Check out this amazing Stuffed Pork Loin prepared with a simple filling of bacon, mushrooms, spinach, and cream cheese! You’re going to love this savory, creamy, filling meal that’s super easy to make!
Table of Contents
- Tender and Easy Stuffed Pork Loin
- What You’ll Need
- What Is the Difference Between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin?
- Let’s Make Stuffed Pork Loin!
- How Do I Cook a Pork Loin So It Doesn’t Dry Out?
- Tips for Success
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Can I Freeze Cooked Pork Loin?
- Get the Recipe
- More Tasty Pork Dinners
Tender and Easy Stuffed Pork Loin
This pork loin recipe is unbelievably easy, and ever-so-tasty! A simple pork loin transforms into a gourmet masterpiece, seasoned with a simple blend of spices and roasted to perfection. And, with its mouth-watering stuffing prepared with bacon, some veggies, and cream cheese, it’s guaranteed to be irresistible, even to picky eaters.
Served with mashed potatoes, a green salad, or your favorite pasta, stuffed pork loin makes a wonderful, hearty meal that’s fancy enough for a special occasion, but easy enough for a weeknight dinner. Just make sure to make plenty because everyone will be asking for seconds!
What You’ll Need
This stuffed pork loin recipe is as simple as can be, and has even simpler ingredients! Here’s the full list:
- Bacon: A few slices of bacon, diced up, add oodles of savory flavor.
- Onion: I use a diced yellow onion, but you can use sweet, red, or white onions if you prefer.
- Mushrooms: Chopped baby bella mushrooms give the filling a meaty, satisfying taste and texture.
- Garlic: Mince or press the fresh garlic cloves. If you need to, you can substitute garlic granules or dried garlic.
- Baby Spinach: A hint of green and some healthy nutrition! You can’t go wrong with a bit of baby spinach.
- Herbs and Spices: Salt and pepper, of course, but the real stars of the spice blend are rosemary, garlic powder, and sweet paprika. If you prefer, switch out the sweet paprika for smoked, to get an extra shot of smoky flavor.
- Cream Cheese: You’ll want it softened to room temperature.
- Pork Loin Roast: Make sure to pick out a good cut, as this is the main part of the dish. See below for more info on pork loin.
- Olive Oil: You can switch it out for any other mild oil, if desired.
What Is the Difference Between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin?
These two cuts of pork may sound similar, but they are not the same thing. Pork loin is larger and typically will have a bit more marbling, with a fat cap running along the top. Pork tenderloin is a smaller, narrow, and delicate cut that is very lean, but also very tender when cooked properly.
They also cook differently; pork loin needs longer to cook through, whereas pork tenderloin cooks up faster and is perfect for when you need something quick! Like my Pan Seared Pork Medallions – a meal that’s done in just 20 minutes!
When choosing a pork loin, look for one that is pinkish red, not pale, and not spotted with dark coloring. There should be some fat and marbling, but not an excessive amount. I used a four-pound loin for this recipe.
Let’s Make Stuffed Pork Loin!
Okay, so let’s talk about the cooking method! This simple process for stuffing and roasting pork is guaranteed to turn out tender and juicy, every time.
- Preheat the Oven. To start, make sure to preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Prepare the Stuffing. To make the stuffing mixture, first cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. This should take about three minutes. Then stir in the diced onions, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms, and continue to sauté for 5 minutes, so that the mushrooms give up their liquid and brown a little bit. Stir in the garlic, cooking for a few seconds to release the fragrance. Add the baby spinach, salt, and pepper, and stir for a couple of minutes until the spinach is wilted.
- Butterfly the Pork Loin. Place the pork roast fat side up, with the short end toward you. Position a sharp knife about ¾-inch from the bottom of the roast, and cut through the pork loin horizontally, leaving about an inch uncut. Open the pork like a book, cover it with plastic wrap, and pound it with a meat mallet until it is about one-inch thick all over.
