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Cranberry Stuffing Turkey Cutlets

November 25, 2015 By Rachel 27 Comments

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Cranberry Stuffing Turkey Cutlets – When you just can’t get enough of that good fall turkey, this holiday-season-inspired dish is an easy-to-make yet elegant addition to your table that is packed with traditional flavors!

cranberry-stuffing-turkey-cutlet

On our weekly treks to pick up our crop share, my son and I are faithfully greeted by a boisterous turkey who is all plume, pomp, and circumstance. Although I’m unsure of his fate this holiday season, it can certainly be said that he lived well this spring, winter, and fall.

At the CSA I belong to, they raise free-range chickens that lay the most delicious eggs with amber (not yellow) yolks. Throughout the year they rotate the location of their chicken coop along with a large area for them to roam free, pecking at grasses and bugs. At the center of their little flock is our friend, the prideful and rather loud turkey. Throughout the day he marches along the perimeter of their grassy area while sticking his neck out and loudly proclaiming his authority with a gobble that says “these are my hens and this is my field.” The hens seem unfazed by his display and contently submit to his authority while pecking at the ground for bugs. It’s a good life for all.

A photo posted by Rachel Hanawalt (@simpleseasonalblog) on Nov 19, 2015 at 10:19pm PST

http://media.simpleseasonal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1420.m4v

 

Today’s recipe is not so much a Thanksgiving recipe as it is a general holiday season recipe. In my home we celebrate Christmas, and we traditionally serve beef tenderloin on Christmas day. After I got married and celebrated Christmas with my husband’s family, it was brought to my attention that a lot of people serve turkey on Christmas day. Personally, I think I’ll stick with the beef tenderloin, because come on, it’s tenderloin! But it did get me thinking about the fact that turkey really is excellent for serving throughout the holiday season. It’s festive and there are a lot of great cuts available at good prices this time of year. Another plus is that it’s a lighter cut of meat amongst all those cookies and cocoa (she says while nibbling on a chocolate cherry scone).

cranberry-peral-onion-stuffing

When developing a post-Thanksgiving turkey recipe, I decided that it had to have a decidedly “Christmas-y” flare, so in comes lots of pretty red cranberries and the added flavors of pearled onions and pecans. This recipe cooks up quickly and can be made in large batches and prepped a day in advance, making it perfect for a weeknight or for a low-stress holiday party entree that your guests will love. Check out the photos below to see the process of assembling these little bundles of flavor.

stuffing-turkey-cutlets

cooked-cranberry-stuffed-turkey-cutlets

To garnish this dish I laid the cutlet on a couple of mizuna leaves topped with three frozen cranberries to give it an edible and festive holly-leaf-and-berry look. If you’re serving this to a crowd, you could lay the mizuna leaves all along a large platter and, after placing the cutlets on top, sprinkle cranberries around the dish. It will look so beautiful and festive on your holiday table or buffet!

cranberry-stuffing-turkey-cutlets

cranberry-pearl-onion-stuffing-turkey-cutlet

Cranberry Stuffing Turkey Cutlets
 
Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
45 mins
 
When you just can't get enough of that good fall turkey, this holiday-season-inspired dish is an easy-to-make yet elegant addition to your table that is packed with traditional flavors!
Author: Rachel Hanawalt
Recipe type: Entrees
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 6 4 oz turkey cutlets
  • ¾ C thawed frozen cranberries
  • ¾ C thawed frozen pearl onions
  • 1½ C stale whole wheat bread broken up into pieces*
  • 1 C shredded fresh parmesan
  • ¼ C chopped pecans
  • ⅛ tsp sage
  • ⅛ tsp thyme
  • ⅛ tsp rosemary
  • ½ Tbsp olive oil
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • large toothpicks
Instructions
  1. Preheat an oven to 375ºF.
  2. To make the cranberry stuffing, coarsely chop the cranberries and pearl onions in a food processor. In a medium bowl, fold together the contents of the food processor, bread crumbs, parmesan, pecans, sage, thyme, and rosemary.
  3. Lay your turkey cutlets out on a cutting board, cover them with a piece of plastic wrap and gently pound them with a mallet until they are even in thickness.
  4. To stuff the cutlets, evenly divide the stuffing amongst the center of the six cutlets. Tightly roll them up and secure them lengthwise with a large toothpick or two. If any stuffing pops out, pop it back into the rolls with your fingers.
  5. Arrange the cutlets along a cast iron pan or an oven-safe dish. If using something other than cast iron, brush oil along the bottom of the dish. Next, lightly brush olive oil along the outside of the cutlets and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Bake in at 375ºF oven for 30-35 minutes and then serve immediately.
Notes
*Use whole wheat bread that doesn't contain seeds. Think the cheaper stuff for this recipe.

