Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Butternut Squash & Bacon Risotto

Happy Birthday to my nephews lil' G and lil' D. They are two of the sweetest babies and they are celebrating their second and third birthday (technically we are celebrating lil' G's birthday tomorrow and lil' D's was technically on Thursday). Today Ron and I were talking about how funny it is when kids pick their favorite toy themes as they get older. Lil' G loves Cars and Dora (backpack backpack!!), and lil' D loves Thomas the Train and four-wheelers. I love how they have different tastes for their toys.

In addition to being proud aunt and uncle, Ron and I are house hunting. We found a real looker today, but are going to see a few more to compare.

I made this dish a few days ago for dinner. Sometimes we get into dinner grooves (especially when there is chili in the fridge), and need a new dish to snap us back to variety. This dish is really delicious! We grilled the pork tenderloin whole with a bit of salt and pepper, but if you do not have two people running back and forth can be a challenge! Searing or roasting the tenderloin works just as well. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup Arborio rice
4 1/4 cups chicken stock
2 pieces bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cup butternut squash, cooked and cubed (I thawed a frozen bag we had on hand)
1/2 mediu onion, diced
1 Tbl maple syrup
2 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl butter
Salt & Black Pepper
1 pork tenderloin (1 1/4- 1 1/2 lbs)

Instructions
Season pork tenderloin with salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Place chicken stock in a medium saucepan. Bring  to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low-medium heat.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to pan; swirl to coat. Add bacon and onion. Saute till bacon is cooked completely and onions are soft and translucent. Stir in rice, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in squash. Add 1 cup stock and cook 3-5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly (The stock should sizzle when it hits the pan to make sure you don't keep your heat too low).  Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next. This takes about 20 minutes so now is a good time to start your pork depending on how you choose to prepare it (you will want to start it earlier if you choose to roast it). In my case I sent my husband outside to the grill.

Right before you serve the risotto, stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper.  Plate and top with sliced grilled pork.