Pork and Rice Casserole

Pork and Rice Casserole is a hearty, baked one-dish meal that combines savory ground or diced pork with rice, often in a creamy or tomato-based sauce, and is a staple of American home cooking and comfort food. Typical ingredients include pork, rice, onions, cream of mushroom soup or tomato sauce, and sometimes vegetables like peas or bell peppers. It's a classic example of mid-20th-century casserole culture, designed for convenience and feeding families.

🍽️ Nutrition at a glance

This dish is generally high in carbohydrates from the rice and can be high in fat depending on the pork cut and creamy sauce used, while providing a good amount of protein from the pork. A typical serving offers key nutrients like iron and B vitamins from the meat, along with energy-dense calories, often ranging from 400 to 600 calories per serving.

Nutrition breakdown

Calories	350 kcal
Protein	22 g
Carbs	30 g
Fat	16 g
Fiber	2 g
Sugar	3 g
Sodium	650 mg
Potassium	350 mg
Iron	3 mg
Vitamin B12	1.2 mcg
Niacin (B3)	6 mg
Selenium	25 mcg
Zinc	4 mg
Phosphorus	200 mg
Thiamin (B1)	0.5 mg

Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe

💡 What's interesting

Culturally, Pork and Rice Casserole reflects the post-WWII American trend of 'hotdish' or casserole cooking, which emphasized easy, affordable, and scalable meals using canned or condensed ingredients. Nutritionally, it's interesting as a balanced-in-one-dish meal that combines protein, starch, and sometimes vegetables, making it a practical choice for busy households despite its potential for high sodium and fat content.