Thanksgiving Is All Rolled Up with This Dish!

If you don’t feel like roasting a big turkey for Thanksgiving, or want to try a great dish for holiday entertaining, you might want to try my Stuffed Turkey Rolls. I pack these turkey cutlets with my Savory Stuffing, roll them up, and secure them with kitchen twine. The finished rolls are sliced and fanned out on a plate to make a beautiful presentation, and you can serve them with cranberry chutney or cranberry sauce for a nice added touch.

Because I marinate the turkey before cooking, it’s juicy and flavorful. The selenium in turkey can increase your resistance to infection. The red wine (I use a Pinot Noir) adds a bit of resveratrol to the selenium’s antioxidant power.

SERVES 6

1. To make the marinade, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, red wine, salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag.
2. Add the turkey cutlets to the bag. Squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. Remove cutlets, reserving the marinade. Pat each cutlet dry with paper towels.
4. On a work surface, lay one cutlet so it slightly overlaps a second one. Pound the seam together with a mallet. You should have one fairly large, thin turkey round. Repeat with the remaining cutlets until you have 3 rounds.
5. Spread about 1/2 cup of Savory Stuffing evenly onto each turkey round, smoothing almost to the edge. Roll up the turkey, pinwheel style, and secure with kitchen twine.
6. Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey rolls and sear until a golden crust develops, about 1–2 minutes per side.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place turkey rolls in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Spoon the reserved marinade and any remaining stuffing around the rolls. Cover with foil and bake until the turkey is cooked through, about 20–30 minutes.
8. Before serving, remove the twine and cut each turkey roll into 5 slices.

Savory Stuffing

Homemade croutons, fresh celery and onion give this stuffing its unique flavor and texture. It can also be served on its own as a side dish if you spread the stuffing in a greased baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

YIELDS 2-3 cups

1. Heat 3 Tbs. of the olive oil in a large pan over medium high-heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the ground turkey and cook until done. Set aside.
3. To make the croutons, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season the bread cubes with the salt and pepper, drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and the Italian seasoning, bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the broth, croutons, celery, and sausages, if using, to the turkey mixture and mix well. Season to taste.