John's #1 Meal

 Whenever it came time for my brother-in-law John's birthday or just sometime special with family, my mother-in-law Lynn would let him pick what he wanted for dinner. He always wanted the same meal of pork tenderloin with mustard sauce and hash brown casserole. 

This dinner became "John's #1 meal". 

When John's first baby was born last October, Cam and I drove over to Texas that next weekend to visit and snug with our first nephew Jack. Being such a wonderful and VERY special time, my mother-in-law made this meal and I got to assist her. I didn't realize it at the time, but we were making such a happy memory that I will always think of when I make this. 

I stopped by in-law's earlier this week to get the recipes and snapped a few pics of her recipe book and the actual recipe she tore out of a magazine. Love it. 

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce

Here's what you need for the pork:

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 tbsp Coarse-grained Mustard

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Coarsely Ground Pepper

1 1/2 lbs Pork Tenderloin

1/4 cup Dry White Wine

1. Combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT FOR THE WINE in a large Ziploc bag. 

2. Refrigerate & marinate for 4-8 hrs

3. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. 

*The recipe says to use a roasting pan. I did and about half-way through, I realized it wasn't cooking fast enough. So I switched to a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet.

4. After 15 minutes, reduce to temperature to 400 degrees and baste with the wine every 10 minutes until cooked though.

Here's what you need for the mustard sauce:

1 1/4 cup Whipping Cream

1/4 cup Coarse-Grained Mustard

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/8 teaspoon White Pepper

*I also added about a 1/4 cup of Dijon Mustard

1. Heat the whipping cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow it reduce to 1 1/4 cups. Recipe says about 20 mins. DO NOT BOIL.

2. Stir in the remaining ingredients until combined.

Hashbrown Casserole

Here's what you need:

2 lbs frozen Hash browns

1 stick softened Butter

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1/2 cup Sour Cream

2 - 3 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Salt 

Pepper

1. Put the hash browns in a bowl and microwave for 8 minutes.

2. In the same bowl, add the butter, soup, sour cream, salt, pepper, and two cups of the cheese.

3. Mix well and make sure the butter has melted.

4. Empty the mixture into an ungreased 9x13 casserole dish. Top with the rest of the cheese. 

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

After letting the pork rest, I sliced it, plated it, and topped it with the mustard sauce.

Delicious meal to add to your recipe book or box!

Enjoy!