Everyone’s Happy: Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce 4 Ways

Switch up the old canned cranberry sauce for these lighter, brighter recipes. Raw cranberries lend themselves to warm spices like cinnamon and citrus fruits such as lemon and orange.  They also pair beautifully with rich dessert wines.

Cranberry Sauce With Port & Pears 

Change things up this year with this decadent and delicious cranberry sauce! Naturally gluten free & milk/dairy free, cranberry sauce comes in so many different forms and varieties — the possibilities are practically endless! From chunky chutneys to sweet ‘n spicy sauces, cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving Dinner essential with a serious cult following – so surprise your family and friends with this exquisitely easy and elegant version of an all-American classic.

Ingredients 

Serves 6-10 // Gluten Free, Milk/Dairy Free & Vegan

• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup Port (wine)
• 4 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and diced
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except for the orange zest. Cook covered over medium-low heat until the cranberries pop, about 25-30 minutes, stir occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest. Cool to room temperature and serve.

Cranberry Sauce With Fresh Ginger

This is a fresh twist on an old favorite that serves 8 people.

Ingredients

• 14 ounces can whole cranberries
• 14 ounces can jellied cranberry sauce
• 6 ounces can Mandarin orange segments (drained)
• 8 ounces can crushed pineapple (drained)
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger (grated)
• zest of 1 orange
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons honey

Cranberry Relish

The quintessential Thanksgiving side dish. Also great on turkey sandwiches the next day.

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz. package cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 12 oz. jar apricot preserves
• 8 whole blanched almonds

Preparation

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Preparing a full Thanksgiving meal can sometimes be overwhelming so make a few things easier on yourself. Grab that slow cooker and put it to use, yup even on the holidays! This cranberry sauce can be made a few days ahead of time and then reheated before serving on the big day.

A little bit tart, a little bit sweet and a whole lot better then the canned version. There are nice subtle hints from the rosemary sprigs and orange zest that infuse the sauce while slow cooking. This is a decent sized batch and can be frozen and saved for a later date.

Ingredients

Preparation