All this one needs is a tiny crown made of equally bold flavors, and the coronation can truly begin! This Pork King Ranch Casserole mixes the zesty, vibrant, herbaceous flavors of ranch seasoning into the casserole itself, so the tender pulled pork and seared vegetables are coated in all the good stuff. There’s a decent amount of heat from the various chiles, but it is tamed a bit by the creaminess of sour cream and melty cheeses. The Pork King Ranch Casserole is ready to rule over all casseroles with a benevolent and tasty reign!
Ingredients
For the casserole:
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can beef broth
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes and green chiles
- 1 (11-ounce) can corn, drained
- 1 1/2 pounds pulled pork, cooked
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 16 corn tortillas
- 3 cups Mexican cheese blend, shredded
Optional toppings:
- sour cream, to taste
- cilantro, to taste
- pickled jalapeƱos, to taste
- hot sauce, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large nonstick pan.
Step 4 –Add the onion, the red bell pepper, and the green bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 5 –Add the garlic to the pepper mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 6 –Add the chili powder, the cumin, the salt, and the black pepper and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Step 7 –Add the flour to the pepper mixture and cook, while stirring, until the flour smell disappears, about 1 minute.
Step 8 –Slowly stir the beef broth into the pepper mixture.
Step 9 –Bring the pepper mixture to a simmer.
Step 10 –Add the diced chiles and the tomato and green chiles to the pepper mixture and simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 11 –Stir the corn, the pork, and the sour cream into the casserole mixture.
Step 12 –Transfer the pan off of the heat.
Step 13 –In a separate large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Step 14 –Add as many of the tortillas as can fit in the skillet and cook until golden, about 30 seconds-1 minute per side.
Step 15 –Transfer the toasted tortillas to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Step 16 –Repeat with the remaining oil and the remaining tortillas.
Step 17 –Arrange six of the toasted tortillas into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, ensuring the bottom is fully covered.
Step 18 –Spread 1/2 of the pulled pork mixture into the baking dish.
Step 19 –Sprinkle the pork layer with 1 cup of the cheese.
Step 20 –Repeat the layers, finishing with a final layer of the tortillas.
Step 21 –Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 22 –Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the tortilla layer.
Step 23 –Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and golden, about 10 minutes.
Step 24 –Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes.
Step 25 –Serve topped with the with the extra sour cream, the cilantro, the pickled jalapeƱos, and the hot sauce.
