Pork Enchilada Casserole

If you have leftover pulled pork and want the perfect one-pan dinner recipe, look no further than this Pork Enchilada Casserole (Hot Dish). It comes together quickly and can be tweaked to suit what you might have on hand - leftover chicken, ground beef, or turkey, as well as a salsa of your choosing.  

I don’t know a Minnesotan who doesn’t love a good hot dish. And yes, it’s a hot dish around these parts, because a casserole is just a hot dish with attitude. On the hot dish deck today is this delightfully delicious and easy-to-execute Pork Enchilada Hot Dish (with Roasted Green Tomato Salsa).

I like to think of this as a sort of enchilada lasagna because it’s got layers. Layers of corn tortilla, leftover shredded pork, diced onion, shredded cheese, and salsa. This also happens to make it a fantastic fall dish. Cozy on up and get ready to put together one comforting one-pan wonder for dinner.

How to Make Pork Enchilada Casserole - Ingredients

All you really need to make this fantastic recipe are five ingredients - if you are using leftovers :). 

• Leftover pork butt, shredded (or other leftover protein, preferably neutrally seasoned/seasoned with Tex-Mex/Mexican flavors)
• Pepper jack cheese (or other good melting cheese like good ‘ol cheddar)
• Red onion (or white or yellow onion; or leave it out!)
• Corn tortillas (avoid flour tortillas as they don’t hold up as well in this hot dish)
• Green Salsa (I had some leftover Roasted Green Tomato Salsa; you’ll want to use a thick/chunky salsa)

To make this super awesome Pork Enchilada Hot Dish you will need the following ingredients:

INGREDIENTS  

• 3 cups leftover pork butt (shredded, heaping cups)
• 1 8-ounce block pepper jack cheese (shredded)
• ¾ cup red onion (finely diced)
• 9 small corn tortillas
• 2 cups Roasted Green Tomato Salsa* (plus 1-1 ½ tablespoons water)
• cooking spray

*Or chunky salsa of your choice.

How to Make Pork Enchilada Casserole - Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray the bottom and sides of the 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

Add 1-1 ½ tablespoons of water to the Roasted Green Tomato Salsa to thin it out a little.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of Roasted Green Tomato Salsa to the bottom of the baking dish and spread into an even layer. 

Cut six of the corn tortillas into four even, triangular pieces.

Put a piece of cut tortilla in each corner, aligning the straight edges with the sides of the baking dish. Add a piece of cut tortilla in the middle of each side to bridge the gap, then add a whole tortilla to the middle to complete the layer.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of Roasted Green Tomato Salsa on top of the tortilla layer. Spread into an even layer. 

Add ½ of the leftover shredded pork, distributing evenly, followed by half of the onions, and ⅓ of the shredded pepper jack cheese. 

Repeat steps 6 through 8.

Add one final layer of tortillas. Top with remaining Roasted Green Tomato Salsa, then sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove aluminum foil and broil for 5 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes before digging in.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and crema.

Tips for a successful Pork Enchilada Casserole

This is an easy recipe, but it can go sideways if you take too many “liberties” with this recipe. Here are my best tips for a successful outcome. 

• Use corn tortillas over flour tortillas. They hold up better and keep things more “layered” in appearance when serving. 
• Use a thick salsa. This will help the layers remain intact and prevent a soupy outcome. If you prefer a thinner salsa, use a bit less of it than called for in this recipe.
• To verde or not to verde? I love pork and a green sauce together, but you can of course use a red salsa :).
• Use a good melting cheese. Pepper jack is a go to cheese for me since it melts well. But go ahead and use whatever type of good melting cheese you’d like. A smoked gouda would be bomb here.
• To precook your onion or no? I don’t cook my onion before adding because they retain somewhat of a crunch and I like the textural contrast. If you’d rather they disappear into the mix, saute for 3-4 minutes in butter or oil before adding them to the hot dish. You can also leave them out if you don’t like ‘em or can’t have ‘em.
• Use a neutral or complimentary seasoned protein. By neutral I mean salt and pepper neutral. Or use a protein seasoned with Tex-Mex/Mexican flavors to complement the resulting dish. If you need some seasoning inspiration, try this Spicy Adobo Seasoning.
• Pork, or? Try shredded chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, or black or pinto beans.
• Cover the hot dish with aluminum foil until it’s almost done cooking. This speeds up the cooking process and prevents the cheese from overcooking. You don’t want to expose the cheese to that dry heat until the very end, broiling to get it golden brown and delicious. 

What else can you add to Enchilada Casserole?

I kept it simple and garnished with a drizzle of crema and fresh parsley. Here are some other ideas for garnishing your Pork Enchilada Hot Dish.

• Crushed tortilla chips - for crunch
• Pepitas - for texture
• Cilantro - if you must
• Hot sauce - a few dashes for pops of heat
• Sour cream - to keep it cool if the salsa you use is on the spicier side

Shameless Plug - New Favorite Kitchen Appliance

The Treasure Truck got me. I saw this Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Smart XL Air Fry Oven discounted on Amazon's Treasure Truck and had to have it. It's been worth every penny. One of the first things I made in it was this Pork Enchilada Hot Dish and I have to say, the broiler function is money.

Storing Leftover Enchilada Casserole

Transfer leftover Pork Enchilada Casserole to a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

If you like this pork enchilada hot dish, give these dinners a try:

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