Maple Chipotle Pork on Smoked Gouda Grits

Everything that Dad makes is good but few recipes make it to the All-Stars. This is one of them. I can't remember when he started making it but I have an email to Dad from 2014 asking Dad for the recipe so I know that it was sometime before that. Finally made it to the blog for easy finding.

Pork Tenderloin with Maple Chipotle Sauce

Maple Chipotle Pork Tenderloin on Smoked Gouda Grits

Ingredients

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can

1 pork tenderloin (plus salt and pepper)

Adapted from MyRecipes. 

How-to

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Season pork tenderloin with salt and pepper and let rest.

2. Whisk together first 4 ingredients, and set aside.

3. Pan roast tenderloin on medium to high heat to brown the outside.

4. Place tenderloin in ovenproof skilled and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145 F.

5. Once tenderloin has been removed from oven, let it rest for 5-10 minutes.

Smoked Gouda Grits

Ingredients

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cups milk

1 teaspoons salt

Dash pepper

1 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits

4 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

1.5 tablespoons butter

How-to

Bring chicken broth, milk, salt, and pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; gradually whisk in grits. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese and butter until melted.

Butternut Squash, Bacon, Rosemary Macaroni and Cheese

Every now and again inspiration strikes. I was feeling pretty down Tuesday. J called and asked if I’d thought about what we might want to do for Bible Study dinner. We’ve gotten into a good pattern since J started hosting at his house where he cleans, preps for the hour before study and I go home and prepare a meal. It works for us and I really enjoy the challenge of making food that will feed 10 people on a budget. Like I said, I was feeling pretty grumpy, so when J called I told him that, yes, I had thought about dinner, but, no, I hadn’t come to any conclusions. He said we’d order pizza, a practice that we’ve really tried to get away from.

So, I got off the phone and asked my colleagues what I could possibly make that would be cheap and would feed many. Our wonderful IT guy, Michael, said “macaroni with hot dogs!” And suddenly my sad, self-pitying soul said, “Yes! Feed the hole in my heart with cheese and noodles!”

After some noodling (pardon the pun), this is what I came up with. Not exactly mac and hot dogs, but close. Also, it’s a variation on Nanni’s Mac-and-Cheese, that the family loves.

Butternut Squash, Bacon, Rosemary Macaroni and Cheese

1          9 by 13 Baking Dish, Greased

1          Box of Whole Wheat Elbow Noodles

½        Butternut Squash, Peeled and Cubed

6          Strips of Thick Cut Bacon

½        Yellow Onion

2          Cloves of Garlic

1          Package of Colby Jack Cheese Cubed

3          Cups Whole Milk

6          Tsp Flour

1          Tbsp Dried or Fresh Rosemary

2          Cups Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Total Time: 60 min. Time in Oven: 30 min.

Cook temp: 375 F

Boil water for pasta and steaming butternut squash. While water is heating up, cut up and peel squash and add prepped squash to steamer. Steam for at least 15 minutes. (You could also roast the squash, but it would take a bit longer.) Boil noodles.

1. While squash is steaming and noodles are cooking, cook all of the bacon. Dice the onion and garlic.
2. Drain noodles. Mix in the onion, the garlic, the squash, ½ of the chopped bacon, and ¾ of the cheese. Spread evenly in cooking dish. Poor milk into the casserole. The milk  should come up to right before the top of the noodles, but should not cover the noodles.
3. Dust the top of the macaroni with flour. Top with bread crumbs, rosemary, remaining bacon and remaining cheese.
4. Place in heated oven and allow to cook for 30-45 minutes.

Enjoy!