Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Mushrooms and Onions

A beef tenderloin is seasoned, roasted, and served with a broth-wine sauce which includes oven-roasted onions and mushrooms plus bacon.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 2 cups beef broth
• 3/4 cup dry red wine (or additional beef broth)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• one 2-lb beef tenderloin roast, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 3 slices bacon, diced
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Toss onion, garlic and mushrooms with oil to coat. Season with salt and lemon-pepper. Arrange on prepared pan; roast until tender, stirring occasionally, about 30-40 minutes. In a large saucepan, combine beef broth and wine. Bring to a boil and cook until volume is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste; set aside. Sprinkle beef with thyme and seasoned salt. In a large roasting pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp; transfer bacon pieces to paper towels to drain. Add beef to roasting pan and brown in bacon drippings on all sides over medium-high heat, about 8-10 minutes total. Place pan in oven and roast, uncovered, 25-35 minutes for medium-rare, or until desired doneness. Transfer beef to serving platter and tent with foil. Spoon off fat from pan drippings in roasting pan. Place pan over medium-high heat on stove top. Add broth-tomato paste mixture. Bring to a boil, then stir to scrape up any browned bits. Mix butter and flour in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Whisk into broth mixture; cook and stir until sauce thickens and bubbles. Stir in roasted onion mixture and reserved bacon. Serve roast slices with sauce.

Number of Servings: 6-8

Notes from the Cook: This succulent roast is a tribute to home cooking. It takes more time to put together than our usual weeknight meal, but for a special occasion it's really worth it. It's the top of the list for birthday dinner requests and a great splurge for special company. Tender and flavorful, all the elements come together to bring out the best in this special cut of meat.