This pork chop casserole with tomato gravy gives you a boatload of flavor that makes any family dinner seem special. I’ve used both bone-in and boneless pork chops, and they’re both good. This time, I used boneless.

Please read this entire post before you begin the recipe. However, if you’re pressed for time, you can either click on the jump-to-recipe button beneath the title or quickly scroll to the bottom where I have placed a printable recipe card for your convenience.

This casserole can be a one-dish meal. However, I love color on my plate, so I typically serve a side dish of green beans, broccoli, or some sort of salad. You can also serve it with this nutrition-packed broccoli slaw or this deliciously southern-style creamy coleslaw.

I made this with rice. However, you can also make a baked pork chop casserole with potatoes. Just slice them potatoes into thin rounds to make sure they are tender when the pork chops are done.

Pork Chop Casserole Without Mushroom Soup

I often cook pork chops with mushroom soup. That’s delicious, but we like variety around here. This isn’t a brand new recipe. But I’ve tweaked it a bunch until I had a delicious but easy way to make it.

I started out making my pork chop casserole with regular tomato gravy about 40 years ago. It was so good, but I had to stop eating gluten. Unfortunately, the gravy I enjoyed had flour in it. So I set out to make tomato gravy without gluten.

It was challenging, but I eventually came up with a delicious gluten-free version that you’ll see below. Most people enjoy the way I currently make it, and they don’t even realize it’s different.

However, if you don’t have any gluten issues, you can swap out the gluten-free tomato gravy for this delicious tomato gravy recipe from Stacey Little’s Southern Bite blog. Stacey’s recipe is as close to my family’s recipe as I’ve seen, and I can vouch for how good it is.

Pork Chop Casserole Ingredients

All of the ingredients in this recipe are pretty straightforward. You can find everything at any grocery store.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Pork chops
• Rice
• Can of diced tomatoes
• Chicken broth, water, or a combination of both
• Cornstarch
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

For exact measurements of each ingredient and full directions, go to the recipe card at the bottom of the page. You can even print out the card by using the “print” button.

If you don’t have diced tomatoes, you can use a can of whole peeled tomatoes. Just chop them up before you add them.

I used to just use water, but I’ve discovered that combining half water and half chicken broth adds a little more flavor that elevates this dish to a whole new level. But it doesn’t matter. You can use straight water if you don’t have the chicken broth.

Prepare to Cook

I always gather my ingredients to make sure I have everything I need. If you’ve ever started a recipe, only to discover you’re out of something halfway through, you’ll understand. After this happened to me several times, I wised up and started putting everything on the counter before cooking.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then spray the bottom of a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. 

Now it’s time to actually start cooking! Let the fun begin!

First Steps to Make the Pork Chop Casserole

First, pour the rice in the bottom of the casserole dish. Pour 1/2 cup of the liquid over the rice and make sure it’s all evenly distributed over the bottom of the dish.

Secondly, heat a skillet on medium-high and coat the bottom of the skillet with the olive oil.

Next, lightly salt and pepper the pork chops on both sides and place them in a sizzling skillet. Brown them on both sides and remove from the skillet.

Place the pork chops on top of the rice.

Don’t worry about the pork chops not being done. They’ll finish cooking when you put them in the oven.

Tomato Gravy Recipe

Now you need to mix the cornstarch into the rest of the liquid. This can get quite tricky because cornstarch has a tendency to clump. The way I avoid this is to either use a wire whisk in a medium saucepan since you’ll need to heat this up to thicken the cornstarch-broth slurry.

Make sure you whisk the cornstarch and liquid well enough so you don’t have clumps. Once that’s done, add the entire can of diced tomatoes to the slurry, liquid and all. 

Turn the heat on medium-low and continue to whisk as the gravy thickens. It happens quickly, so stay with it.

If you’re following the Southern Bite method that I’ve linked above, you’ll want to do that instead.

Cook the Pork Chop Casserole with Tomato Gravy

After the tomato gravy thickens, carefully pour it over the pork chops and rice in the casserole dish. Put it in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. 

If your pork chops are thicker and have bones, cook it longer—at least until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F at their thickest part.

Finally, remove your casserole from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. I use this time to steam green beans or broccoli.

Tips for Success with a Pork Chop Casserole with Tomato Gravy

If you want the best chance for success with this recipe, follow these tips:

• Avoid using thin pork chops, or they will become too dry.
• Don’t thicken the tomato gravy too much. It needs enough liquid to help cook the rice.
• Follow the steps in the proper order.
• Don’t be afraid to add or substitute some of your favorite seasonings.
• If you’re serving cheese lovers, add shredded or grated cheese before the final 10 minutes of baking.

Bone-In vs. Boneless Pork Chops

As I’ve already mentioned, I used boneless pork chops this time. If you want to make this with bone-in chops that are thicker, you’ll need to increase the cooking time. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.

Most of the time, I prefer bone-in pork chops. However, these were on sale for an excellent price, so I scooped them right up. They were good, so at least we didn’t have to sacrifice flavor.

Leftover Pork Chop Casserole

If you cook enough pork chops for each person to have one or two, you probably won’t have any leftovers. However, if you want to enjoy them again, add a couple extras.

I like to cover them with plastic wrap or put them in an airtight container, then place them in the refrigerator. They should be good for 3-4 days.

How to Reheat Pork Chops

I typically make just enough of this dish for one meal. But there are occasions when I have leftover pork chops.

The best way to reheat pork chops is to place them in a pan, add a couple of tablespoons of liquid (either water or chicken broth), and cover it. Place the pan in a 350˚ F oven for 10-12 minutes or until they’re as warm as you want them. They should taste as good as they were after you first cooked them.

You can also reheat them in the microwave, but I’ve found that doing this changes the texture. So I only do that if I don’t have much time.

More Delicious Recipes

These creamy ranch pork chops are really good too. You make them in your slow cooker, so they always come out extremely tender.

Another pork recipe we like is this slow cooker pork tenderloin. I always make sure I get a piece of meat that’s big enough for leftovers.

This Mississippi pot roast is another hit around our house. You can serve it in a variety of ways—over rice, with mashed potatoes, or in a bun.

If you like one-pan meals, try this delicious pork sausage and rice skillet dinner. It’s packed with flavor, nutrition, and lots of color.

This hobo casserole is delicious! It’s also easy to make, filling, and budget friendly, so it’s a great dish to add to your dinner rotation.

Please feel free to share!