We’re getting kind of fancy today!

butternut, apple and goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin I howsweeteats.com #pork #squash #holiday #recipes

Hellllllllo stuffed pork tenderloin. We’re taking this once very intimidating recipe and making it intimidating no more. There is so much flavor right here that you can impress anyone. Even yourself!

butternut, apple and goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin I howsweeteats.com #pork #squash #holiday #recipes

The filling for this pork tenderloin is SO good. It’s a wild rice combined with apples, butternut squash, a little bit of bacon, spinach, sage and goat cheese. Freaking goat cheese! So super delicious because the flavor is out of this world. It’s smoky, sweet and tangy. It’s really hearty and tastes like the season. There should be enough filling left that you can serve a bit on the side too. Willing all around? I think so.

I am just utterly in love with this.

butternut, apple and goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin I howsweeteats.com #pork #squash #holiday #recipes

I’m always super intimidated by stuffed pork tenderloin but after making this bourbon fig and blue cheese one a few years ago, I was SOLD. It’s a recipe that I would make often but it comes together easily and takes a lot of the guess work out of the whole “stuffing” thing. I’m not intimidated at all anymore! It’s sort of like roasting a whole chicken. Once you do it a few times, you’re golden.

That’s just like this.

butternut, apple and goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin I howsweeteats.com #pork #squash #holiday #recipes

I actually think it’s even easy enough to make for dinner if you’re familiar with being in the kitchen. If you’re a newbie, you might want to save this one and try it out when you have a good chunk of time. But if you cook often, this can totally be your dinner tonight!

And I think it goes well with beer. Sort of need that to get over this hump of the week.

butternut, apple and goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin I howsweeteats.com #pork #squash #holiday #recipes

It’s also one of those dishes that combines everything in one: your protein, some veg and a little starch! Obviously you still want a few side dishes if you’re anything like my family, but the options are endless. Aside from the extra filling, it’s perfect with potatoes or a salad or some sort of roasted vegetable or more squash because HI FALL.

butternut, apple and goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin I howsweeteats.com #pork #squash #holiday #recipes

I love this recipe for the current season but also think it would make the prettiest holiday dish, whether it’s for a dinner party or even the actual holiday. And also. Very important.

Like, very very very important.

The day after I made this for the last time? Um, Eddie ate it sliced on a homemade pretzel bun with beer cheese sauce. So there’s that. It’s pretty darn versatile.

butternut, apple and goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin I howsweeteats.com #pork #squash #holiday #recipes

Butternut, Apple and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

4.97 from 32 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 boneless pork tenderloin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for sprinkling
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 cup cooked wild rice
  • 4 slices bacon chopped
  • 1 shallot diced
  • 1 small apple diced
  • 1 cup cubed butternut squash
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 6 ounces fresh spinach
  • 6 ounces goat cheese crumbled
  • fresh herbs for topping

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick spray. This is also the time when I prep the wild rice. It usually only takes 15 minutes.
  • Place the pork on a cutting board and get a sharp knife. I like to slice it twice to open it up so I have a lot of space to work with. I start at the bottom of the pork (about 1/4 inch from the bottom) and slice it lengthwise, then continue to cut again and open up the pork. You want to have a flat surface to work on. Season the inside with salt and pepper.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain. Add the shallot, squash and apple to the bacon grease with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Cook until the squash starts to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chopped sage. Stir in the garlic and the spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts down. Stir in the cooked wild rice. Turn off the heat and stir in the goat cheese. Stir the bacon back in.
  • Spread the mixture out on top of the pork, leaving an inch or two around the edges so you can roll it up. Tightly roll up the tenderloin and tie it together with kitchen twine. Season the entire outside with the salt and pepper.
  • Place on the roasting pan or baking sheet and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the inside is cooked and reads about 140 to 145 degrees. Let the pork rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve with the extra rice and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
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butternut, apple and goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin I howsweeteats.com #pork #squash #holiday #recipes

Might not be the prettiest but it’s the most delicious.