For an explanation of this series, and meals #1 and #2, go here.

Tonight’s meal once again comes from Rachael Ray 365:No Repeats.

The recipe is a variation of the Master Recipe titled “Chicken, Veal, or Pork Schnitzel with Red Caraway Cabbage.” The variation is for “Cutlets with the Works! Breaded Meat with Mushroom and Onion Gravy, Bacon, and Cornichons.” (Recipe at the bottom of this post.)

Due to tastes and using what I had on hand, I had to make a few variations to the original recipes. But that is one thing I always appreciate about Rachel Ray’s recipes – they lend themselves to variation. In fact, on her shows and in her cookbooks, she encourages it.
I started prepping this meal a little later then usual. My husband had to work and we knew he’d be a little late for our regular 6:30 dinnertime. I do these real-time 30 Minute Meals only on the weekends because that is the only time I can stand cooking right before dinner time. I think one of these days I’ll try this process Stolen Moments-style and see how that works.
We do not eat pork very often, but I was able to snag a nice looking package on Manager’s Special a few weeks ago. It has been sitting in the freezer just waiting for this meal. The package contained 4 thick, boneless chops, so I butterflied them.
The kids were in the kitchen with me right from the start.
I don’t think our family has ever eaten red cabbage. I’m not at all opposed to trying it, and I’m sure we will someday. But for this meal, I opted to go with homemade smashed potatoes instead. I did make these earlier in the day and they stayed warm in the oven while I made the rest of the meal.
After butterflying the chops and helping the kids get situated, I realized that 10 minutes had already passed and I really hadn’t gotten anything done!

I pounded the chops in a plastic bag with my rolling pin. Even though the recipe called for this method, I probably would have done it even if it hadn’t. That is one of my favorite ways to stretch meat.Here is everything I need for breading the pork all lined up. I used to think meals like this one were very labor-intensive, but now that I’ve gotten the hang of the assembly line preparation, it really doesn’t take much time at all.
The first portion cooking in the skillet.
Gracie left the kitchen so that she could watch for her dada to get home.
This is the last batch of pork. The other 6 pieces are in the oven being kept warm, along with the smashed potatoes.
Messy, messy, messy! I wish I had a personal dishwasher. Someday soon I’ll have to start training the kids. (Our 9 year old loads the dishwasher with mad skill, but when it comes to actually washing things? Not so much.)My husband got home from work just as I finished pulling the last of the pork out of the skillet. However, I still had to make the gravy. So he and the kids piled on the couch to watch NASCAR together.
Here is the gravy, after the onions have cooked in the bacon grease and the flour has been added.
The gravy is boiling away, but it’s just about done. Right after I took this picture I started plating all of the food. So, we’ll clock this one in at right about an hour. It could have been better if I’d been a little more on task and not gotten distracted with the kids a few times. But, I’ll be cooking for years and years to come and I’ll only have little ones for awhile. It’s so much more important to enjoy them now then to worry about actually completing a 30 Minute Meal in 30 minutes. But I’m just keeping it real!
And here are all of our plates. Everyone loved this dinner and ate every last bite. That makes it a winner in my book.

Here is the original recipe for the meat. You’ll notice I left out the mushrooms (the ones in my fridge were looking iffy at best), parsley and the cornichons.

Pork Schnitzel Cutlets with the Works! Breaded Meat with Mushroom and Onion Gravy, Bacon and Cornichons

• 2 pounds thin-cut boneless pork loin chops
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs beaten with a splash of milk or cream
• 2 c. plain bread crumbs
• 1 t. freshly ground or grated nutmeg (eyeball it)
• Vegetable oil or light-in-color olive oil, for frying
• 8 slices center-cut bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. chicken stock or broth
• 2-3 t. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 c. cornichon or baby gherkin pickles, chopped

1. Place chops several inches apart between wax paper (or in a plastic bag like I did). Pound the meat until very thin using a small heavy skillet or mallet (or rolling pin).

2. Season the meat with salt and pepper and dust in flour. Beat the eggs and milk or cream in a large shallow dish. Combine the bread crumbs with the nutmeg and more salt and pepper and place on a large plate. Coat the meat in egg, then in crumbs. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat with just enough oil in it to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil gets wavy looking, add the meat in a single layer and cook until golden on each side, 3 minutes each. Transfer the meat to a plate and repeat, if necessary. Reserve the cooked schnitzel under a loose foil tent.

