Creamy Pork, Cider and Apple Slow-Cooked Casserole
This delicious pork, cider and apple casserole brings on all the cosy vibes. The creamy sauce made with double cream and Dijon mustard makes this a comforting casserole without losing out on flavour. Serve it up with roasties and greens and you’ve got yourself a wholesome dinner.
Pork is a meat that people either love or dislike. When overcooked, it tends to dry out, and people frequently struggle to come up with new and creative ways to cook it. This does not need to be the case, like in my pork schnitzel recipe or a delicious crispy pork belly sandwich!
Pork is high in protein, low in fat, and makes an excellent neutral meat that pairs well and makes a delicious combination with a variety of fruits, herbs, and spices.
Ingredients Needed for Pork Casserole
Scroll down to the recipe card for exact quantities.
Pork shoulder, diced – or any diced pork meat will work as this recipe will be slow cooked
White onion, cut into chunks
Apples, thickly sliced
Plain flour – corn flour could be used too if you have this instead
A can or bottle of cider
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chicken stock – vegetable stock is also ok but won’t give the same flavour
Carrots, sliced into chunks
Sage leaves – or dried sage is ok too
Double cream – single cream could also work
Dijon mustard – you can also use any other type of mustard if you don’t have dijon
What to serve with pork casserole
This recipe is great because it provides a complete meal in a single dish. If you want to add something extra, consider serving with:
Garlic bread
A simple cucumber, lettuce and tomato salad
Dinner rolls (white rolls)
Creamy mash potato
Sweet potatoes fries
Baked new potatoes
Portuguese corn bread
Algerian Kesra bread
Equipment Needed
- Large casserole pot with a lid
- Chef’s knife for cutting meat and vegetable x 2
- Chopping board x 2
- Spatula
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring jug
- Peeler
- Bowl
What cut of pork is best for a casserole?
Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt if you’re US based): As it cooks, the fat will render down, enriching the meat with delicious flavour and creating a succulent texture perfect for a hearty pork cider casserole recipe.
How To Make Pork Casserole (Step by Step)
Step 1 – Fry off your pork chunks in your casserole pot, not forgetting to season well. Once almost cooked, remove from the pan and leave aside in a bowl.
Step 2 – Fry the onion chunks in the same casserole pan until soft. Add the pork back in with the carrot chunks. Fry for 5 minutes.
Step 3 – Add the flour and stir until well-coated. Pour in your cider to create a thick sauce. This should thicken quite quickly so keep stirring. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Add the chopped sage and season. Place the lid on the pan and cook in a low oven (140 degrees) for 1 hour.
Step 4 – Give the casserole a good stir. Add the apple chunks, the cream and the mustard. Bring to the boil again and place back in the oven for 30 minutes or until pork is soft and tender. Serve with roasties and cabbage (or however you prefer!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can casseroles be prepared ahead of time?
Most straightforward, make-ahead casseroles can be prepared on the weekend to reduce cooking time, refrigerated or frozen, and baked throughout the week for an easy, satisfying meal.
How long can I keep pork casserole in fridge?
The USDA recommends that cooked pork in a slow cooker be consumed within 3 to 5 days of being refrigerated (40°F/ 4° C or less). I would recommend 4 days to be on the safe side
Is it safe to reheat pork casserole?
You can safely reheat pork in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop. Remember to check that it’s very hot throughout before serving. If you’re keeping a freshly slow-cooked pork dish to reheat, put it in the fridge or freezer once cooled and eat it within 3 days, and only reheat it once (until piping hot).
Does cooking cider remove alcohol?
Sorry for spoiling the party, but heating alcohol or any other cooking liquid does not cause it to evaporate as rapidly as a child’s allowance in a sweet shop. The longer you cook, the more alcohol evaporates, but you must cook food for approximately 3 hours to completely remove all traces of alcohol not just a couple of minutes.
Are there any non-alcoholic cider recipes?
Is there apple cider without alcohol? Yes! While many people associate fresh apple cider with alcoholic beverages, it is actually a non-alcoholic drink in the US. In the United States and Canada, it is simply unfiltered apple juice with no sweetener added. This would, however change the taste of the recipe. You could choose to omit the cider and keep the chicken stock, or use a non-alcoholic cider (UK) like this one from Thatcher’s.
Is this casserole gluten-free?
No, this casserole is not gluten-free as it contains flour. You could however use gluten-free plain flour instead. You’ll need to mix with cool water first before adding to the casserole, a bit like you do with cornflour.
Top Tips on Freezing Casseroles
When preparing a casserole, consider making an extra batch to freeze. Having an extra casserole in the freezer can be a great “emergency” meal, for days when you don’t have much time to cook. You can also use frozen casseroles when unexpected guests arrive. Follow these tips to ensure that frozen casseroles are just as good as the day they were first prepared.
Be careful not to overcook food that is to be frozen. Frozen casseroles will finish cooking during the reheating process. When preparing a Normandy pork casserole for freezing, it’s best to remove it from the oven 10 to 15 minutes sooner than you would if you were serving immediately (as long as it’s piping hot!)
Green pepper may change the flavor of a frozen casserole. Consider using another green veg for your slow-cooker pork recipes, like celery sticks in its place when planning to freeze a casserole containing green peppers.
Reduce the amount of clove, garlic and/or pepper you would normally use, when preparing a casserole for freezing. These flavors become stronger after freezing. Reducing these ingredients by about 1/4 when preparing your casserole for freezing, will help maintain the flavor of the original dish and the lovely sauce.
Increase remaining sage leaves, chopped onion and/or salt by about 1/4. These flavors become milder after freezing.
Prepare casseroles that do not contain a large amount of egg white, when planning to freeze. Egg whites will toughen up after freezing, changing the texture of the original dish.
Freeze casseroles in clear plastic containers, with air tight lids, to avoid freezer burn. This will also help keep food fresher, for the next day you will need it.
Label each container with the name of the dish, and the date it was prepared. This will help you to better know how and when to use each dish you place in the freezer, without a lot of added work.
Store frozen casseroles at 0 degrees F/ -17 degrees C.
Use frozen, cooked casseroles within 2 months of the date of preparation.
Pork, Cider and Apple Casserole
Equipment
- 1 large casserole pot with lid
- 2 chef's knives one for meat and one for veg
- 2 chopping boards
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Measuring spoons
- 1 Measuring Jug
- 1 Peeler
- 1 bowl
Ingredients
- 500 g pork shoulder
- 1 onion
- 3 apples
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 300 ml cider
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 3 carrots
- 1 tbsp sage leaves
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- Fry off your pork chunks in your casserole pot, not forgetting to season well. Once almost cooked, remove from the pan and leave aside in a bowl.
- Fry the onion chunks in the same casserole pan until soft. Add the pork back in with the carrot chunks. Fry for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir until well-coated. Pour in your cider to create a thick sauce. This should thicken quite quickly so keep stirring. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Add the chopped sage and season. Place the lid on the pan and cook in a low oven (140 degrees) for 1 hour.
- Give the casserole a good stir. Add the apple chunks, the cream and the mustard. Bring to the boil again and place back in the oven for 30 minutes or until pork is soft and tender. Serve with roasties and cabbage (or however you prefer!)
