There’s nothing quite like fresh cranberry sauce with your Thanksgiving turkey. But this year, make your sauce more exciting than the typical cranberry/orange combination. Here are two twists on your standard cranberry sauce that are really easy to make. In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already!
For the spice-lovers in your family, Chipotle Cranberry Sauce has smoky heat with a touch of earthy cumin. But the pinch of cinnamon keeps it from straying too far from the holiday theme. You may want to make a double batch, because the leftovers of this sauce are fantastic on Friday’s turkey sandwiches (or do you tuck into your leftovers on Thursday night?).
If you aren’t into spicy food, Balsamic Cranberry sauce is slightly more traditional. The sweet-tart balsamic is a perfect complement to the cranberries and lets you go a little lighter on the sugar. Balsamic also makes the recipe a slightly deeper red color that looks really beautiful on your table.
Not only is fresh cranberry sauce quick and easy to make, but you can also store it in your fridge for up to a week. That means you can make it a few days before Thanksgiving and just heat it up in the microwave before serving. One less thing to worry about on the crazy day of Thanksgiving!
- 1 12-oz bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1-2 minced chipotle peppers in adobo, according to your spice tolerance
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, chipotle and water in a small pot over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries start popping, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, cumin and cinnamon. Cook until the cranberries soften and the mixture thickens up, about 5 more minutes.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and serve warm.
- This dish can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.
- Try this sauce on your leftover turkey sandwiches. Amazing!
- 1 12-oz bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small pot. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries have softened and the sauce is thick.
- Adjust sugar or vinegar to taste. Serve warm or cold.
- This recipe can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Love both of these! Chipotle – what an excellent idea! Smokiness makes everything better, in my opinion. And I love the sweetness of a good aged balsamic. Yum! I already made my rosemary cranberry sauce this year, but next year I’m keeping these in mind!
I might have to make a third batch of sauce this year! Rosemary sounds perfect.