4. When all of the schnitzels are cooked, wipe the skillet clean and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp and brown. Drain on paper towels, reserving a tablespoon or so of the rendered fat in the pan. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Add the flour and cook for a minute longer, then whisk in the stock and thicken a bit, 2 minutes. Add the parsley, adjust the seasonings in the gravy and remove from the heat.

5. Top the schnitzel with the mushroom and onion gravy, crispy bacon bits, and chopped pickles.

Be sure to check out We Are THAT Family for more WFMW.

For the first 30 Minutes Get Real and some background on this series, go here.

On tonight’s menu – Crispy Turkey Cutlets with Bacon-Cranberry Brussels Sprouts, taken from Rachael Ray 365:No Repeats (Recipe at the bottom of this post).Since last week’s meal took just over an hour to prepare, I thought I’d add in a little more of a buffer this time for our 6:30 dinner time.
On the stove there is some brown rice that I had made earlier. It isn’t included in the meal preparation time though since it wasn’t included in the original recipe.11 minutes in and I was just starting the actual cooking process. I had to get the kids situated, again, before beginning. I prepped the chicken (I used that instead of turkey because it’s what we had on hand) earlier in the day. That plate there is two chicken breasts from a frozen 3 lb. bag. I sliced each breast into 5 sections and then pounded them flat with a rolling pin.
It’s a good thing I started cooking already because I had to stop to admire this Lego creation of Olivia’s.Then I had to break up an argument between Isabelle and Alex.
Once that was all taken care of, I finished getting the breading production-line set up.
Gracie was upset because I wouldn’t let her stand on a chair at the counter and put her hands in the raw chicken. I am such a mean mama!Then Olivia was upset because she had to get off the counter so that she wouldn’t get splattered by the oil for cooking the chicken. 2-for-2. Fun times all around!
The clock says 6:09. The brussels sprouts are cooking away, as is the first batch of chicken cutlets. At 29 minutes, that’s not too bad.My appetizing breading-coated fingers. I actually opt to not wash that off while still breading and cooking. I find it prevents a nice little buffer zone for my fingertips when I’m putting food in hot oil.
The brussels sprouts are almost done. I have to tell you, they looked and smelled wonderful! So here’s the downside to not washing the breading off my hands while still working – I can’t help Gracie put on a pair of socks. I don’t think she appreciates my genius.Look at that – 6:20 and the last batch of chicken is finishing cooking. I am definitely pleased with that amount of time. Dinner was actually done early enough that I had to put it in the oven to stay warm until my husband got home. Awesome!
Although this clean-up work was still waiting for me. But the delicious dinner that followed was definitely worth a few dirty dishes.Crispy Turkey Cutlets with Bacon-Cranberry Brussels Sprouts

• 2 T. vegetable oil (twice around the pan), plus some for shallow frying
• 5 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 T. fresh thyme leave, chopped (I used 1 1/2 t. dried thyme)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds turkey breast cutlets (I used chicken)
• 1/2 T. poultry seasoning (half a palmful)
• 3 to 4 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. plain bread crumbs
• 1 lemon, zested, then cut into wedges
• 2 eggs
• 2 10-oz boxes frozen Brussels sprouts, defrosted
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• 3/4 c. chicken stock or broth
• 1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (I skipped this since I didn’t have any on hand.)

1. Start the bacon-cranberry Brussels sprouts by preheating a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes.

2. While the onions are cooking with the bacon, season the cutles with the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper on both sides, and dredge in the flour. Combine the bread crumbs and lemon zest in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a separate shallow dish with a splash of water.

3. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Coat the cutlets in eggs, then in breading, and add to the hot oil. Cook the cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until their juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned.

4. While the first batch of cutlets is cooking, add the defrosted Brussels sprouts to the bacon and onions, toss, and stir to combine. Add the dried cranberries and the chicken stock to the pan and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are heated through and the cranberries have plumped. Finish the sprouts with the chopped parsley.

5. Serve the turkey cutlets alongside the bacon-cranberry Brussels sprouts. Pass the lemon wedges; squeeze the juice over the cutlets at the table.

From Rachael Ray 365:No Repeats

This posted is linked to:

• Kitchen Tip Tuesdays at Tammy’s Recipes.
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace.
• Tackle-It Tuesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.
• I Am Blissfully Domestic at Blissfully Domestic.
• Tasty Tuesday at Forever Wherever.