Cuban Casserole Using Leftover Pulled Pork
This Cuban Casserole is the perfect one-pan meal for you to make this week. It combines all the flavors of the Classic Cuban sandwich in a low-carb casserole using leftover pulled pork.
I guarantee this will be a big hit with the family. If you love Cuban sandwiches, you must try this recipe!
Looking for more easy recipes check out this Lazy Lasanga from my friend JZ Eats.
Looking for more Pork Recipes checkout:Cast Iron Smoked Baked Beans w/ Sausage, Bacon Inception- Pork Belly Burnt Ends, How to Smoke Perfect Pork Ribs for Beginners
Wondering what to do with Leftover Pulled Pork?
Every time I smoke a Pork shoulder, I’m thinking about what to do with the leftovers. Cuban sandwiches are one of my all-time favorites, but I didn’t have any rolls at the time.
Instead, I loaded all the ingredients into a cast iron skillet and made this delicious Cuban Casserole.
I was in heaven with the combination of smoky pork, pickles, ham, and Swiss simmered in a Dijon cream sauce.
You won’t even miss the roll and for me it’s all about the toppings anyway.
Why you’ll love this Leftover Pulled Pork Recipe
Cuban sandwiches are traditionally made with sliced Pork loin but using leftover pulled pork is a fantastic substitute.
You get the added smoky fatty pork that is tender and melts in your mouth. Even if your Pork was a little dry the Dijon cream will bring it back to life.
The richness of the pork is balanced by the crunchy tangy pickles perfectly. Then to take it over the top the salty ham and nutty Swiss round out this simple one pan recipe.
Ingredients for Pulled Pork Cuban Casserole
- 2 lbs Cooked Pulled Pork
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Shredded Swiss
- 5 oz Sliced Dill Pickles
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 3 tbsp Dijon Mustard or Yellow Mustard if you prefer
- 6 oz Thinly sliced Ham or Canadian Bacon
Cuban Casserole Variations
If you do want to make a sandwich I still recommend reheating the pulled pork in the Dijon cream.
You can then top with ham and Swiss and press the sandwich on the grill. Either way the combination of ingredients are a perfect blend of flavors.
Traditional Cuban sandwiches are either pressed using a brick wrapped in foil or grilled on a panini press. The roll tends to be a softer hoagie roll rather than a crusty baguette.
Leftover Pulled Pork Recipe Tips
For maximum freshness package up and refrigerate leftover pork as soon as it cools to room temperature. Leave the pork in large chunks instead of shredding it all before packaging.
A brief History of the Cuban Sandwich
From what I’ve read via Wikipedia the Cuban sandwich originated in Key West and Miami in the late 1800s.
It was a quick and easy sandwich created by the cigar factory workers with ingredients they had available. Later the sandwiches popularity grew up the Florida coast to Tampa.
The high population of Italian immigrants started substituting salami instead of ham. I will definitely have to give that a try next time.
What to serve with Left Over Pulled Pork Casserole
Coleslaw, Cornbread and Baked Beans are always a great side dish to serve with leftover pork or you can serve classic sides like corn on the Cobb and baked potatoes.
Cast Iron Recipes are great for Leftovers
I’m always a fan of cast iron cooking because of how well it conducts heat. You can use a Classic cast iron skillet or an enameled cast iron pan.
Either one will work fine and if you’re in a pinch you can even put this together in a rectangular casserole dish. As long as you can get the ingredients in the oven or set on your pit you’ll have a tasty meal in no time.
FAQ
Freeze in sealed containers for up to 6 months or store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Vacuum sealing will extend the freshness and flavor of leftover pork and is recommended if possible.
The best way to reheat pulled pork is to add a few tbsp of water to a pan and simmer over medium low heat until the pulled pork is warmed throughout. Use a spatula to break up any chunks as it cooks.
Yes, Pulled pork actually freezes and reheats very well. The best method is to vacuum seal the pulled pork in bags. Otherwise take a gallon freezer bag and press out the pulled pork flat into an even layer taking up the entire bag and seal. This will minimize freezer burn.
Don’t Forget to Pin this Recipe and share it with someone who loves cuban sandwiches.
