A Toast to New Traditions: A Thanksgiving Turkey You Can Make in Minutes

Have you ever gotten a piece of advice that at the time you knew was probably important but it was only later that you fully understood its significance? When I was newly married I went on a trip with my mom to visit her aunt. While we were there we were talking about the upcoming holidays and at one point she went out of her way to tell me that I needed to start some of my own traditions. At the time I thought it was a good idea, but we usually spent the holidays at our parents homes so we didn’t really have a need to add too many new things. As a young couple we were just busy attending our families’ celebrations.

It wasn’t until ten years later that the significance of her words hit me as I was grocery shopping for our first Thanksgiving in Chicago. We were not going to have the full table of family and friends that I had grown accustomed to. Instead it was just going to the four of us and if I am honest, my toddlers really didn’t care or know too much about Thanksgiving. I didn’t want to fix an entire turkey for two and somehow the idea of chicken just didn’t sound as good to me. As I was rounding the end cap in the poultry section trying to decide what to do, I saw packages of turkey cutlets. Then, right next to it was a display of dried bread crumbs meant for stuffing. The thought came to me, what if we just did something new? My mom serves an amazing Thanksgiving meal but the thought of making all those side dishes was just too much.  My husband’s family makes turkey fricassee, so why not make a breaded turkey. When my husband and I were dating we loved to cook together for friends and one of our favorite “fancy” recipes was from Chef Stephan Pyles for his Chili Crusted Wiener Schnitzel with this deliciously rich sauce.

So right then and there in the poultry aisle of the Jewel Ossco grocery store a new tradition began. We were still going to have a great, but smaller celebration that was special to us. The added benefit of this new turkey schnitzel was that in a kitchen with just one oven I could make this turkey on the stove top. It also requires no advance thoughts about defrosting; it takes up a fraction of the space in my fridge and it takes just minutes to cook. So I don’t have to worry about making room for bread or side dishes in my oven. My great aunt was right, sometimes in the holiday frenzy even well intentioned holiday traditions need to give a bit. Sometimes it’s important to allow yourself the freedom to just do something different. So here’s to new traditions and the great moments and recipes that can come from them.  

Breadcrumb Crusted Turkey Schnitzel (Serves 4 to 6)

• 1 (1 lb) package turkey cutlets (My package had 6 cutlets)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 4 cups of plain stuffing breadcrumbs (I use Brownberry Brand)
• canola oil for frying
• 4 chives chopped as a garnish (optional)

The great thing about these cutlets is they come pre-pounded so you don’t have to do a thing to prepare your turkey. The first thing you should do is to pat your cutlets dry with a paper towel.

Then get your breading bowls ready. First take your unseasoned stuffing and grind it into a fine texture in your food processor. Then place them in a shallow bowl. Next in another bowl mix together your flour, salt and pepper. Then in a third bowl beat your eggs and combine them with two tablespoons of milk.

Then get your breading bowls set up with flour, egg mixture, and bread crumbs. First dip your cutlets in the flour, then coat it in the eggs and then the breadcrumbs. Once you have your cutlets breaded get a large deep sided skillet and fill an 1/8 inch high with canola oil. Heat your oil over medium heat. You will know your oil is hot enough when the handle of a wooden spoon or spatula has tiny bubbles form around it when you place it in the oil. Keep the lid of your skillet near by for safety reasons.

Then, depending on the size of your skillet fry two to three pieces at a time for about three minutes a side. The key to flipping your turkey is to use a fork! Tongs or spatulas will potentially damage your breading. If you are making this for a larger crowd you can use two skillets or put your cooked turkey in the oven to keep it warm. If you place your turkey in the oven you want to make sure it stays crisp, so use a baking sheet with a raised rack so your breading doesn’t get soggy. Then right before you serve your turkey make your sauce.

Lemon Buerre Blanc

• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• zest of 2 lemons
• 2 small shallots finely chopped
• 3 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sticks of butter cut into tablespoons
• 1/4 cup capers

Although this sauce has a fancy French name, don’t let that scare you. It’s simple to make and delicious to serve with poultry or fish. This velvety smooth sauce will top plain old gravy any day. This whisked butter based sauce has just a hint of tanginess from the lemon and white wine. If you are fans of the movie Julie and Julia you will remember that this sauce inspires an entire monologue by Julia Child. Meryl Streep describes it in such a perfect way that I included the link. I promise this sauce will take the dish to another level.

To make your sauce in a medium sized skillet oven medium high heat add together your wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, shallots, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Cook this mixture until it reduces down to a quarter of it’s original volume. Then turn your heat down to low and remove your bay leaf and peppercorns.

Then to finish your sauce take your butter and slowly add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter at a time while whisking your sauce so you fully incorporate the butter into your wine mixture. Keep whisking it until you add all of your butter.

Then to finish your sauce stir in your capers. Keep your sauce heating on your stove’s lowest setting until you are ready to serve it or place it in a thermos to keep it warm. If your sauce gets cold, the butter can break and it won’t be quite as lovely.

So even if you are going with a more traditional turkey recipe this Thanksgiving, these breaded turkey cutlets still make an excellent holiday-inspired dinner. They are simple to cook and the breading makes them a super hit with kids. After creating this new tradition, I don’t think our family is going back to traditional turkey again. Wishing you fun in the kitchen this week and a very happy Thanksgiving !