I've got another cheap and easy dinner for you. It only costs about $10 and feeds four people. That's less than three bucks a piece and you'll be eating a juicy, tender pork roast with great flavor. Oh, and to complement this roast we're simply chopping sweet potatoes and onions. Best part: we're throwing it all in one pan. So when center cut pork roasts go on sale for $1.99/lb be sure to pick one up and you can make this cheap and easy dinner with dijon pork roast and sweet potatoes.
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.
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.
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Easy Steps for Making Dijon Pork Roast
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: Chicken Thighs with Carrots, Potatoes and Onion
- Crispy Chicken Thighs with Honey Butter Garlic Sauce
- Pesto Pasta w/Olives, Mushrooms & Artichokes
- Crunchy Cheesy Patty Melts on Grilled Sourdough
- Sheet-Pan Dinner: Stuffed Bone-in Chicken Breast with Spinach and Gouda
- Sheet-Pan Dinner: Marinated Drumsticks w/Roasted Carrots & Cumin Potatoes
Cheap and Easy Dinner: Dijon Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
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!
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 2 ¼ pound center cut pork roast (a little bigger is ok too)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard (or spicy brown)
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano - whatever you have)
For the potatoes:
- 2 medium to large sweet potatoes, cubed
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Optional garnish:
- Chopped fresh parsley
NOTE: You will need a 9x13 baking dish and toothpicks for this.
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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).
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