September to me is all about getting back into a solid routine before the holidays arrive. Once school starts in August, I like to work on meal planning. This helps me get out of any sort of dinnertime rut I may be feeling, helps me stay organized, and helps me stress less during the week. I often lean on one-pot meals at least 1-2 times a week. 

By September, we are all hoping and praying for cooler weather. However, it’s Florida, and we really won’t start to see any change in our warm temps for another 1-2 months. The easy dinner I’m sharing this month definitely channels the comforts of fall. So, drop the AC a few degrees cooler to channel “fall-like” weather while you cook this One-Pot Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus.

After I made this dinner for my family, they requested to put it in our dinner rotation. I keep a running list of all the meals my family enjoys so that when I’m meal planning I can turn to the list and meal plan in minutes! Another meal planning tip I have is to try and cook a few similar ingredients during the week. You can prep once and cook throughout the week. Meaning – chop all the bell peppers or onions, garlic, etc. You can even portion ahead of time, so you just grab the ingredients and cook, speeding up the dinnertime prep time. 

This one-pot meal only needs to cook for 30 minutes. The only thing I would say you could prep ahead of time is the seasoning for the pork tenderloin. If you cut the potatoes too early, they will brown. My time-saving tip for this meal: While the pork tenderloin sears in the large cast iron pot, you can chop your potatoes and cut your asparagus. 

I know some people are leery of one-pot meals not having enough flavor or being overcooked. Don’t worry – the potatoes are perfectly cooked as well as the pork tenderloin. The asparagus wasn’t soggy at all. The key to having perfectly cooked asparagus is to lay the bite-size pieces on top of the potatoes before cooking in the oven. The asparagus turns out perfectly tender. So, if you’re trying to get back into a solid dinnertime routine and hoping to reduce a sink full of dishes (night after night) … I hope you’ll give this delicious one-pot dinner a try! 

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 pork tenderloin
• 3 center-cut bacon sliced
• 1 1/2 lbs. quartered new potatoes
• 6 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dill
• 16 asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine the salt, black pepper, paprika, brown sugar and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Rinse and pat dry the pork tenderloin. Spread the seasoning on both sides and set to the side.
3. Heat a large cast-iron pot over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon for 4 minutes or until crisp (but not burnt). Remove the bacon from the pan and set to the side.
4. Add the potatoes and green onions to the bacon fat and cook for 5 minutes until lightly browned (turning once with lid on). Before removing the potatoes from the pan sprinkle with garlic powder and dill. Mix well and then remove the potatoes from the pan.
5. Place the pork in the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the pork and add the potatoes, green onions and asparagus. Place the lid on the cast-iron pot and place in the oven for 20 minutes. The pork should read at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the pork from the pan, let it rest 5 minutes, then cut diagonal. Sprinkle bacon and parsley on top of potatoes and asparagus. Divide among 4 plates and enjoy.

Katie Jasiewicz is a full-time food blogger and recipe developer at KatiesCucina.com, a recipe blog that provides family-friendly, easy-to-make recipes that anyone can make. Join her on her culinary adventure, where life always tastes good.