Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin

I really love sheet pan dinners. They are so quick to throw together and usually cook very quickly. Everything altogether on one pan, no fuss, no muss and very little to clean up.
This recipe I am sharing with you today is one that I adapted from a recipe I found in the book Scrumptious, by Christy Denney, The Girl Who Ate Everything.
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin

Be careful not to confuse Pork Loin with Pork Tenderloin. They are not the same thing at all. Pork tenderloin is the leanest most tender pieces of meat that you can buy but can also be a bit pricey because of that.
The tenderloin is a long narrow, boneless piece of meat that runs along the backbone of the pig, whereas the pork loin is wider, flatter piece of meat coming from the back of the animal and can be found either bone in or bone out.
Tenderloin cooks much faster than the loin and it is important to time it's cooking very carefully so that you don't dry it out.
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin

It cooks a lot faster than the loin which lends itself beautifully to sheet pan cooking. I have always found that it also has a lot more flavor than many of the other cuts of pork.
It is a cut that I will cook more often than any other, partly because of its tenderness and partly because it cooks more quickly, and I am always looking for ways to get dinner on the table faster.
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin

One thing which really appealed to me about this recipe was that everything cooks together and the whole meal is done in about half an hour tops, from start to finish.
I did cook some mashed potatoes to serve on the side, which cooked in about the same time as it took to cook the pork and the vegetables.
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin

In the original recipe, she cooked green beans to go with the other vegetables and she added them in the last 5 to 7 minutes of cook time. I'll be honest here. I don't really like roasted green beans that much.
I find that they don't get cooked properly enough for my liking and I am not fond of squeaky green beans. I do, however, really love brussels sprouts which lend themselves beautifully to oven roasting.

They also happen to work wonderfully with both pork and with butternut squash. The three together formed a triune of beautiful taste and textures, which I quite enjoyed.
The leftovers worked well as a hash the next day.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SHEET PAN PORK TENDERLOIN
You might be surprised at the simplicity of the ingredients required. There is nothing extraordinary here. Simple ingredients done well.

1 1/4 pound (566g) pork tenderloin sliced into thick slices
3 TBS olive oil, divided
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1 TBS pure Maple syrup
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp dried summer savory (can use oregano)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces (284g) butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 pound (8 ounces/228g) brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

I cut my pork into 2-inch-thick slices, which worked very well. Not too thin, they cooked to perfection in the time allotted.
Do trim off the silverskin before slicing the pork. Silverskin is a thick connective tissue which does not break down very easily. It must be removed prior to cooking because it is tough and chewy and doesn't dissolve during the cooking process, like fat does.
You can find an excellent video here on YouTube which perfectly illustrated how to trim it off.
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin

Don't be tempted to use pancake syrup. Pancake syrup and maple syrup are not the same thing. You could use honey in its place if you don't have maple syrup.
Cut your vegetables into sizes that are all about the same. If your sprouts are larger, cut them in half lengthwise. Making sure your vegetables are all of a similar size ensures that they will all be cooked in the same amount of time.

HOW TO MAKE SHEET PAN PORK TENDERLOIN
It's very simple really and if you are lucky, you might even find your squash already cubed, which really speeds up the prep time.

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with some baking spray.Place the pork slices on one end of the pan. Whisk together 1 TBS of the oil, the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, savory, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle this evenly over the pork.

Toss the butternut squash with 1 TBS of oil and season. Place next to the pork on the baking sheet.

Toss the brussels sprouts with the remaining TBS of oil and season. Place next to the butternut squash.Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then check the temperature of the pork. It will be done perfectly at 145*F/63*C. If done, remove and keep warm.Give the squash and sprouts a stir. If the pork is not quite done, flip it over. Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Everything should be perfect by then.I like to serve this with fluffy mashed potatoes.

Applesauce would be very nice served as a relish for this, or you could make a small saucepan of Bisto gravy to serve on the side if you wanted things to be a bit saucier.
I enjoyed it just as is with a nice pat of butter on my potatoes. The meat was tender and juicy and filled with flavor and the vegetables were perfectly cooked as well, just how I like them.

If you are looking for other sheet pan dinners might I suggest the following:
SHEETPAN PORCHETTA DINNER - In this delicious recipe pork tenderloingets rubbed in a delicious herb mixture composed of garlic, fennel seeds, thyme and crushed red pepper flakes, and then wrapped in Prosciuttoham before baking on a sheet pan to perfection with an assortment of vegetables on the side. Its fabulously tasty! SHEET PAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS - Clearly simple. Clearly delicious. No fuss no muss. Delicious served in crusty rolls or with a crisp skinned jacket potato.
Yield: 6Author: Marie Rayner