I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the first time this year. I have planned a very traditional menu, including jellied cranberry sauce from a can (which honestly, I love and my husband loves too). However, I really love fresh cranberry sauce as well. Instead of serving it with dinner, I’m going to serve the fresh cranberry sauce with a cheese plate as an appetizer. How yummy will fresh cranberry sauce be with brie on a pita cracker? Delicious. You could even serve it over baked brie, if you’re feeling fancy. This particular recipe is made with fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest- which makes it even more delicious and makes the sauce a little more interesting. It’s so easy to whip up and it can be made up to two days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Whether you are going to make this as a traditional Thanksgiving side dish, or serve as part of an appetizer, you can’t go wrong with this fresh cranberry sauce. If you’re cooking for a crowd, feel free to double or triple the recipe!
Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients: 1 bag fresh cranberries 1 orange ½ cup-3/4 cup brown sugar (I used turbinado)
pinch of cinnamon, optional
Directions:
Zest the orange and set it aside in a small dish. Combine cranberries, brown sugar, juice of 1 orange, and cinnamon (if using) in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The amount of brown sugar will depend on your sweetness preference. The cranberry sauce is finished with the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened. Enjoy immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 145 Fat: 0g Carbs: 35g Protein: 0g Sodium: 0mg Sugar: 29g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
