Ground Pork Slow Cooker Casserole

Regardless of the time of year, this is one recipe that the whole family will always enjoy for dinner. This Ground Pork Slow Cooker Casserole is loaded with delicious flavor! The rice, ground pork, and carrots all cook in a delicious broth with seasonings in the slow cooker. The best part is that this is a one-pot, easy recipe and no-fuss dinner.

This recipe is not necessarily a traditional Brazilian dish, though it was inspired by other traditional dishes and ingredients that are so prevalent here in Sao Paulo.

Sausage, or Linguiça, is sold everywhere here for grilling. You can find so many different Pork sausage flavored with peppers, or garlic, or cheese, or herbs, or a combination of these. I decided to take some of these delicious raw sausages and start to create other easy ground pork recipes using the meat from the casings! The first time I did it, this delicious casserole was created!

Brazilian Origins of this recipe

As mentioned, this Ground Pork Casserole is not necessarily a traditional Brazilian recipe, but the ingredients are. Meat, Pork, or Poultry paired with rice is very much traditional. But pork sausage (made from ground pork) is incredibly popular in a variety of Brazilian recipes. You find it in Feijoada: Rice and Beans Stew with sausage and beef and added to Galinhada and other hearty dishes. It's added to sides for more flavor, such as Farofa. Of course, it's also grilled as part of a churrasco dinner for perfectly charred goodness.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

The Ground Pork

• Ground Pork - Here in Brazil, Linguiça (sausage) is so popular, so I used raw pork sausage and removed it from the casing. You can use straight up ground pork or a raw pork sausage that you love, whether that's Italian sausage or another flavor. You can also use ground beef, lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken in this recipe.

Seasonings

I used these seasonings, but you can use your favorite variety and even use a taco seasoning if you like. For heat, you can also include a teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

• Dried Oregano – You can also use fresh oregano. You can substitute with Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, or marjoram.
• Sweet Paprika - You can use sweet or smoked paprika. You will probably not want to use hot paprika. But if you like spicy, you can add a bit of it. A substitute for paprika is chili powder.
• Ground Cumin – Cumin gives a bit more smoky flavor. However, if you don’t have cumin, you could use ground coriander or just a bit more smoked paprika or even chili powder.

The rest of the Ingredients

• Chicken Broth or stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
• Carrots, diced – You can use whole carrots with the skin on or peeled. I peeled for this recipe. You can add or substitute with diced green peppers, red peppers, celery, or any other veggies you like.
• Scallions (green onions) – I love scallions for the green color and mild onion-flavor. You can swap with finely chopped onions, red or yellow onion, or even shallots.
• Tomato Paste - Tomato paste gives that deep tomato flavor. If you don’t have it, you can use ½ cup of tomato sauce or skip it all together.
• Garlic cloves - Fresh is best when it comes to garlic. You can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! You can also substitute in dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Cream Cheese – Cream cheese rarely needs an explanation, right? It adds tang and creaminess. However, if you don’t want to or have it to use, then you can substitute with sour cream, greek yogurt, or marscapone. All of these options may make it a thinner consistency, so you may need to with half of the amount and see if it’s a good consistency.
• Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise adds a deep, rich salty and creamy flavor and helps to create a smooth sauce. It’s not required, but definitely adds unexpected flavor. You can leave it out or substitute with sour cream, greek yogurt, or even softened cream cheese.
• Uncooked White Long Grain Rice – You can substitute with Basmati rice, short grain rice, or brown rice.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese (OPTIONAL) – I love to add cheese on top to get melty. This is entirely optional and any mix of cheddar, jack, or mozzarella will work in this recipe.

See recipe card for quantities.

Tips for Ground Pork Slow Cooker Casserole

1. My first tip is to try flavored raw pork sausage either in bulk or in casings that you can remove the meat from. I used a garlic flavored variety for this recipe, but you can use any that you want!
2. Buy extra ground pork or pork sausage and freeze for recipes like this!
3. Prep your ingredients ahead to save even more time!

How to Make this Ground Pork Casserole Recipe

Preheat a skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and ground pork.

Break up the meat with a spatula so that you get an even layer. Let the pork get browned for about 8 minutes.

Add a splash of water to the pan and using a spatula, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.

To the slow cooker insert pot, add the browned pork and the uncooked rice.

Add the chicken broth, tomato paste, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, scallions, garlic, and carrots.

Stir the ingredients together. Make sure that the rice is mixed in and completely submerged in liquid.

Cover the slow cooker and set on high for 4-6 hours on low.

In a small bowl, add the softened cream cheese and mayonnaise. Whip together with a whisk or in a food processor.

When the slow cooker is done, mix in the cream cheese mixture. You can optionally add shredded cheddar cheese on top and cover to let it melt.

Serve and garnish with scallions. Enjoy!

Alternative Cooking Methods

Stove Top

If you are cooking this on the stove top, you can use a Dutch oven or large pot with lid. Preheat over medium-high heat.

Add the olive oil and ground pork and follow Step #2 for browning the meat. Do not transfer the pork out of the pot. Instead, simply add the rice, chicken broth, tomato paste, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, scallions (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish), garlic, and carrots. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, then turn down the stove to the low heat setting, cover and cook for 20 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER, but turn the heat off and let the pot sit for another 10 minutes. Then follow the instructions for mixing in the cream cheese mixture and topping with shredded cheese.

Oven

Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees. For the oven method, follow the steps above for the pot type, browning the pork, and adding the remaining ingredients. Then for the final cooking step, put the covered pot into the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then follow the instructions for mixing in the cream cheese mixture and topping with shredded cheese. You can place the pot under the broiler if you add shredded cheese for just a few minutes to melt the cheese and brown it slightly

Ground Pork Slow Cooker Casserole FAQs

Can I freeze this Ground Pork Casserole?To freeze this Ground Pork casserole recipe, you will first cool it in the refrigerator. Once it is cooled, you can portion it out into 1-2 freezer-safe airtight containers or into freezer bags to freeze. Store in the freezer for up 9 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating it. Then reheat it in the microwave or in the oven at 350 F degrees for 20-30 minutes until hot in the center.

Can I use ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey?Absolutely, you can use any ground meat you want for this casserole recipe! Follow the instructions the same instructions for all types.

How can I make this vegetarian?To make this a vegetarian slow cooker casserole, you need to replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and swap out the pork and replace it with something else. Here are some ideas...diced sweet potatoes, black beans, pinto beans, white or red kidney beans, cauliflower, or just add a variety of veggies.

What are some ideas for leftovers?You can use the leftover Ground Pork Slow Cooker Casserole for pork tacos or add more broth and turn it into a soup. Or take it in an entirely new direction with Asian flavors. Add Soy Sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, minced ginger, and egg and stir fry it in a skillet to turn it into a fried rice!