Pork tenderloin can be stuffed with anything, imagination is the limit. What’s not to like — easy to prepare, boneless and fork tender. The pairing of pork with cornbread seems perfect, add caramelized onions and you got it!
Cornbread is one of those nostalgic foods for me. It always brings me back to my mother’s kitchen. I remember very clearly that wonderful smell of fresh cornbread coming out of the oven and that small Pyrex, rectangle baking pan she always baked it in. Those special memories came to mind today as I was trying to come up with a supper ‘idea’.
I love stuffing or dressing, whatever you prefer to call it. Of course, my ultimate favorite is the one I grew up with. On the other hand when you just need a very small amount, I see nothing wrong with using a box of ‘Stovetop Stuffing’. Of course I can’t resist telling you just a bit of the history about the product itself —
In 1972, General Foods which is now known as Kraft Foods introduced ‘Stovetop Stuffing’. It was quick, convenient, tasty and therefore was an instant hit.
The secret lies in the crumb size. If the dried crumb is too small, adding water to it makes a soggy mass; too large, and the result is gravel. The nature of the cell structure and overall texture of the dried bread crumb used in this invention is of great importance if a stuffing which will hydrate in a matter of minutes to the proper texture and mouthfeel is to be prepared.
Ruth Siems, a home economist that spent more than three decades on the staff of General Foods was instrumental in arriving at the precise crumb dimensions — about the size of a pencil eraser.
That being said, here is my idea for this great little combination. We really enjoyed it!

Servings |
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- 1 Tbsp oil
- 340 grams (1 large) onion, thinly sliced
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1-120 gram box 'Stovetop Cornbread Stuffing' mix
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp margarine
- 454 grams pork tenderloin OR boneless pork cutlets
- 1/4 cup flour seasoned with salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp EACH butter & olive oil
- 2-3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
Cornbread Stuffing
Pork
Red Wine Gravy
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- In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion & sprinkle with salt. Cook & stir about 15 minutes or until moisture is evaporated & onion is soft. Reduce heat; sprinkle with cider vinegar. Cook & stir until golden. Sprinkle with brown sugar; cook & stir until caramel brown color.
- Prepare as directed on package.
- Slice tenderloin into 4 pieces. Using a meat mallet, pound into thin slices. Divide caramelized onions between them and spread over meat. Top with a layer of prepared cornmeal stuffing. Roll tightly encasing the filling inside & tie with kitchen twine. Roll pork rolls in the 1/4 cup flour that has been seasoned with salt & pepper to coat lightly.
- In a large skillet, heat butter & oil; brown pork rolls well on each side. Remove rolls to a platter,
- Stir 'brown bits' remaining from frying rolls, with garlic, thyme & red wine. Simmer about 5 minutes. In a small dish, combine cornstarch with chicken broth; add to wine mixture, season to taste. Return pork rolls to the pan. Cover, simmer gently for another 8-10 minutes.
- Place pork rolls on serving platter & stir fresh parsley into gravy. Spoon gravy over pork rolls & serve immediately.
I didn’t make this exactly as directed, so this is not a proper review, but I wanted to say thank you for the inspiration and ideas! I had some expiring Stove Top cornbread stuffing and was specifically looking for a Stove-top cornbread stuffing recipe to use to stuff a butterflied pounded-out pork tenderloin that I intended to roll, sear and bake in the oven, and I landed on this. I used the onions, stuffing, and redwine gravy in this recipe as directed, and it turned out very, very good! (The only real change I made was smearing about 2 T cream cheese on the pork, before the other stuffing ingredients.) I made extra onions, so for serving, I piled the extras on top of the individual pieces, and drizzled the gravy over it. It was very tasty and balanced and even my picky boyfriend loved it. I was a little concerned about the gravy being too much, but it wasn’t at all. He said he was sad he only put it on one of his pieces. Thanks again!