Let’s be honest. There’s bacon involved and that’s all you need to know! Bacon makes everything taste delightful and happy.  I apologize to all you’ve vegans and vegetarians out there, but I could eat bacon every day.  But I don’t – because well, let’s face it… it’s just not that healthy.  On top of this delightful bacon, we’ve added another life staple – goat cheese. Yep, this dish was created just for me!

I stumbled upon this recipe via my favorite thing in the world, Pinterest, and I knew I eventually had to try it.  The original recipe has the pork tenderloin cooked in a crockpot. Unfortunately, my beloved crockpot still resides in a storage unit in Charleston, SC., so I was left to roasting this in the oven. I can promise you, it turns out perfectly.

Bacon and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Adapted from Crockpot Gourmet’s Recipe
Serves 4

Roast:
1 to 1½ pound pork tenderloin
5 strips bacon , cooked crisp
4 oz goat cheese, sliced or crumbled
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Browned Butter sauce:
6 tablespoons butter
½ cup apricot preserves
½ teaspoon fresh sage
½ teaspoon salt

Sweet Potatoes:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1in. cubes
1 T butter
1/4 tsp Garlic powder
1/4 tsp Onion powder
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Cooking Sweet Potatoes:
1. Place sweet potatoes in a sauce pan and fill with water.
2. Throw in 1 tbsp of salt.
3. Cook on medium heat, while you are cooking roast.
4. Potatoes are done when they are easily pierced with a fork.
5. Drain water, add in butter, garlic and onion powder.  Whip potatoes with mixer or spoon.  Season with salt and pepper.
6. Keep warm until dinner is ready.

Pork Roast:

1. Cook bacon until crispy
2. Drain and let cool
3. Turn oven on to 375 degrees
4. Butterfly pork roast. To butterfly your pork roast, start 1/3 from the bottom of the roast and cut across the width, but not all the way through.  Fold this open like a book. Starting in the center cut the remaining third in half, but again not all the way through.  Then you will basically be able to open it again and your roast will resemble a pamphlet.
5. Place bacon strips, cheese, fresh thyme and honey down center of pork and roll. Season with salt and pepper
6. Secure with twine or toothpicks
7. Season outsides of tenderloin with salt and pepper
8. Turn oven burner on medium high and with a heavy bottom pan, sear the pork tenderloin on all sides until brown.  Place both pan and pork on the oven and finish roasting for 20 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 150 degrees
9. Cover meat with foil and allow the meat to rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving

Browned Butter Sauce (complete when ready to serve):

1. Cut cold butter into 6 slices
2. Place in skillet over medium high heat
3. Whisk as butter melts and starts to develop little brown specs and a nutty smell
4. Quickly whisk in sage and salt and remove from heat before it begins to burn
5. Whisk in apricot preserves
6. Pour over cooked and sliced pork and serve