Need Some More Leftover Recipe Ideas
- Southwest Smoked Pork Dip
- Pork Tonkostu Ramen
- Pulled Pork Soft Tacos With Sriracha Coleslaw
- Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Smoked Queso Dip Leftover Brisket Recipe
More Recipes to Try
Left Over Pulled Pork Cuban Casserole
Equipment
- 12" Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Cooked Pulled Pork
- 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Shredded Swiss
- 5 oz Sliced Dill Pickles
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 3 tbsp Dijon Mustard or Yellow Mustard if you prefer
- 6 oz Thinly sliced Ham or Canadian Bacon
Instructions
- Shred pork into bite size pieces and simmer in a cast iron skillet with cream cheese, Dijon and heavy cream
- Once the cream cheese has melted and mixed in with the pork add half of the sliced pickles. Continue to simmer until sauce has thickened.
- Top the pork mixture with sliced ham, Swiss cheese and remaining sliced pickles
- Bake at 400 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
You don’t say how much sliced ham to include – it is missing from the ingredients list!
Thanks for the heads up, Don’t Know how i missed that ingredient from my list. Its updated Now. Thanks for checking out the recipe!!!
I dont care for pickles..any thoughts on a substitute?
You could alway just leave them out or maybe substitute some of those crispy onions or sautéed mushrooms. those both sound good to me!! thanks for checking out the recipe. leave a rating at the bottom if you like the recipe. have a great day!!
Pickled banana peppers, or jalapenos, a quick pickle red onion would also be good. You need some kind of acid to cut through and balance the fats and heavy flavors.
Tastes like a Cuban! Really enjoyed the creaminess of the Dijon sauce and the pickles are what gave it ‘authenticity’ , lol. Was easy to put together, and my leftover, killer roast pork was not wasted. Very nice comfort food, middle of the week dinner, thanks.
That’s fantastic!! I never want to waste a drop of pork!! Cuban gives it new life. So glad you enjoyed the recipe and I appreciate the support!!
Woooow…..Homemade!!! It’s the only thing that taste good!
I think I will look for these and try your recipe this weekend. Thank you for sharing!
Dang Thai from Embeya!
awesome!!! so glad you enjoyed it!! such a good leftovers recipe!!!
Confused-recipes mentions Dijon & yellow mustard. Making this for super bowl. definitely
You can use either one depending on what you prefer, I have made it both ways and both are tasty. I did fix the instructions to clear up any confusion. thanks for the heads up. Let me know how you like the recipe. Thank you!!
Great post – I love that you include the history. Slight correction – the sandwich is from the late 1800’s not 1900’s. Thanks
thanks for catching that. I just updated the post. Thanks for checking out the recipe!!
Also, it was originated in Tampa. Although Miami disagrees. Lol
everyone I talked to gave me a different answer. I’ve got friends in the restaurant biz in Miami, Tampa, and the keys. everyone wants to claim it
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!! definitely a tasty one!!
Delicious! Made this tonight with leftover Tuscan ribs.
Fantastic, So glad you enjoyed it!! the tuscan ribs sound awesome too!!!
Dude! This is awesome. I had too much jus from the original pork so it wasn’t much of a casserole, but still awesome. I added mushrooms thinking they would soak up some of the jus. I also added pickled banana peppers just because.
For years I’ve made a mustard cream sauce for pork. This was a no brainier. Thanks
Thank you so much!! I’m glad you enjoyed the Recipe!!
Delish dish and great use of leftovers. Best part are the crunchy edges.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!! its one of my favorites for sure!!
This recipe is amazing! I will make this many, many times. I can’t stop thinking about all the flavor. So sad when it was all eaten.
Love to hear this!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Another hit! My wife sent me this today and i knew I had to make it! Very easy, and delicious. I didn’t have any leftover pork so i pressure cooked a roast just for this!
Thank you so Much that recipe is a favorite in my family and on this page!! you guys rock!!!
Love love love it. I made 2 batches different ways (as is and another with some kick) and both were excellent. Thank you.
Love to hear it!!! Im so glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for the review!!
I think I’ll make this tonight, but only have bread and butter pickles. I think that will work nicely!
any pickles you like will work great in this recipe.
