Serve the ultimate comfort food with my Easy Ground Pork Slow Cooker Casserole Recipe. Perfectly seasoned ground pork, tender rice and vegetables, and cheesy sauce, all slow-cooked to perfection. A hearty and hassle-free meal your entire family will love.
Readers crave my Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole with sausage just as much!
I love eating this ground pork and rice casserole made in my trusty crock pot on busy weeknights. The best part is that it combines all my favorites—convenience and incredible flavors, with a comforting, hearty meal. My son thinks it's one of the best recipes around!
The slow cooking process also helps create a tender and flavorful dish our whole family finds irresistible. Just like my meaty, pasta-filled Crock Pot Pizza Casserole and Slow Cooked Ground Beef and Pasta Casserole.
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Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Casserole
- EASY RECIPE: Once the pork and onions brown, throw everything in the slow cooker and let it do. Add some cheese at the end, and dinner is done! It’s a hearty option for busy weeknights.
- FAMILY-FRIENDLY: This simple yet comforting recipe has a mild but rich flavor and is covered in gooey melted cheese, so it pleases everyone in the family.
- LEFTOVERS: Casseroles made in a slow cooker typically yield plenty of leftovers, making this recipe a practical choice for meal planning, which saves time on future meals.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Pork - This ground meat is the protein base of the dish and provides a nice, rich flavor.
- Yellow Onion, Carrots, and Garlic - These aromatics enhance the overall dish.
- Tomato Paste & Diced Tomatoes - Tomatoes bring a burst of meaty, savory flavor and mild acidity to the recipe.
- Beef Broth - The broth creates the liquid to cook the rice and adds a deeper flavor profile.
- Spices - Dried oregano, cumin, paprika, and a bay leaf add subtle flavor layers that give the recipe a little more depth.
- Cheese - You’ll need cream cheese (full or low-fat) and sour cream to mix into the casserole and give it a creamy texture, and shredded cheddar cheese to top it.
Find the full recipe and instructions in the printable recipe card below.
Substitutions
- Meat: You can swap the ground pork for lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground Italian sausage, or ground turkey. They all have great flavor.
- Broth: In a pinch, use chicken or vegetable broth. However, I find the intensity of flavor may decrease.
- Vegetables: The vegetables used in the casserole can vary based on what you have or prefer. Red peppers, carrots, peas, corn, spinach, green beans, and zucchini are all good options. For convenience, you can also consider using frozen mixed vegetables.
- Cheese: You can swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt and use other shredded cheese, like Parmesan cheese, Monterey jack, or pepper jack.
- Seasonings and Spices: Adjust the seasonings and spices to match your taste. You can experiment with different herbs, spices, and seasoning blends. For example, try using Italian seasoning or Cajun seasoning, or spice it up with cayenne pepper or hot sauce. You can substitute garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic.
RITIKA'S TIP: Good garnishes to brighten the flavor of this delicious casserole are fresh parsley, green onions, or fresh cilantro.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Prep: Chop veggies and mince the garlic.
- Brown the Ground Pork: In a large skillet with olive oil, brown the ground pork with the chopped onion over medium heat until it's no longer pink (about 5 minutes), breaking the meat up as you go (Image 1). Drain any excess fat.
- Combine Ingredients: Mix together the cooked ground pork and onion, rice, tomato paste, diced tomatoes (with the juices), minced garlic, diced carrots, and beef broth in the slow cooker. Make sure the rice is completely submerged in the liquid.
- Add Seasonings: Sprinkle the dried oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper over the ingredients in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaf (Image 2). Mix to distribute the seasonings.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for about 4-6 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours), or until the rice and veggies are tender and the flavors have blended together.
- Cheese: About 15 minutes before serving, mix softened cream cheese and sour cream with a fork. Stir the cream cheese mixture into the meat and sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the casserole (Image 3). Cover the slow cooker again and let the cheese melt.
- Serve: Once the rice is cooked and any cheese has melted, serve the ground pork and rice casserole hot. Garnish with fresh herbs or green onions if desired.
Expert Tips
- Use the Right Rice: Long-grain white rice is the best choice, but other varieties like jasmine or basmati can be used. We have not tried this recipe with brown rice as it tends to need longer to cook.
- Season Well: Season your dish with the spices, salt, and pepper to taste. Slow cooking can sometimes dull flavors, so don't be shy with seasonings. Taste and adjust as needed before serving.
- Cooking Time: Be cautious not to overcook the casserole. Overcooking can lead to mushy rice and dry meat. All slow cookers cook differently, so watching it the first time you make the recipe is helpful so you can adjust accordingly.
Good Side Dishes
What can you serve with your Pork Casserole Recipe? Our favorites are roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans, or steamed broccoli. A green salad or fresh fruit is excellent, as is garlic bread.
Storing
REFRIGERATOR: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
FREEZER: Store your cooked and cooled pork casserole in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
This slow-cooker ground pork casserole with rice is a hearty and flavorful meal that's easy to prepare. You can customize it by adding your favorite vegetables or spices. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
You can substitute the ground pork for lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground Italian sausage, or ground turkey.
Browning the ground pork before putting it in the slow cooker enhances its color, flavor, and texture, so we recommend it.
Fresh parsley, green onions, or cilantro are good garnishes to brighten the flavor of this delicious casserole.
More Slow Cooker Recipes (Family Favorites)
Love this ground pork casserole recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down.
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Printable Recipe
Slow Cooker Ground Pork Casserole
Equipment
- 6-quart Slow Cooker
- Spatula or cooking spoon
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced, about 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (and juices)
- 2 carrots (diced, about 1 - 1 ½ cups)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- ½ cup cream cheese (softened)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Garnish
- parsley or green onion (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Prep: Chop veggies and mince the garlic.
- Brown the Ground Pork: In a large skillet with olive oil, brown the ground pork with the chopped onion over medium heat until it's no longer pink (about 5 minutes), breaking the meat up as you go. Drain any excess fat.
- Combine Ingredients: Mix together the cooked ground pork and onion, rice, tomato paste, diced tomatoes (with the juices), minced garlic, diced carrots, and beef broth in the slow cooker. Make sure the rice is completely submerged in the liquid.
- Add Seasonings: Sprinkle the dried oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper over the ingredients in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaf. Mix to distribute the seasonings.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for about 4-6 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours), or until the rice and veggies are tender and the flavors have blended together.
- Add Cheese: About 15 minutes before serving, mix softened cream cheese and sour cream with a fork. Stir the cream cheese mixture into the meat and sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the casserole. Cover the slow cooker again and let the cheese melt.
- Serve: Once the rice is cooked and any cheese has melted, serve the ground pork and rice casserole hot. Garnish with fresh herbs or green onions if desired.
Video
Notes
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- Rice: Long-grain white rice is the best choice, but other varieties like jasmine or basmati can be used. We have not tried this recipe with brown rice as it tends to need longer to cook.
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- Season Well: Season your dish with the spices and salt and pepper to taste. Slow cooking sometimes dull flavors, so don't be shy with seasonings. Taste and adjust as needed before serving.
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Or freeze your cooked and cooled pork casserole in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Olivia says
This casserole was a big hit in my house! It's super easy to make and so comforting, thank you!
Erin Henry says
Yes, a comforting, home-cooked meal made in your trust crockpot. Perfect. Thanks for giving it a try!
Abby says
This was so easy to make! So flavorful and my whole family loved it. Great recipe.
Leah says
Bursting with flavors, creamy cheese, super flavorful. Love this recipe! Great for make ahead.
Erin Henry says
Agreed. This pork recipe makes a wonderful make-ahead recipe.