Day 24: Turkey Cutlets with Cranberry-Orange Stuffing & Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans

This seems like such a special meal to have in the middle of the week, but it really doesn't take a long time to prepare, so it doesn't feel like you're preparing a special meal.  Using pre-packaged cutlets and help from the bakery or your own baked goods for the stuffing makes it pretty easy to prepare.  One of my culinary role models is Rachael Ray.  This dinner idea came from her!

Here's how I prepared the meal as a whole:

Turkey Cutlets w/ Cranberry-Orange Stuffing & Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans
4 turkey cutlets
2 lg cranberry-orange muffins (4 cranberry-orange scones, without glaze)
1-2 celery stocks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 bay leaf

fresh thyme
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
dash of bourbon or orange-flavored liqueur (I used Grand Marnier tonight)
2 TB brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
green beans
salt, pepper
butter (total, about 1 stick)
2 TB flour
extra virgin olive oil

Start by getting the sweet potato chunks into a pot and covered with water--start boiling on a back burner.  Set the oven to warm (250-275*) for holding.
For the stuffing:
Place the chopped onion, celery, 6-8 fresh sprigs of thyme (de-stemmed, roughly chopped), and bay leaf in a saucepan with about 1 TB butter and 1 TB olive oil.  Cook 1-2 minutes.  When onions are translucent, add 1/2 cup of chicken stock.  Crumble the muffins or scones into the pan, mix.  Season with salt and pepper, and place in an oven-safe container and into the oven to keep warm.
For the cutlets:
Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat with some olive oil.  Season the cutlets with salt and pepper and place in the skillet.  Turn the cutlets when the first side is golden brown.  Once both sides are golden, place in the oven to keep warm.

At this point, get the green beans cooking.  Start steaming, or place them in water to boil.  In the winter, I tend to buy more frozen vegetables than fresh.  (They're cheaper, and I figure, more fresh since they're frozen right away (while really fresh) rather than shipped "fresh" from who knows where.)  So I get a pot of water boiling, and then toss in some frozen green beans.  Next, start the gravy.

For the gravy:
Melt 2 TB butter over medium heat in a small saucepan.  Add 2 TB flour and cook down about 1 minute.  Add 2 cups chicken stock and bring to a bubble, whisking continuously.  Once bubbling, turn the heat to low and season with salt and pepper.  Turn off heat.

Drain the sweet potatoes.  Add about 1/2 stick of butter, a dash of bourbon or liqueur, and 2 TB brown sugar.  Mash the potatoes.  Stir in some chopped pecans.
Drain the green beans.  Add 1-2 TB butter, and season with salt and pepper.
Plate everything hot and pour the gravy over the turkey cutlets.  (And don't forget to pull that bay leaf out of the stuffing before serving!)  Happy Thanksgiving in February!

My stuffing-loving husband always gets the extra stuffing!