Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Parmesan Cheese and Root Vegetables

If you are looking for a different main course to serve for a holiday, this stuffed beef tenderloin can easily step in. Stuffed with spinach and parmesan cheese and cooked with root vegetables, it is a sophisticated step up from an Easter ham, a holiday turkey or yet another chicken dinner.

Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Parmesan Cheese and Root Vegetables

One of the reasons this dish is perfect for a holiday gathering is how impressive it is when you serve it. You see, you are rolling up the beef tenderloin, stuffed with a parmesan and spinach sauce, like you would a rolled holiday cake or a jelly roll. So when you slice into it, there is a gorgeous spiral of meat, cheese and vegetables.

I make this with root vegetables because they tend to be colorful and pretty up the serving platter. However, if you want to lower the carbs for this dish, you can replace the onions and carrots with a lower carb vegetable, such as broccoli or asparagus.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
• 1 large leek thinly sliced
• 12 ounces baby Portobello mushrooms sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
• 1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin roast butterflied
• 1 red onion cut into thick slices
• 4 shallots halved
• 6 medium rainbow carrots peeled and cut into 2″ chunks
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup beef broth or bone broth if you have it on hand
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup baby spinach chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the top oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables develop some color and most of the water from the mushrooms evaporates, approximately 8-10 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and fresh herbs. Continue cooking until the spinach wilts, approximately 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Using a sharp knife, butterfly the beef tenderloin so that you have cut it in half and have two even halves.
6. Place the butterflied beef tenderloin between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin to a 1/2-inch even thickness.
7. Brush the surface of the beef with the remaining olive oil and generously season with salt and black pepper.
8. Stir the parmesan cheese into the mushroom-spinach mixture you’d previously set aside. Mix until combined.
9. Using the back of a spoon, evenly spread the mixture over the beef tenderloin, leaving a small border, approximately 1/2 to 1 inch, around the edges. Carefully roll up the tenderloin like a jelly roll and secure with cooking twine. Season the outside of the beef with additional salt and black pepper and place in the center of a roasting pan lined with the sliced red onions.
10. Nestle the shallots and carrots around the beef and tuck in the fresh thyme sprigs. Add the beef broth and place in the preheated oven to roast for about one hour or until a meat thermometer reads 145 F.
11. Transfer the beef tenderloin to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. If vegetables are not yet fork tender, return them to the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
12. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the serving platter and pour the pan juices into a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and reduce for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter and stir to emulsify the butter and thicken the sauce.
13. Carve the stuffed tenderloin and serve immediately with the roasted vegetables and pan sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

A one-and-a-half pound beef tenderloin should serve six people. If you’re hoping to serve more, clearly you need a bigger cut of meat. If you size up the protein, be sure to increase the amounts of everything else in this recipe.

It’s a good idea to have a meat thermometer on hand with this recipe. With meats, you don’t want to make any mistakes with temperatures or timing. Roast it for too long and your meat is tough and ruined. Roast it not long enough and it’s undercooked and you risk a food-borne illness. Every oven is different so even though I have suggested cook time and temperature, be proactive in monitoring the temperature of your meat using a meat thermometer.