Cape Cod Turkey Cutlets and Green Bean Casserole

We are getting closer and closer to Thanksgiving (except for my northern friends who already got to celebrate it!). Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday...only Christmas tops Thanksgiving in my house. There is something about creating family traditions over the years that just makes me happy. There are very specific things that happen every year at my house on Thanksgiving. My hubby and I get up very early to get the turkey in the oven. I usually cook a turkey that is somewhere around 24 pounds, so I need to get the bird in early. Once that is done, Bryan heads to Dunkin' Donuts to get us coffee with donuts and then stops at the gas station to get newspapers so I can look at the sales flyers for Black Friday shopping! (I *never* miss shopping on Black Friday). Then I look at sales flyers and spend the morning with Bryan and the kids until the parade comes on. That is usually when I get busier with things in the kitchen and spend the rest of my day cooking in anticipation of our first guest. Why all the talk about Thanksgiving you ask? Well, it's because that green bean casserole is one of our traditional dishes in my house. I will continue to try and post some of my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving in advance so you can add it to your holiday meal this year if you want! This green bean casserole is NOTHING like that one you find on the back of a soup can. This is fresh, unique and delicious! For my dinner tonight I actually only made half of the normal recipe because it was only going to be Bryan and I eating it for dinner. I am posting the full recipe here for you. You can double this recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner if you are having a lot of guests for dinner.

Green Bean Casserole

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and trimmed)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 4 oz baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup sour cream (8 oz)
• salt & pepper
• 1 1/2 cups french fried onions
• 1/2 pound shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash green beans and trim the ends. Cook in a steamer basket for 5 minutes, or until tender but firm. Remove green beans and quickly place them in a bowl of ice water to shock them. This stops the cooking process and lets the green beans keep their beautiful deep green color. Once the green beans are cool, cut them in 2 inch pieces and set aside.


Finely mince the onion and the mushrooms in to small pieces. In a skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Stir in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add flour and whisk for one minute. Whisk in the sour cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.



Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray. Add the green beans. Melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter and pour over the top of the beans. Now add the mushroom mix and gently stir to incorporate it with the beans. Coat with the cheese and then top with the fried onions. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until light brown and bubbly.

Cape Cod Turkey Cutlets

I picked up a package of four turkey cutlets at the store. This isn't so much a recipe as it is a method of breading. In a small dish pour about 1/2 cup of milk. Grab a gallon size ziplock bag and pour in 3 1/2 cups of cape cod potato chips. I used the sea salt and fresh cracked pepper cape cod chips. Crush until the pieces are small and resemble panko bread crumbs. Dip each turkey cutlet in the milk and then press into the crushed potato chips on both sides. Place the cutlets on a baking sheet with a wire rack. This will keep the bottom of the cutlet from getting soggy while it is cooking. I don't know about you, but I like a crispy breading. There is nothing worse than a great crispy top when the bottom layer of breading is soggy!

Cook in the oven with the green beans for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. This will depend on the thickness of the cutlets that you have. I would be sure to check them at the 20 minute mark just to be safe.



Source: TFN