper
- Sear the Pork: Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and sear until browned, about 5-6 minutes total. You don't need to cook the pork through at this point. The goal is to develop a nice brown crust. 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Cook the Vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sage and cook for another minute, until fragrant. 1 Onion 12 Button Mushrooms 2 Cloves Garlic 1 tbsp Sage
- Add the Flour and Carrots: Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the pork and vegetable mixture. Stir well to coat everything with the flour. Add the carrots and stir to combine. 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 3 Carrots
- Add the Cider and Chicken Stock: Pour in the hard cider and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping the pan if anything sticks to loosen the browned bits. 1 cup Hard Cider 1¾ cup Chicken Stock
- Bake: Cover the skillet with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 90 minutes. Check the casserole toward the end of cooking. If the sauce looks too dry, add a little additional chicken stock.
- Add the Apples and Cream: Remove the skillet from the oven and stir in the apples, peas, and heavy cream. ⅔ cup Heavy Cream 2 Apples ½ cup Frozen PeasCover the skillet again and return it to the oven. Cook for an additional 25 minutes, or until apples are tender and the pork is cooked through.
- Serve: Remove the skillet from the oven, give everything a gentle stir, and serve warm.
Notes
- Don't skip the sear. Browning the pork first adds big flavor to the finish.
- Choose the right apples. Braeburn and Pink Lady apples are great choices because they have enough structure to hold up during cooking.
- Watch the sauce. If the casserole looks dry when you check it after the first 90 minutes, add a splash of chicken stock before continuing.
- Add the apples later. Adding the apples during the final cooking time helps them stay tender while still maintaining some texture.
Storage
Refrigeration: Store leftover Apple Pork Casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing: Fully cool the casserole and freeze in an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat per the make-ahead instructions below. Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the sauce has thickened in the refrigerator, add a splash of chicken stock when reheating Tried this recipe?Rate it and let me know how it was!
