One-Pan Roasted Pork Loin Dinner with Bacon, Brussels Sprouts and Acorn Squash

– recipe loosely adapted from BettyCrocker.com

I substituted the red potatoes with acorn squash, that I “uncharacteristically” peeled and cut in smaller pieces. ⤵

Cutting and peeling acorn squash –

I also seared pork loin in cast iron skillet before placing on sheet pan and into oven.

I made a balsamic glaze (optional), drizzled it over vegetables and smeared some on pork. Then used remaining glaze over entire finished dinner. Recipe for Balsamic Glaze follows. Remember that adding sweetener like brown sugar, sugar, or honey depends on the quality of balsamic vinegar you have. A good quality balsamic vinegar is already thick/syrupy, but “can be” hard to find AND expensive. Taste test it to get desired sweet and sour balance. They can vary greatly; I have balsamic vinegar that is so awesome straight from the bottle that it didn’t need anything! THAT is what made me fall in love with the stuff. Use as is. However, I’ve also had some that is so “not awesome”, that I’ve had to add quite a bit of sugar. TASTE.

Recipe: Balsamic Glaze, from the kitchn

One-Pan Roasted Pork Loin Dinner with Bacon, Brussels Sprouts and Acorn Squash

A hearty, one-pan meal that’s ready in just minutes, this roasted pork loin dinner includes bacon, Brussels sprouts and acorn squash.

Ingredients:

Olive oil, for tossing veggies

4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup julienne-cut red onion
1 – 1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved
1 acorn squash, peeled and cut
1 1/2 – 2 lb boneless pork loin
4 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Line roasting pan with parchment paper.

2. Arrange garlic, onion, Brussels sprouts and squash on pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle on olive oil; toss.

3. Place pork loin over vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Top vegetables with bacon.

4. Roast 30 minutes, tossing sprouts and squash every 15 minutes so they roast evenly, or until meat thermometer inserted in center of thickest part of pork reads 145°F.

5. Remove from oven; place pork on cutting board. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 8 to 10 minutes. Return pan with vegetables to oven; roast 10 minutes longer if necessary.

6. Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with roasted vegetables drizzled with balsamic glaze