Beef Tenderloin for Christmas Eve

It has become a tradition to have Christmas Eve Dinner at Quail Hollow. This year Mama, Daddy, Payton, Terri, and Reeves joined Kenny and I for dinner. The menu included Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Sauteed Mushrooms and Pearl Onions, Roasted Beets and Oranges Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette, and Hot Bread. This is a very simple meal to prepare and absolutely delicious. The potatoes were simply boiled in their skins, smashed and mixed with one head of roasted garlic, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper. The mushrooms were sliced, sauteed in butter with on pack of frozen pearl onions, and seasoned with red wine and Worchestershire sauce. The horseradish sauce is equal parts of sour cream and mayonnaise, a dash of Worchestershire sauce and enough horseradish to give it a kick.

Beef Tenderloin

1 whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoons dried thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sear the tenderloin on all sides in 2 tablespoons olive oil until brown. Mix together the mustard, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and thyme. Place the tenderloin on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush the mustard mixture evenly on all sides of the tenderloin. Bake in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until the internal temperature of the tenderloin reaches 125 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve. 8 servings.