Mushroom-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

littleturtle's Note:

Slices of tender beef filled with a savory mixture of mushrooms, bacon and bread crumbs. Elegant presentation for guests. Worth the expense for a special occasion.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 6 slices bacon
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms , chopped
• 4 tablespoons onions , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 ¼ cups dry breadcrumbs , divided
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 (2 lb) beef tenderloin , trimmed
• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine , melted
• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese , grated

Directions:

1. In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp.
2. Remove bacon; crumble and set aside.
3. Drain skillet, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings.
4. In the drippings, saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic until tender.
5. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, parsley and bacon.
6. Cut a slit lengthwise three-quarters of the way through the tenderloin, and lightly stuff with mushroom mixture.
7. Pinch meat together along the seam and secure with toothpicks.
8. Combine butter with Parmesan cheese and brush over top and sides of meat.
9. Press the remaining bread crumbs onto butter mixture.
10. Place meat on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
11. Cover and bake for 30 minutes and check for desired doneness (a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees for medium-rare; 160 for medium; 170 for well-done).
12. If meat has not reach desired doneness, leave uncovered and continue cooking for up to 30 more minutes.
13. Let stand for 10 minutes, then remove toothpicks before slicing.

Reviews

[coleen114]

I've been making this for years! It is originally from Taste of Home. Very tasty, just make sure not to use precooked bacon. I've also tried it with venison tenderloin, but venison is so lean that the little bit of flavor of the beef fat is missing. I also agree with the previous reviewer that the cooking time produces a medium-well piece of meat. I reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes uncovered, 20 minutes covered.

[Caroline Cooks]

The tenderloin was really really good with the stuffing and topping. I wish my photo had turned out better to represent your fantastic dish. Caroline

[barbie66]

What an awesome stuffing! Very impressive dish to make. And not difficult. I did add some bleu cheese crumbles to the stuffing but otherwise did everything exact. My tenderloin was only about 1 lb so I could have cooked it for less time (it was not as rare as we like). So I will make that adjustment for next time. Thank you Little Turtle for sharing a great recipe. --Marla in AZ