For a weeknight, the recommended serving for a person is one cutlet, but it you are throwing a large party count on some big eaters and plan on 1½ to 2 cutlets per person depending on your crowd and how many hors d'oeuvres and sides you're serving.
3.5.3208

cranberry-stuffing-turkey-cutlets

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Filed Under: Christmas, Cranberries, Entrees, Fall, Recipes, Thanksgiving, Turkey, Winter Tagged With: Christmas, Cranberry, cutlet, Holiday, Make Ahead, pearl onions, pecan, stuffing, Thanksgiving, Turkey

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Comments

  1. Jenn @ Peas and Crayons says

    November 26, 2015 at 5:59 pm

    Love this tasty holiday recipe! And I need to get on the CSA bandwagon – I’m going to google to see if I have one nearby so I can start in the spring! <3 Thanks Rachel!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 3, 2015 at 7:59 am

      It’s such a great experience. Especially for a foodie! Most crop shares go up for sale soon after the holidays, and in my area they sell out fast, so be sure to be paying attention to when your choice local farm starts selling. I hope you get to give it a try in the upcoming season!

      Reply
  2. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says

    November 26, 2015 at 10:31 pm

    This looks incredible….what a great presentation at the dinner table for your guests. Will have to give this a try. Pinning!!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 3, 2015 at 7:59 am

      Thanks Gloria! The best part is that it’s pretty easy to put together ahead of time if you’re having a lot of guests.

      Reply
  3. lindsay says

    November 27, 2015 at 7:47 am

    its almost too pretty to eat, but I will! YUM! turkey perfection

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:00 am

      Thanks Lindsay! Almost nothing is to too pretty to eat 😉

      Reply
  4. Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat says

    November 27, 2015 at 9:43 am

    Great idea! These look amazing! Beautiful colors! 🙂

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:02 am

      Thanks Sherri!

      Reply
  5. Mary @ StrawmarySmith says

    November 29, 2015 at 9:41 pm

    Loving this beautiful recipe! I’ve never seen such a creative turkey recipe!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:03 am

      Thanks Mary. Just trying to change things up this holiday season.

      Reply
  6. nicole says

    November 29, 2015 at 10:38 pm

    yum! what a fun way to use the flavors of the season! thanks for posting this 🙂 saving for later!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:03 am

      Thanks Nicole. If you give it a try I’d love to hear about it!

      Reply
  7. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

    December 2, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    Oooooooooh. This would be perfect for our xmas dinner.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:05 am

      Great to hear! I was trying to get into the Christmas spirit with this one!

      Reply
  8. Amanda {Striped Spatula} says

    December 2, 2015 at 9:08 pm

    Love the beautiful colors and flavors in your stuffing. What a nice way to bring new life to your menu this time of year!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:05 am

      Thanks Amanda!

      Reply
  9. Nellie says

    December 2, 2015 at 10:41 pm

    Yum! This is a great idea & so yummy! I’ll be putting these on our weeknight menu to try!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 3, 2015 at 8:06 am

      Awesome! Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  10. LydiaF says

    December 3, 2015 at 9:35 am

    What a beautiful presentation. Love the combination of flavors in the stuffing.

    Reply
  11. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says

    December 3, 2015 at 11:36 am

    This looks special enough for company and not just a way to use leftovers. Yummy. Your dressing looks delicious.

    Reply
  12. Tracy @ Served from Scratch says

    December 3, 2015 at 11:43 am

    Chick Chalet! Ha! That’s awesome. And these roll ups are a perfect way to use up leftovers!

    Reply
  13. Platter Talk says

    December 3, 2015 at 8:43 pm

    We’ve been using cranberries more and more, with the season upon us. This recipe looks fantastic; thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  14. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

    December 3, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    Wow! This is a lovely recipe! What a great idea, and so perfect for the holidays!

    Reply
  15. Joy @ Joy Love Food says

    December 5, 2015 at 5:03 pm

    I love making turkey dishes throughout the fall too, this is so pretty and sounds delicious!

    Reply
  16. Diane says

    December 6, 2015 at 2:37 am

    Beautifully done! This looks so appetizing I can’t wait to make it! Love the flavors you put together! This is perfect for a holiday party!

    Reply
  17. Jen says

    November 20, 2017 at 12:21 pm

    I’m nervous that the cranberries will be too tart. Im thinking of using dried cranberries. Any reviews using the fresh/frozen ones?

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 14, 2017 at 11:19 am

      Jen, sorry it’s taken me so long to reply! If you want this dish to be on the sweeter side, feel free to use dried cranberries. I would just soak them in water for an hour first so that this dish isn’t dry. As for as the frozen cranberries go, they sweeten up quite a bit when cooked. Plus the onions, walnut and parmesan balance them out. If you would like to use fresh cranberries, expect them to be a little firmer and tarter because they haven’t begun to breakdown from freezing.

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Rachel! Welcome to Simple Seasonal, a resource for simple, healthful, and delicious recipes that help you make the most of seasonal produce from your local farmer's market, CSA, or home garden. Simple Seasonal is committed to a whole foods diet. With an occasional cookie... ;)


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