Spinach-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

For Christmas my husband gave me Taste of Home's Winning Recipes Cookbook and inside was a bonus book of Contest Winning Light Recipes. I decided to make this one tonight and the Light Chicken Cordon Bleu Saturday. This recipe is excellent! The flavor combinations were fantastic and the beef was so tender. There's plenty for several meals. Those are my favorite kind and they're not even crockpot recipes! The best part...I get to use my meat mallet! I can take out my aggression on the beef and chicken.

All tied up and ready to go into the oven.

Resting

This is something I will definitely be making again.

Spinach-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1 beef tenderloin (2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided

In a small nonstick skillet coated with non-stick cooking spray, saute the mushrooms until tender. Add the garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. In a bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, spinach and cheese; set aside.

Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the tenderloin to within 1/2 inch of bottom. Open tenderloin so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 3/4-inch thickness. Remove plastic; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread stuffing over the meat to within 1 inch of edges. Close tenderloin; tie at 2-inch intervals with kitchen string. Place tenderloin on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.

Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 30 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness (for rare, a meat thermometer should read 140; medium, 160; well-done, 170). Let stand for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 5 ounces stuffed cooked beef equals 238 calories, 12 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 82 mg cholesterol, 417 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 28 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 fat.