Beef Tenderloin Dinner
This is my kind of meal. Hearty, farmy, autumny, semi-healthy (depending on your definition of healthy), savory deliciousness. Or in other words: Beef tenderloin over creamy mashed potatoes, served with rosemary gravy, sautéed butter-garlic-red wine mushrooms, roasted butternut squash fries and asparagus. Phew! There are quite a few components to this one, but all of them are simple enough to make it a stress-free cooking experience. Let’s get to it, cause I’m freakin hungry.
The Taters
Ingredients
5 large potatoes
1 stick butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Cube up potatoes, throw them in a pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are soft.
Remove from heat, drain water, add the butter, and start mashing with potato masher until mashed to your likeness. I like to leave a few little chunks for some texture, but if you want your potatoes super smooth, you can use an immersion blender.
Add milk and seasonings. Keep covered in pot until ready to serve.
The Squash and Asparagus
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 butternut squash
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
Peel skin from butternut squash with potato peeler. Cut off both ends, then cut squash in half, long ways, and scrape out seeds. Then cut squash into long skinny strips that resemble fries.
Toss squash strips in oil and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 10-15 mins.
After 10-15 mins are up, add asparagus to the cookie sheet, drizzle with oil, add garlic powder, salt, pepper. Roast in oven for another 10-15 mins, or until veggies are cooked to your likeness. I like to turn the broiler on for the last 3-5 mins to add a little char.
The Shrooms
Ingredients
1 package baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic (or more!)
1 tablespoon red wine
Fresh cracked pepper
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat
Add mushroom slices, cook for about 3 mins, then add garlic and cook another 1-2 mins
Add red wine and cook for another minute
Salt and pepper, to taste.
The Gravy
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon red wine
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Melt butter in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for 2-3 mins.
While stirring constantly, add beef broth. Allow to thicken, then add wine and cook for 2-3 mins.
Add rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Add more beef broth if too thick.
The Tenderloin
Ingredients
2.5 lb beef tenderloin
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Rosemary sprig
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
Trim off any fat and silver skin from the tenderloin. Place tenderloin in roasting pan.
Mix minced garlic into softened butter. Smear mixture all over tenderloin. Generously salt and pepper the meat. Place rosemary sprig on top.
Bake in oven for about 20-25 mins for medium-rare, or until inner temp of the tenderloin reaches between 125 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let rest for 15 mins before slicing and serving.
Notes
The first thing I would do is get your potatoes boiling. You can work on other components while waiting for them to boil.
You can put the butternut squash fries in the oven at the same time as the tenderloin.
The gravy and mushrooms don’t take long, so you can make those in between things, or right at the end while waiting for your meat to rest.
