Turkey Cutlets with Cherry Sauce

Turkey Cutlets with Cherry Sauce is an easy and tasty dinner option that's a little different from the ordinary.

Mmmmm....I wish I had some right now.  Another hit recipe adapted from The America's Test Kitchen HEALTHY Family Cookbook.   Tender sauteed turkey breast cutlets smothered in a dried cherry-red wine sauce that is TO DIE FOR!  It's the perfect balance of sweet and savory.  The only change I would make next time I make it is substituting cornstarch for the flour to thicken the sauce.  I wasn't too fond of the opaqueness the flour gave to the sauce, and would have preferred it be more translucent. Using cornstarch would achieve this. 

The original recipe used dried cranberries instead of cherries. I had over purchased dried cherries and I wanted to use them up, so I decided to substitute the cherries for the cranberries.  I was really happy with the outcome of the switch.  I think this dish would be equally as delicious made with chicken cutlets, if you don't want to use turkey. 

It's a very simple dish to prepare.  The turkey cutlets are coated in a thin layer of flour and then pan sauteed in a bit of oil until golden brown.  Don't overcrowd the pan.  I cooked up two cutlets at a time, and then put them in a warm oven while I cooked up the remainder. 

Once all the cutlets are cooked to a golden brown, the sauce is made in the same pan, reduced and then poured over the cutlets to serve.

 

Delicious!  I served it with some brown rice pilaf and broccoli for a really quick and easy gourmet tasting dinner.

Turkey Cutlets with Cherry Sauce

adapted from The America's Test Kitchen HEALTHY Family Cookbook

Printable Recipe

Servings - 4   Serving Size - 6 oz. turkey breast cutlet w/ approx. 1/4 c sauce   Points Plus per serving - 9 points+

Calories - 400,   Total Fat - 8g,   Carb. - 30g,   Fiber - 1g

For Cutlets:

1/2 cup all purpose flour ( you won't use all of it)

6 ( 4-ounce) turkey breast cutlets, pounded 1/4 inch thick

salt and pepper

2 TBS. canola oil

For Sauce:

2 shallots, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

1 TBS. cornstarch

3/4 cup red wine ( I used a Merlot...I am not a wine expert...I just used what we had.  Feel free to use whatever red wine you think is best)

1/2 cup low-sodium, fat free chicken broth

1/2 cup dried cherries

1 tsp. honey

1.  For the cutlets,set oven to 200 degrees F and place a large, oven proof serving dish inside.   Mix the salt and pepper into the salt and place into shallow pie plate.  Dredge the turkey cutlets in the flour, shaking off excess.  Heat a large 12 inch skillet on med high heat with the canola oil until the oil is just smoking.  Add cutlets, a few at a time to avoid overcrowding, and brown on each side.  About 4 minutes.  Transfer cutlets to the warm plate in the warm oven as you are done browning them.  Repeat with all cutlets until they are done.

2.  For the sauce, in the same skillet used to brown cutlets, and without cleaning it, add the shallots to the skillet and cook over medium heat in what is left of the oil from browning the turkey, until softened.  Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Whisk in the red wine.  Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth and pour into the pan with the wine.  Add in the cherries and the honey, scraping up any brown bits.  

3.  Bring sauce to a simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced to about 1 cup, about 3 minutes.  Stir in any accumulated turkey juices from the serving platter and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve the sauce over the cutlets.  

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My 6 yr old nephew is staying with us for several weeks while his parents travel to China to pick up his new sister!  We are super excited for them all and I just love my nephew.  He is a blast!  But he is still six, and the addition of him to our family has thrown my routine into a bit of a tizzy...so internet time has been few and far between.  I hope to get on and do more posts as we all settle into a more predictable routine around here.  In the meantime, if I am not visiting your blogs or commenting much or publishing new posts, you know why!  :)