While this recipe didn’t come from my big blue family cookbook, it holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the very first things my husband Anthony ever asked me to make for him. Looking back, I think it might’ve been a test — and thankfully, I passed!

Anthony grew up on the North Shore of Boston in a big Italian American family. His Christmas table looked very different from mine. I was raised on turkey and ham, Southern cornbread dressing, and all the classic holiday sides. But Anthony’s Christmas? It was red sauce, meatballs, chicken cutlets, salad, and plenty of wine — loud, joyful, and full of flavor.

One of our first Christmases together in Boston, I found myself in the kitchen with his mom — Mimi — helping her fry up cutlets by the dozen. Mimi didn’t measure, she just knew. And while the cutlets were frying, a few “taste testers” kept sneaking through the kitchen, swiping one here and there. It was chaotic and wonderful, and I felt right at home.

This recipe is my little homage to Mimi’s famous cutlets — the ones everyone in the family loved. I’ve made a few small changes over the years: I add Parmesan right into the breading station, and I use avocado oil instead of Mimi’s trusty Crisco. It’s a nod to heart health, but the flavor still sings.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. They’re simple, golden, and perfect with a squeeze of lemon — and if you’ve got a few cutlet thieves in your house, just know you’re doing it right.