Roasted Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin with Potatoes

Let's hear it for pork on pork action, first of all. If you're a meat-lover, this is a spectacular and pretty easy recipe to have in your arsenal. For starters, I love when roasted meat recipes don't require any stove top pan-searing prior to roasting. This is one such recipe that simply gets prepped in mere minutes, then tossed straight into the oven - without searing.  You'll be floored at how little work and effort can yield such amazing results.

The dish requires minimal ingredients, gets cooked all in one skillet and is pretty fail-proof so long as you keep an eye on the internal temp of the meat.

Serve this up alongside a salad or vegetable for an easy-peasy meal. It's simple enough for weeknights, yet special enough for Sunday dinner.

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 1/2 pound {approx.} boneless pork loin roast {center cut if possible}
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder
5 - 6 strips uncooked thick-cut bacon
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cut into half moons
6 - 8 thyme sprigs {mine were self-dried, but either fresh or dried is fine}

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add 1 tablespoon oil to bottom of a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Set aside.

Season pork on all sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Lay bacon slices across fat side of pork. Place in center of skillet. Tuck bacon under bottom of pork tightly.

Scatter potato slices evenly around pork. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Tuck in thyme throughout potatoes.

Roast in oven until internal temperature of pork reaches 140 - 145 degrees - about an hour.

During cooking, carefully stir/flip potatoes once or twice to ensure even roasting. {If needed, the additional 1 tablespoon of oil can be drizzled over potatoes during cooking, but be aware that the meats will release fat during roasting to help brown up potatoes.}

Remove from oven. Loosely tent the center of skillet with foil to cover pork. Allow to rest for 10 - 15 minutes prior to slicing.