It’s been a glorious summer, and although I’m a little sad to see it coming to an end, I really love the fall with all its colorful foliage, cozy sweaters, and warm mugs of pumpkin spice lattes.
But before I jump into fall, it’s nice to take advantage of the remnants of good weather we have left. We’re lucky enough to live near the ocean, so one of our favourite things to do as a family is go to the beach. We were there not too long ago on a sunny evening. We took a picnic dinner, played at the park, and went for a dip in the water. Bennett loves to swim, so he was really excited to jump in the ocean. I was hesitant, because I figured it would be freezing, but when I dipped my toes into the waves, I discovered it was surprisingly warm. We had such a fun time splashing in the water, exploring the shores, and getting sand in every possible crevasse of our feet and toes. I think that visit to the beach was one of my favourite memories of summer this year.
One of the best parts of our outing was the picnic dinner. I had made Balsamic Maple Pork Tenderloin for dinner the night before, so I used the leftovers to make sliders. They turned out to be the perfect picnic food!
As a bonus, you can brag on Instagram that you packed “Pork Tenderloin Sliders with a Maple Balsamic Reduction” for a picnic, and people will call you a “picnic hero” when all you did was throw some leftovers together.
This recipe is still great as we make our way into fall. There’s nothing better than a good roast pork tenderloin on a cold evening, and using the leftovers for sliders is a perfect dinner solution for busy weeknights.
I’ve been making Balsamic Maple Pork Tenderloin for many years, and it’s become a family favourite. It’s simple, yet sophisticated.
This was the first time I tried using the leftover pork tenderloin in sliders, but I think I’m going to be making them a lot more from now on. The kids liked them!
I had packed some veggies and sun-kissed tomato dip as a side, and Cole discovered they sliders were quite yummy when topped with the dip. I added kale from our garden to make them look a little nicer and add nutrition, but the kids preferred them without the kale. Ayla took a few bites, but was distracted by the beach. Who can blame her, really?
Ingredients
- 2 whole pork tenderloins
- 4 tbsps dijon mustard, divided
- 1 tsp course sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 clove crushed garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsps maple syrup
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Combine 2 tbsp mustard, salt, pepper, garlic in a small bowl. Rub onto pork.
- Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet (I used cast-iron) over medium heat.
- Add pork and brown on all sides for 3-5 minutes. Put skillet in oven and roast until meat thermometer reads 145F, takes about 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil while you make the sauce.
- Place skillet over medium heat (watch out, handle is hot, as I know from burning myself on it!), add vinegar and boil, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds.
- Then whisk in maple syrup, remaining 2 tablespoons of mustard and rosemary.
- Bring to boil again, reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened (about 5 minutes).
- Slice the pork and pour sauce over it.
Put one of the tenderloins and half of the sauce aside for the following day. For the sliders, place a slice of tenderloin on a slider bun or dinner roll, and top with a drizzle of balsamic maple sauce. Add a touch of kale, if you’d like.
Here is the shopping list so you can recreate these meals:
For more creative ways to use your leftovers, visit the MOLO Monday archives. Happy MOLO Monday!!
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