Oregon Transplant: Pulled Pork Taco Casserole

I was hoping to bring you a post today with pictures experimenting with my new photography light. However, after the first shoot, I think there's more work to be done. The first pictures taken with the new light actually weren't that bad. The lighting was almost perfect in them. Almost. As I mentioned before, there's more work to be done. We are hosting my mother-in-law for a couple of days while her carpet is redone, so I haven't had a ton of time to mess around. I'll have more time for that tomorrow :)

And to be honest, lighting wasn't the main problem with the pictures I took.

So in the meantime, I'll reach into the vault and pull out another recipe that's been waiting in the wings. One more great way to use leftover pulled pork in a re-inventive way. The hubby went back for generous seconds on this dish. I'm just saying...

I adapted this from my Turkey Taco Casserole. I thought pulled pork would be a fantastic stand-in, and yep, I was right. In fact, I only have 3 pictures of this casserole, because this is all that was left. True, it was a small casserole, but I mean, sheesh. We did some serious damage. And I can't say I'm sorry about it. Well, kind of sorry, but that's only because I didn't take pictures before I devoured my plate. I'd liken this to a Mexican Lasagna, with layers of pulled pork, refried beans, salsa, cheese, and tortilla strips. It's amazing, you'll just have to try it for yourself. I'll leave it at that.

You all know that I'm a big advocate for roasts. Large, tough, and usually cheap cuts of meat. There are many methods to make the roast tender, and you get lots of meals out of one piece of meat. It's economical to the nth degree. Not to mention, you can usually prepare them in the crock pot aka the lazy cook's best friend. In fact, I made a crockpot meal yesterday and was remarking to the hubby how much I love the crockpot. I love doing all the work in the morning, when I have the most energy anyway. There are many days that by the time evening rolls around, I'm too tired to cook. It's those days I wish I knew ahead of time so I could have planned a crock pot meal that day. Plus, those crockpot days open the door to leftover recipes, like this one. Having prepared meat at your fingertips gives you almost endless dinner options, and quick ones too. Pulled pork taco filling is one of my all-time favorite crockpot recipes.

Have I convinced you to make pulled pork yet? Seriously peeps. The initial meal will be good, but the meal possibilities are endless after that. Casseroles (like this one!), pizza, hash, enchiladas, sandwiches, salads, etc... I could go on for a long time :)

Have a fantastic day friends!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

2 cups prepared Pulled Pork

1 (16 oz) can refried beans

1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

4 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch thick strips

1/2 cup salsa, plus more for serving

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

sour cream, lime wedges, and sliced avocado (for serving)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Lightly coat an 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. To assemble the casserole, spread a thin layer of pulled pork into the casserole pan. Spread a layer of refried beans over the pork, followed by a layer of green chiles, and then cheese. Top cheese layer with 4 tortilla strips. Repeat layers. Top 2nd layer of tortilla strips with more cheese, and then more salsa.

3. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cilantro, and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream, lime wedges, sliced avocado, and more salsa.

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