Is it just me, or do other people get a taste for turkey and its trimmings on Thanksgiving and then just crave more? That entire however-many-pound bird that looks like it will stretch for a week’s worth of meals seems to shrink faster than you anticipated. (In my house, it’s the man-size turkey sandwiches that are the culprit.) Here are a couple of recipes to extend savory Thanksgiving flavors into December and beyond.

TURKEY CUTLETS WITH CRUMBLY CIDER-CORNBREAD DRESSING

The obvious accompaniments to these quick and easy crumb-topped turkey cutlets are cranberry sauce (lots!), a baked sweet potato, slivered sauteed kale and bakery pumpkin pie for dessert.
Serves four.

1¼ to 1½ pounds turkey cutlets, cut about ½-inch thick

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ teaspoons poultry seasoning such as Bell’s, divided

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5 tablespoons butter, divided

1 small onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1½ cups packaged crumbled cornbread stuffing mix

1 cup of apple cider or apple juice

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

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Season turkey cutlets with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the poultry seasoning. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter. Add turkey cutlets and cook over medium heat, in two batches if necessary, until barely colored and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. (Do not overcook the turkey, or it will be dry.) Remove from the skillet, leaving drippings in the pan, and arrange in a 7- by 11-inch oven-proof baking dish.

Preheat the broiler. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the skillet, add onion and celery, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are lightly browned and softened, about 5 minutes.

Add stuffing mix, cider, parsley and remaining ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning, and toss until liquid is absorbed but stuffing is still quite moist, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon and pat stuffing over the turkey cutlets. Place dish under the broiler, about 5 inches from the heat source, and broil until stuffing is golden and crispy around the edges (2 to 4 minutes), watching carefully so it doesn’t burn.

TURKEY WITH COUNTRY PAN SAGE GRAVY

Serve this with a side of mashed potatoes and peas, or turn it into a hot open-faced sandwich by spooning the turkey and gravy over thick slices of toasted and buttered country bread.
Serves four.

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1¼ to 1½ pounds turkey cutlets, cut about ½-inch thick

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, plus sprigs for garnish

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 celery rib, finely chopped

½ cup scallions, thinly sliced

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2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 can reduced sodium chicken broth

Season turkey on both sides with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with about half the sage. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Saute turkey over medium-high heat, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Do not wash the pan.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet, add celery, and cook over medium heat until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add scallions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Sprinkle on flour and any remaining sage and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbly. Add broth, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil, whisking or stirring, until gravy is thickened and bubbly. Return turkey and any accumulated juices to the skillet, and simmer until turkey is heated through. Serve garnished with sage sprigs.

Brooke Dojny is author or co-author of more than a dozen cookbooks, most recently “The New England Clam Shack Cookbook” (Storey 2008). She lives on the Blue Hill peninsula.


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