Apple Spiced Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Simple and delicious 30 minute meal in one dish!

I feel like we’re always running out of time…especially during the week!  I’ve tried making weekly menus but rarely stick to them…I never know what I want for dinner until the day of dinner.  That’s why I always like having a few staple ingredients on hand that I can easily whip together in about 30 minutes and it’s even better if I can make the meal only use one dish while cooking…less dishes equals very happy mommy!

I like to buy these Smithfield pork tenderloins at my local Food Lion and toss them in the freezer (it’s a perfect time right now because they’re on sale for $4.99-$9.99 at Food Lion).  Anyway, these freeze great because they come in a shrink wrapped package that’s already had the air sucked out.  So when I get home from the grocery store I just toss them in a gallon size freezer bag for extra protection and pop them in the freezer.  Then when I’m ready to cook I just move them to the fridge the night before and let them defrost….this one I cheated and took it straight from the freezer to the oven…doing this adds about 20 minutes on to the cook time….but it’s still pretty awesome!

Fall has finally hit North Carolina and I’m totally into all the delicious fall flavors popping up everywhere!  Little Man and I went apple picking the other day and I knew that those apples would go perfectly with this pork tenderloin!

You may remember that I made a Pork Stroganoff last week using Smithfield pork tenderloin…I really do like using Smithfield pork tenderloins in my cooking.  They’re already seasoned so I only add extra spices and such when I’m in the mood to do a little more and they only take about 20-30 minutes to cook in the oven…which is a total win in my book!  Not just the convenience but there’s a health factor to take into consideration as well…Smithfield now uses less sodium in all of their seasoned pork products…and they don’t lose any of the flavor which is great!

To make this Apple Spiced Pork Tenderloin I used the Smithfield Garlic & Herb tenderloin because I thought the flavors would meld well with the apples and cloves…which it did!

This was such a simple meal that I literally threw all the ingredients in the pot and went and played with Little Man for 30 minutes until dinner was ready!

Apple Spiced Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Smithfield Garlic & Herb pork tenderloin

1 Apple cored and sliced

3 Whole Cloves (cloves can be very strong so I only use 2-3 depending on your tastes)

6 Potatoes peeled and quartered

2 Cups baby carrots

1 cup of water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I like to use my caste iron dutch oven but any cooking dish with a cover will work.

Place tenderloin on bottom of cooking dish.

Top with sliced apple and whole cloves.

Toss in potatoes, carrots, and water.

Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Internal temp of tenderloin should be between 145 degrees and 160 degrees.

Let rest for 5 minutes after removing from oven.

Slice and serve.

For more yummy dinner ideas using pork visit Smithfield’s dinner ideas!

How do you like to make your pork tenderloin? Share in the comments below!