Double Cranberry Sauce
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and by now you should have your menu all planned, and you may have even started making some dishes to prepare for the big feast. There’s the turkey, stuffing and gravy. There’s a potato dish as well as a vegetable, and of course there’s dessert. But there’s another smaller dish that’s just as important and ties everything together: the cranberries!
You just can’t have Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. That little bowl of red makes the whole meal. It’s sweet and tart and adds a wonderful pop of flavor to a seriously savory feast. While the cranberries are never overlooked, they’re often left until the last minute because they’re so easy to make. But why leave it until the end when you could get one dish out of the way? That’s right! Did you know you could make cranberries at least 2 days ahead of time? Sure, you can absolutely make them day of, but why take up another burner on the stove, especially since cranberries are just as scrumptious served at room temperature?
I don’t know about you, but I love to get as much done ahead of time as I can. I always make the desserts a couple days out. I brine my turkey the night before, and I dry out all the bread a few days in advance to get ready for the stuffing. Cranberries are just one more dish that can be crossed off early, which means it’s one less item I need to worry about on turkey day.
The biggest problem with cranberries are how to prepare them. I mean, there are zillions of recipes out there. There’s the super easy, classic cranberry sauce which is just cranberries, water and sugar. There’s the no cook, cranberry relish and then there’s the infamous canned cranberries. Well, if you’re like me, and love a good, thick, stovetop cranberry sauce, this recipe is for you! It’s super simple and what makes it unique is the addition of dried cranberries! That’s right. You’re not just using fresh cranberries, you’re mixing in a cup of dried cranberries as well. Those chewy little tidbits, add another texture that transforms the whole dish. It’s fun and adds even more depth to an already classic recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the temperature to low and simmer until cranberry skins begin to burst. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Can be made 3 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator, just bring to room temperature before serving.
