From Scratch Roast as Easy as Frozen Pizza

I’m typing this post as I’m preparing to roast a pork loin in the oven, and I am struck by the fact that to describe how to make this entree takes way longer than the actual hands on time for prepping it!

In less than 5 minutes of working with my 5 pound pork loin, I had it prepped for cooking. Pair this alongside a few baked potatoes and a bag of frozen broccoli, and I’ve got a from scratch healthy dinner prepared for my family with less than 10 minutes of active work! If that doesn’t encourage you to believe that this is easier than it sounds, I don’t know what will.

You can season this meat however you see fit. I will give an example of a spice blend that you can use in order to give you a point of reference. However, when it comes to seasoning this dish, I literally open my cabinet and pull out whatever sounds good to me in the moment. I eyeball it as I sprinkle the seasonings over the meat, judging how much to include by how good it smells! I go heavy on the garlic and onion powder, and easy on the chili powder, and I look forward to seeing how it comes out in the end. Don’t be afraid to cook this way; even if you are not comfortable in the kitchen. It brings some excitement and humor into the every day tasks of food provision, and I think that can do wonders for our soul as homemakers.

Cooking time

A good rule of thumb when cooking roasts is to set your oven to 425 degrees and cook it for 20 minutes per pound. This usually works out to about 1-1.5 hours for the average roast, but some may need a little longer to cook completely. To check if it is done use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, and ensure it reaches 165 degrees. Alternatively, if you do not have a thermometer you can cut into the meat and look for the juices to run clear and see that the meat is no longer pink.

Croc pot variation

Pork roasts are also delicious in the croc pot. Which makes these roast dinners a great option for a busy day of being out and about! Spend 5 minutes in the morning before heading out the door to get dinner prepped, and the work is done. To successfully prepare a roast using a croc pot, you do everything exactly the same except for you place it in a croc pot instead of the oven. Cook on low for 2 hours per pound, or on high for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. For the average roast this works out to be about 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.

Recipe:

If you tried this recipe, let me know how it turned out! If you are looking for a fun way to reuse the leftovers from this meal, check out my biscuits and gravy recipe here– Super quick biscuits and gravy made from leftovers