14 inch skillet 1.5lb pork. 3/4 cup cream. Add 3tbl pickle juice. 3lb of pulled pork does not fit in a 14inch cast iron skillet…
I don’t but you have inspired me so I will work on that recipe very soon, thank you!!!
Love this use of leftover pulled pork!
awesome, so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!!
I don’t have a cast iron how can I do this? Also I only have 2 pounds of pulled meat can someone help me adjust
you can make this in any oven safe pan or even a crockpot if you needed to. Just mix the pork with all the liquid ingredients and then top it with the ham, pickles and Swiss. You can just use a little less mustard and cream if you only have 2 pounds of pork, some people like it to have more sauce so you can just make the recipe as is with 2 pounds
This was so delicious and a great way to use leftover pork roast! I made a small batch for dinner one night because I was scared and didn’t want to waste the pork if it wasn’t great but BOY WAS I WRONG! Made another batch the next day for lunch! So easy and so good!
always love hearing this! glad you tried it out and enjoyed it
This was great. Smoked a butt yesterday, made this today with leftovers. We are not sure what we liked best.
Makes me so happy to hear that. I feel the same way. sometimes we smoke an extra pork butt just to make sure we have leftovers!!
Not gonna lie, I thought this was an odd recipe but boy was I wrong. Delicious!!! The cream cheese and heavy cream make just a few bites seem like you ate an entire sandwich! I’m glad I saw it on Facebook
Thank you, I was basically wanting it to be a creamy mustard sauce. Its one of my favorites for sure!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. What a clever idea. Will be trying it out this weekend.
Thank you so much!! please keep me posted!!!
The Cuban originally came from Tampa, not Miami
Ive talked to a lot of folks and done a fair amount of research on the origins and It seems like it started in the south and moved its way up to Tampa later. Please drop a link so I can see your sources. Id love to learn more.
Very good and flavorful ! Easy to cut recipe in half. May keep all portions the same except pork next time.
awesome thank you fore sharing, its one of my favorite leftover pulled pork recipes
I made the recipe exactly as written and we both thought it was a little bland and underseasoned. I immediately thought of some tweaks that could help. I think the pork mixture needs salt, pepper and some cayenne and at least one more TBSP of mustard. For the two pounds of pork, I think it also needs more pickles and more ham. I do enjoy Cuban sandwiches, so I will work on perfecting this for our taste.
That is fair, I didn’t want to tell you to add a lot of seasoning because the pulled pork should already be seasoned and flavorful. As far as the amount of meats and pickles you can always add more to your liking. Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully I can get 5 stars next time.
My husband and I loved this recipe. It was really tasty. A great way to use leftover pork. The pickles which I was hesitant about were genius. I did add sautéed onions too.
Great recipe! Had a chunk of smoked pork in my freezer waiting for inspiration😁 I had saved this recipe awhile back and finally decided to try it. Love how easy it was to put together; my husband was a little hesitant when he saw the pickles on top, but couldn’t stop raving about how good it was once he started eating! I made it as written, but thought it could use a bit more seasoning as well. I will tweak a bit next time; maybe my pork wasn’t seasoned enough.. Anyway, thanks for inspiration!
Yes, the recipe doesn’t call for a lot of seasoning because I don’t want it to be to salty with the rub for the pork along with the mustard and pickles but you can always season as needed to preference. Im so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! thanks for sharing.
This recipe is a staple in my house whenever I have leftover pulled pork. My absolute favorite! Thank you. 🙂
thank you so much!!! so glad you enjoyed this one!!!
Can this be made a day ahead of time, and then baked right before serving?
yes, I prep it the night before all the time
Love your Damascus steel knife! Can’t wait to try this!
Thank you!!! you will love it!!
Tampa is the original Cuban Sandwich from Ybor City. Miami tries to claim it.
that seems to be highly contested on both sides. Tampa seems to be the ones to add salami which I think is fantastic
Made this with a leftover mojo pork. Loved the cream cheese and used Famous Dave’s pickles (they have a little bite to them!). was great. appreciate the recipe!
Fantastic!!! it’s one of my favorites!!!
Delicious! Very easy recipe to assemble and cook. We’re already dreaming up different sandwich casseroles: Reuben, patty melt, tuna melt…
Thanks for the recipe!
yes!!! so many options!! cheesesteak casserole is another good one!!