Enjoy the perfect blend of sweet and savoury with this delicious pork and apple casserole. Tender pork is simmered with juicy apples and sage for a comforting, hearty meal. Perfect for dinner tonight.
Disclaimer: While I aim to be as accurate as possible, any advice in this post, including but not limited to, cooking times, quantities, nutritional information and storage and freezing guidance is based on my own experience. Please use your own skills, knowledge and judgement, and get up to date food safety information.
I love this simple pork and apple casserole. It’s absolutely delicious, really easy to make, and a great way to enjoy something a little different.
But I’m the first to admit that it’s not massively photogenic.
It’s just all a bit grey. I really like colourful food, so I always think it looks a bit bland. But please don’t let that put you off. It’s got such a sweet and comforting flavour, and it tastes anything but grey!
Ingredients for Pork and Apple Casserole
When I make this pork casserole with apples, I use:
Cooking Spray – You can also use cooking oil such as olive oil or vegetable oil.
Diced Pork – You can either buy diced pork shoulder or leg or chop up some pork steaks. You could even use leftover roast pork. Just make sure it’s been stored safely first.
Plain Flour
Red Onion
Carrots
Swede – One of my favourite things about this casserole is the addition of swede. It’s not something that we use often, but the flavour works with the apple perfectly. It’s such a lovely combination.
Cooking Apples
Chicken Stock – A vegetable stock cube is fine too.
Dried Sage – Switch to fresh, chopped-up sage leaves if you have them, but dried will do fine.
Double Cream – Optional
What Kind of Apples Should You Use in Stew?
I always like to cook with cooking apples, like Bramley Apples, where possible. They tend to be big, they hold their flavour really well because it’s a strong flavour, and they are fairly firm, so they don’t just turn to mush in the stock.
However, please feel free to experiment with other kinds, and absolutely just use whatever you’ve got in your fruit bowl.
Do You Peel the Apples?
I do, yes.
The apples soften in the stock, and I find that this can cause them to come away from the skin, leaving you with bits of apple skin floating around.
Can You Make Pork and Apple Casserole with Cider?
I love pork and cider casserole. I’ve got a brilliant recipe for it that I absolutely love.
My kids love that recipe, but it does contain mustard and tarragon, and it’s quite a strong flavour, which not all kids enjoy.
This recipe uses apple juice and is much sweeter. You could make it with cider, it certainly won’t hurt, but it won’t be as sweet.
Do You Add Cream to this Pork and Apple Casserole?
Now, for me, this is a sometimes.
Creamy pork and apple casserole is lovely, and I do sometimes add a splash (no more than 100ml) of double cream.
This can be especially nice if your apples are very sour or have a very strong flavour, as it will mellow it out a little bit.
But cream isn’t necessary, and I often skip it completely for a healthy pork and apple casserole that tastes amazing without the addition of cream.
I recommend tasting your casserole after you’ve added the apples, and if you want a creamier or milder flavour, by all means, add a splash of cream, but you might prefer not to.
How to Make Pork Casserole with Apples
This diced pork and apple stew is incredibly simple. You can get the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but my top tips are:
- Toss your pork in salt & pepper and a little flour. This will help to thicken the gravy.
- If when you are frying your pork, it starts to stick (the flour makes this more likely), pour in a splash of stock and scrape the bottom of the pan.
- Check the casserole regularly, and if it’s starting to dry out, add a cup of water or some extra stock.
- Don’t add your apples too soon. The longer they bake, the more likely they are to break up completely. I just add mine 10 minutes before serving so that they are warm but still in shape.
- You can cook this casserole in the oven or on the hob for a stew if you prefer. I use a cast-iron casserole dish, which is both heat and flameproof, so suitable for both. I prefer to use one pot as much as possible.
- If you don’t have a dish like this, fry your ingredients first in a large frying pan before transferring them to an ovenproof dish to bake.
What to Serve with Pork and Apple Stew
I serve my casserole with creamy mashed potatoes and crusty homemade bread because we like options! Either is fine, though.
Other Pork Recipes:
Pork is ideal for family food because it’s typically cheaper than beef or lamb, and the mild flavour makes it popular with kids.
Other pork recipes that you might enjoy include:
Print
Pork and Apple Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
Indulge in the warm and comforting flavours of autumn with this mouth-watering pork and apple casserole recipe, a perfect blend of savoury pork and sweet apples, baked to perfection.
Ingredients
- 400g Diced Pork
- 1 Tablespoon Plain Flour
- Pinch Salt and Pepper
- Cooking Spray
- 1 Red Onion (Finely Diced)
- 3 Large Carrots (Peeled and Roughly Chopped)
- 1/2 a Large Swede (Peeled and Chopped into 1-2cm Chunks)
- 500ml Chicken Stock
- 300ml Apple Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Sage
- 2 Cooking Apples
- 100ml Double Cream (Optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the pork in flour and salt and pepper, leave to one side.
- Heat the cooking spray in a large flameproof dish or pan (I use a heavy cast-iron cooking dish).
- Fry the onion for 5 minutes over a medium heat until soft.
- Add the pork and fry for a few minutes until lightly browned.
- Pour in the stock and apple juice and add the sage.
- Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing has stuck.
- Add the carrots and swede and stir.
- If the liquid doesn’t cover the veg, add some water until it does.
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (fan-assisted).
- Bring the casserole to a simmer before removing it from the heat.
- If your pan or dish is ovenproof, place it straight into the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
- If not, transfer to an ovenproof dish first.
- Check occasionally, stir, and add water or stock if it seems to be drying out.
- Peel, core and chop the apples into 1-2cm chunks.
- Add them to the casserole, stir in and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- At this point, carefully taste the casserole, and stir in a splash of cream if you want a creamier/milder flavour. If not, serve as it is.
Notes
- Try not to peel the apples too soon before adding or they will brown.
- I use large cooking apples.
- If your pork sticks, add a splash of stock while you are frying, and scrape the bottom of the pan.
- You can also cook this casserole on the hob if you prefer, just check regularly as it’s more likely to simmer dry.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Easy Midweek Meals
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 435kcal
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 293mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 92mg