- Stuff the Pork Loin. Season the pork well with salt and pepper, and spread the cream cheese all over it. Top with the spinach filling, roll the pork up tightly, and secure it with kitchen twine. Rub the outside of the roast with olive oil, and season it with the garlic powder, rosemary, and paprika.
- Bake. Transfer the stuffed pork loin to a roasting pan. Place it in the preheated oven, and turn the temperature down to 325˚F. Roast it for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 145˚F. Baste it a few times with the pan juices while it cooks.
- Enjoy! Remove the roasted stuffed pork loin from the oven, let it rest on a clean cutting board for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
How Do I Cook a Pork Loin So It Doesn’t Dry Out?
- If you’ve ever made pork loin before, you may have noticed that this lean cut can become tough, dry, and chewy when overcooked. To avoid this, try roasting your loin with the fat side up. This allows your pork to baste in its own fat and juices while it is roasting.
- Sprinkling the meat with salt before cooking can also help to break down protein, and make the meat more tender.
- Lastly, and most importantly IMO, please use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer to check for doneness. 🙏 Overcooking your meat is a surefire way to end up with a dry pork loin.
Tips for Success
Here are a few easy tips and tricks to help you achieve success when making your absolutely toothsome pork!
- Overcooking: Be extremely careful not to overcook your pork, or it will become dry, chewy, and difficult to enjoy. Again, using a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your meat is the easiest way to avoid overcooking.
- Variable Cook Time: Keep in mind that the cook time will vary depending on the size of your pork loin.
- Veggie Options: Feel free to replace the mushrooms and spinach with your choice of fresh vegetables: zucchini, baby kale, bell peppers, chopped eggplant… make it your own!
Serving Suggestions
Pork loin is a versatile dish that can be served with a wide variety of sides. If you’re into carbs, you can’t go wrong with rice, pasta, or potatoes. Low-carb sides are also great, however – especially flavorful and sweet veggies. Here are a few of my favorites!
- Roasted Potatoes and Carrots: This delectable pair of veggies go perfectly with any kind of meat! Try my Roasted Potatoes and Carrots with your pork loin.
- Glazed Brussels Sprouts: These killer Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Balsamic Glaze are so flavorful that I could make a meal out of them! And the sweet, tangy glaze is a clear winner with succulent pork.
- Pasta: Creamy Lemon One-Pot Pasta brings a spring-like note to the menu, and is so simple to make. Perfection!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- For easy storage, wrap your leftover stuffed pork loin in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or put it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days
- To reheat, bake the pork in a covered baking dish at 350˚F, until it is heated through. If you don’t have a baking dish with a lid, cover with foil.
Can I Freeze Cooked Pork Loin?
- Yep! Store the pork loin in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.
ENJOY!
Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups baby spinach
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 pound pork loin roast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for pork
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large skillet set over medium heat, cook the diced bacon for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the diced onions and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.
- Stir in the garlic; cook for 15 seconds.
- Add baby spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Butterfly the pork loin: Place the pork roast fat side up, with the short end toward you.Grab a sharp knife and position knife about ¾-inch from the bottom of the roast; cut through the pork loin horizontally, cutting toward the center of the pork, and leaving about 1-inch uncut.
- Lift top half of the pork and open the pork like a book.
- Cover pork with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until it is about 1-inch thick.
- Season the pork with salt and pepper.
- Spread cream cheese all over the top of the pork.
- Top with prepared spinach filling.
- Roll up pork loin tightly, and secure with kitchen twine in two-inch increments.
- Rub the outside of the roast with oil and season with garlic powder, rosemary, and paprika. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
- Transfer pork to a roasting pan.
- Place in the oven and reduce temperature to 325˚F.
- Roast for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until internal temperature of the pork registers at 145˚F. Baste a few times with the pan juices while it cooks. Start checking for doneness at around the 1-hour mark.
- Remove from oven and transfer pork to a cutting board.
- Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
