Why You Should Make this Cheap and Easy Dinner

For starters, it is cheap and easy. Again, this is about a $10 dinner for four. It's also totally delicious and you can add things on to this meal using whatever you have on hand. You need only a small pork roast, dijon mustard (spicy brown if that's all you have and I bet any kind of mustard would work here), a couple of large sweet potatoes, half an onion or so, and a dried herb or two. I used thyme and rosemary but you could use dried basil, oregano or herbs de provence as well. And if you don't have dried herbs - it will STILL taste great. Personally, I didn't think this pork roast needed a gravy. I found the roast to be incredibly juicy and tender with great flavors on its own. I think that marinating it overnight made a big difference here. But if you simply must have gravy, one of those cheap packets from the grocery store will do just fine here.

The pork and sweet potatoes will make a hefty portion, but if you think you need more make a side salad or steam some broccoli. I was loving this meal with just the pork and sweet potatoes. If you like cheap and easy dinners like me, you should also check out my cheap and easy dinner with chicken thighs, carrots, potatoes and onion.

Cheap and easy dinner dijon pork roast and sweet potatoes on a serving plate garnished with fresh parsley — *Serving plate with juicy sliced pork roast and sweet potatoes*

one portions of Cheap and easy dinner dijon pork roast and sweet potatoes on a plate with parsley — *Four hefty portions like this for about $10*

Dijon Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes: Built-in Leftovers if You're Only Cooking for Two

So you're on a budget and one of the areas you're spending too much money is food. I can tell you from experience that if you start planning your meals each week and factor in leftovers for lunch you will start to see savings. This dijon pork roast is the perfect example. The meal serves four people, but maybe it's just the two of you? No problem. Get out your containers and pack tomorrow's lunch. I've spoken of this before, but when I worked at my last corporate job years ago, guess what I saw? People (many, many people) spending $15+ per day for lunch. I could not comprehend this. How can people afford to do this? This cheap and easy dinner with dijon pork roast costs about $10 and feeds four! In other words, if you're on a budget: hop.to.it.

Easy Steps for Making Dijon Pork Roast

Cheap and easy dinner dijon pork roast and sweet potatoes: small center cut pork roast with salt and pepper — *Season with salt and pepper*

Cheap and easy dinner dijon pork roast and sweet potatoes: spreading dijon mustard all over the pork roast — *Spread dijon mustard on the roast*

adding dried herbs to the top of the pork roast — *Sprinkle on the dried herbs*

pork roast on a plate with toothpicks on the top — *Toothpicks on top, wrap in plastic, put in fridge overnight*

chopped sweet potatoes and onions in a 9x13 baking dish — *Chop sweet potatoes and onion - add to pan*

mustard and herb covered pork roast with sweet potatoes and onion — *Make room for the roast, cook at 425 degrees*

One thing I enjoy about sticking something in the fridge to marinate overnight is it reduces the work to be done the next evening. Yes, it will take a few minutes of your time, but this pork roast involves very little prep. Salt, pepper, mustard and whatever dried herbs you have on hand. We're talking about less than five minutes to do this and get it in the fridge. Then all you have to do is chop a couple of sweet potatoes and a chunk of onion before throwing it in the oven.

Pork is a great option to consider when cooking with a budget in mind. There are so many cuts to try and it's often a cheaper option than chicken and beef. So look for the pork sales. I've got a great ginger pork stir fry too if you want to check that out as well.

Do You Need More Easy Dinner Ideas? I Gotcha Covered:

Cheap and Easy Dinner: Dijon Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes

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Author: Stacey
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 4 portions 1x

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Description

Got a cheap and easy dinner with dijon pork roast and sweet potatoes. It costs about $10 and feeds four. Cooks all in one pan and it's delish!

Instructions

Salt and pepper the entire pork roast – top, bottom, sides. There is one side of the roast that will have a “fat cap.” The fat cap should be on top.
With a small spatula, spread the Dijon mustard all around the pork roast – top, bottom, sides.
Sprinkle dried herbs over the top of the pork roast. I used rosemary and thyme, but use what you have. Dried oregano, basil or herbs de provence work too.
Stick 4-6 toothpicks on the top of the roast and cover in plastic wrap. The toothpicks will prevent the plastic wrap from sticking to the mustard. Refrigerate for at least three hours and overnight for the best flavor.
When it’s time to cook the roast, take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. You should also pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.
Chop your sweet potatoes into cubes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Then cut each half, lengthwise, into thick strips and then into cubes from there. They should be approximately the same size. Add sweet potatoes to a 9x13 baking dish.
Cut your onion any way you want to - I did thicker slices (see video). Break apart any pieces that are stuck together and add to the baking dish.
Add olive oil, salt and pepper to the potatoes and onions. Toss everything together to coat evenly. Create a space in the middle of the baking dish to place the pork roast.
With a napkin, wipe the mustard from the bottom of the pork roast only. This is optional, I just didn’t want the mustard on the bottom to seep into the potatoes too much. Leave the mustard intact on the top and sides. Place the roast fat cap side up in the baking dish.
Cook in preheated 425 degree oven for about 55 minutes. Internal temperature for pork should be anywhere from 145 to 160 degrees. I don’t like it too pink in the middle so I look for an internal temperature of around 150-155. My oven runs hot so it takes 55 minutes to cook. Yours might take a little more or less time.
Check the potatoes half way through and turn them over gently.
While the pork is cooking, if you are using the optional fresh parsley garnish, you should chop this now.
Once out of the oven, transfer the roast to a plate to rest for 5-10 minutes. Then slice with a sharp knife. This roast came out very tender and juicy. You can save the juice and pour over pork if you like.
For serving, I sliced all the pork and put it on a serving plate with the sweet potatoes next to it. Garnish with fresh parsley (optional).