Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole is filled with Tex Mex flavors. And lots of cheese!
King Ranch Casserole is a classic in the state of Texas. Typically it is made with chicken, but today I am sharing a new version with you! Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole. It’s basically a mash up of some of my favorite things.
One of my main loves is a good pulled pork sandwich with a drizzle of some classic Texas BBQ sauce. Combine that with my love of King Ranch Casserole and we have a winner.
The pulled pork is easy to make in the slow cooker. I made mine the day before and just had it shredded in the refrigerator. If you do this you can either reheat the meat by giving it a trip to the microwave or you can just toss the cold pork into the cream mixture and stir it up. It will cook and heat in the oven; it just takes a bit more to stir it all together since it’s cold.
In most recipes for King Ranch Casserole you will see cans of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom being used. I typically will try to find ways around these ingredients. I don’t have anything against them, it’s just a preference I have.
I like to make things from scratch if I can and time permits. So for this recipe we’re going with a basic roux. Butter and flour and then a stock. This makes a thick, creamy mixture. And of course we have all of the other goodies in there too, some red onion, bell peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin. All my favorites.
You can add different peppers if you like, a poblano or even a jalapeño. Just make sure you de-seed them, or if you want the heavy hit of heat leave ‘em in!
The basis of the King Ranch Casserole is that it’s layered, almost like a lasagna. Except instead of noodles we will use crispy corn tortillas layered with our creamy pulled pork mixture and cheese. Lots of cheese. This casserole is just like all other casseroles, complete comfort food.
Are you tired of the dinner routine?
Stuck in a rut or looking for fun new recipes to try?
Our Facebook group is growing every day! If you haven’t joined yet, we invite you to come check it out and join the fun.
You can ask for recipe ideas, talk about cooking techniques, or get help figuring out the right new pan set for you. If you’ve already joined, invite a friend along!
Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Chopped Red Onion
- 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 3/4 cups Beef Broth or mushroom, veggie, or chicken broth
- 1 10 ounce can Chunky Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles drained
- 1 1/2 cups Sour Cream plus more for topping
- 2 pounds Pulled Pork
- 4 cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- 18 Corn Tortilla white or yellow
- 1/4 cup Canola Oil
- Fresh Cilantro optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter. Once melted add the red onion, and bell peppers. Allow to cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned.
- Add in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat the veggies in the seasonings.
- Sprinkle the flour into the skillet. Stir to coat the veggies in the flour; you will end up with a thick paste.
- Pour in the beef broth and stir. Bring mixture to a boil while stirring and let simmer while stirring for about 2-3 minutes until thick. Remove from heat, allow to cool for about 2 minutes and stir in the diced tomatoes with green chiles and the sour cream. Stir to combine. Add the shredded pork and stir until mixed. Set aside.
- Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Brush the tortillas with the canola oil on both side and heat on the griddle until crisp and browned on each side.
- Once all tortillas are browned, layer 6 tortillas on the bottom of the baking dish. Layer the tortillas to cover as much of the dish as possible. Top with half of the pork mixture then one third of the cheese. Repeat by layering 6 more tortillas, the remaining half of the pork mixture, and .one third of the cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas and the rest of the cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven allow to cool for several minutes then serve warm. Can serve with additional sour cream and fresh cilantro.
- Enjoy some traditional Mexican Rice and Beans as a side dish! Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Try this recipe with my favorite pulled pork!