One Pan Meal//Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Weeknights are always busy and although the cooking process doesn’t intimidate me, the dishes do! All too often after I sit down to eat dinner I look in the kitchen and see a mess of pans, cutting boards, and utensils. I try to clean as I go but that doesn’t always help.

My solution is one pot meals or in this case, one sheet! I love roasting veggies and proteins on a sheet tray (aka cookie sheet) and if the cooking times vary, I’ll use two trays (one for the protein and one for the veggies). This is when foil comes into play and it saves the day! These types of meals are a cinch and just requires 5-10 minutes of prep and the rest is completely hands-off.

Use a high temperature for quick roasting, about 425 degrees is my go to. Line a baking sheet with foil to help with messy cleanup and chop up whatever veggies you like and have on hand. During winter months I always have root veggies on hand such as: sweet potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, onions, and most recently parsnips. If you aren’t familiar, Parsnips are very similar to a carrot but have a little more attitude…so good roasted or even pureed as a sauce!

Cut your vegetables into similar sizes (smaller pieces cook quicker!) and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. I use these as a side dish all the time but sometimes with a quick protein like chicken breasts or pork tenderloin, I’ll pop that in the middle of the pan and roast them together. It takes about 25-30 minutes depending on your oven and I do flip my vegetables halfway through to caramelize both sides.

For the pork tenderloin:
I massage Dijon mustard all over the pork and coat it heavily with chopped rosemary, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. *After 20 minutes insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the tenderloin and pull the meat if it registers 140 degrees. Let it rest (covered in foil) and will continue cooking to about 145 degrees. Continue roasting the veggies while the meat is resting for additional caramelization if desired.

These flavors are very fall(ish) and comforting while remaining healthy and light.

Enjoy!


*USDA recommends cooking pork to an internal temperature of 165 but most chefs agree that 145-150 is just fine. Otherwise the meat is super dry and tough.