Above Average Cranberry Sauce
Who even likes cranberries? Cranberry sauce might be the least popular Thanksgiving staple on the table. My opinion on it was completely flipped last May when a Colorado Springs food truck served me a turkey sandwich with a thin layer of cranberry sauce in it. Suddenly I understood that the sweetness and the tartness of a well-prepared cranberry sauce mix perfectly with the savory flavor of seasoned turkey.
Except… most cranberry sauces suck. I do not blame my childhood self for skipping on the small tray of red cranberry sauce still stiffly holding the form of the can it was extracted from. Instead, you should make it from scratch with fresh ingredients. I’m talkin’ real cranberries, a splash of fresh orange juice and zest, and a touch of cinnamon and maple syrup. My version brings out all the right flavors without the overly sweet, processed taste. It’s incredibly simple and quick to make, possibly the fastest dish of my entire Thanksgiving spread.
Furthermore, as someone who eats a half a pound of chicken breast per day, keeping small containers of this sauce in the fridge is a superb way of keeping the chicken from getting boring without adding a grotesque amount of sauces.
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add Cranberries, Sugar, Maple Syrup, and Orange Juice/Zest into a pan on medium/high heat.
- Stir until mixture becomes hot. Lower heat to medium/low.
- Add 2 cinnamon sticks, cover pan, simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove from heat, let cool, serve with savory dish.