It is the last week before Christmas!  My kids are out of school, my husband is taking off work, presents need to be wrapped, the house set up for celebration…  cooking is the last thing on my mind!  So this week, especially, I need easy, fast, healthy meals that will keep my family fed and my budget in tact!

On this third week of my month long journey with 9 other awesome Beef Bloggers, I found just such a dish!  Festive Holiday Roasts!  They are easy to make, easy to serve and versatile in what you can do with them!  I have had a dinner, put some of the roast in a  sandwich and have even added some chopped up into eggs!

I had the choice of three fabulous roasts thanks to the Texas Beef Council.  It was a hard choice but I did finally choose the Parmesan-Crusted Tenderloin with Savory Mushroom Sauce!   Now, here is the kicker on this – I do not like mushrooms at all.  I love the flavor, but the actual mushroom, no.  However, I love the way they smell and I love red wine based sauced!  And I am a sucker for any cheese so the idea of a savory roast wrapped in Parmesan cheese sold me despite that!

I am so glad I chose it!  This was so easy to do!  So easy to cook.  And so easy to eat and spread out into other meals!

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Parmesan-Crusted Tenderloion with Savory Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 center-cut beef tenderloin roast (2 to 3 lbs.)
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped, divided
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 8 oz. cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups finely diced fresh tomatoes
  • 1 cup ready-to-serve beef broth
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine cheese, 2 Tbsp. thyme and 1/2 tsp. pepper; roll roast in cheese mixture to cover all surfaces.

Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef. Do not add water or cover. Roast in 425 degrees F oven 35 to 40 minutes for medium rare; 45 to 50 minutes for medium doneness.

Meanwhile heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and browned. Add tomatoes, broth, wine and remaining 1 Tbsp. thyme, bring to a boilReduce heat; cook an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until sauce is reduced to 2 cups and is a rich, brown color, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Remove roast with meat thermometer registers 135 degrees F for medium rare; 150 degrees F for medium. Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10 degrees F to reach 145 degrees F for medium rare; 160 degrees F for medium.)

Carve roast into slices. Season with salt as desired. Serve with savory mushroom sauce.

Nutritional Information

Nutrition information per serving:   (1/8 recipe) 226 calories; 10 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat); 69 mg cholesterol; 205 mg sodium; 4 g carbohydrate; 0.9 g fiber; 27 g protein; 8.5 mg niacin; 0.6 mg vitamin B6; 1.5 mcgvitamin B12; 2.1 mg iron; 36.5 mcg selenium; 5.1 mg zinc

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See my process below:

My little tips:  I am all about quick right now.  So I bought the Thyme in a package and already sliced mushrooms.  My store did not have  Crimini mushrooms, so I bought the white sliced ones.  My husband said they were just as good!  And the flavor in the sauce was fabulous!  I used the red wine on my counter!  It was a Shiraz and reduced just fine and still gave the sauce that rich, warm flavor!  The meat thermometer they are referring to is NOT the one with the plastic clear top – um, no.  It is the stainless one that can withstand the heat – types the woman who melted hers right down!  Make sure to let the roast “rest” for 15 – 20 minutes so the juice stays in the meat and not on your cutting board!

I can tell you that the roast came out easy to carve, juicy and with a little kick from the Parmesan and Thyme.  I loved the way that is all melted in and formed a sort of crust.  And the sauce – savory is the perfect adjective!  Even without the mushrooms, but just the flavor, it was rich, warm and complimented the roast perfectly!

My kids even ATE IT!

The next day, I sliced some leftovers on some bread for my husband with a little horseradish.  And then, this morning, I chopped some up and put it with eggs for a taco with salsa!  SO good and lasting for a busy family during the busiest time of the year!

Be sure to check out all of the recipes at the Texas Beef Council!  And then come back next week when I round out my Beef Dish month with dished for Company that is coming over!  I’ll be having Christmas Eve at my house so I am very excited about this week!

**I am a compensated blogger for a four week campaign with the Texas Beef Council.  All opinions, writings and photos are mine.  Recipes have been provided by the Texas Beef Council.**