This super easy and comforting Pork and Apple Casserole is simply delicious. The ingredients are seasonal and provide this super warming dish with incredible flavour! All you need is pork steaks, apples, cider and cream to bring this simple dish to life!

When the weather is cold all I want is comfort food. Winter cooking is my favourite because I love a good sauce, stew or casserole packed full of delicious and nutritious ingredients. This Pork and Apple Casserole is cheap, easy and flavourful!

What is a Casserole?

The jury is out on this one! Casseroles are popular in both Western Europe and the US but the term is a little confusing because it means different things in each country.

For Americans a casserole is a recipe that is cooked in a casserole dish or one pot and baked in the oven, therefore being cooked from all sides.

In English cuisine a casserole is a one pot dish which includes meat, potatoes and a thick stew. It is what an American would call a stew. In the UK a baked dish is called a bake rather than a casserole which would be widely understood as some kind of one pot stew cooked on the stove.

As you will have noticed this recipe is a creamy warming stew cooked on the stove, not baked in an oven!

What do i need?

• Pork Shoulder Steaks – I like to use pork shoulder steaks as they have some fat marbling that provides the steak with flavour and helps keep the steaks juicy and moist.
• Apples – I used jazz apples in this casserole as they are in season and on offer in Lidl England. Most cooking apples will work, the choice is yours!
• Red Onion – Red onion is sweeter than brown and compliments the sweet apple flavour we want in this dish.
• Mushrooms – I also like to add mushrooms to my casserole. I love mushrooms and they provide some savoury umami notes to the dish.
• Garlic – No dish is complete without it right!?
• Apple Cider – I used a medium dry apple cider from Lidl. The cider will be used to deglaze the pan and provide the base for our sauce.
• Chicken Stock – You will need some stock for your sauce. I used a stock pot but you could also use water. My favourites are Knorr organic stock pots.
• Double Cream – Added right at the end to cut the sauce and provide us with a super creamy velvety sauce.
• We will season this yummy dish with: mixed herbs, sage, paprika, cayenne pepper.

What is a Cornstarch Slurry?

A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of cornstarch or cornflour and water. The mixture can be added to stews, sauces, casseroles and soups to thicken the sauce.

You can also make a flour slurry using just plain flour and water. This is less calorific but provides less thickness and so more flour is inevitably needed.

For this recipe we will use a Flour slurry – 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoon water mixed together in a bowl until smooth. Alternatively, add the ingredients to a jar and shake well until smooth.

Tips & Tricks

• Be sure to thoroughly wash your apples as they are covered in pesticides and residue.
• Pork shoulder is a delicious pork cut for casserole but you could also use a pork chop, loin or some diced pork.
• Try to use dry cider as you don’t want it to be too sweet, the sweetness will come from the apples.
• Use some standard mushrooms like white cup or chestnut. Slice the mushrooms thinly.

Pork and Apple Casserole Serving Suggestions

The great thing about this casserole or casseroles is that you can serve them with whatever carb you like. This Pork and Apple Casserole is great with rice as I love mushrooms with rice!

I also love eating it with mashed potatoes, try my easy Pomme Puree recipe if you are a potato fan.

Do you have trouble nailing rice? Try my easy Perfect White Rice recipe for fail proof rice every-time.

Did you try this Pork and Apple Casserole Recipe?

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m here to help! If you loved this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment and rating below! Let me know how it turned out for you and share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at @chilliandlife and hashtag it #chilliandlife ! I’ll be sure to share it!