If your family is anything like mine, we all contribute to Thanksgiving dinner. We each bring one or more dishes. I’m bringing dessert {of course}. My mom is making the turkey. My sisters are bringing…something. I’m not sure what, but I know it will be good.
Rarely do we have cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, unless we are at my in-laws. For whatever reason, Dad-oo loves cranberry sauce. The kind in the can. No twigs.
I know. Gross.
This year we’re bringing cranberry sauce, along with our pies. Because, well, I needed a new recipe to try. I get bored easily.
I grabbed some fresh cranberries.
A tangerine or two.
A few sticks of cinnamon.
Tossed them in a pot with a LOT of sugar and some pomegranate juice and let the do their thing.
And do their thing they did. Oh. My. Sooooo good. Sweet and a little tart, accented by a citrus flavor. This is not your average cranberry sauce. It’s better. Much. Much. Better.
Citrus Cranberry Sauce
Adapted from AllRecipes.com
- 2 (12 ounce) packages fresh cranberries
- 1 tangerine or orange
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
In a large pot combine the cranberries, cinnamon sticks, pomegranate juice and sugars.
Zest the tangerine/orange and add to the pot. Peel and slice the tangerine/orange, adding the slices to the pot.
Add 2 cups of water. Stir to combine.
Bringing the pot to a rapid bowl. Quickly turn down heat and simmer for about 1 hour – 1.5 hours, until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Note: the cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. It can also be frozen, so you can make it ahead of time. Take out of the freezer the day before and allow to thaw in the fridge.
Meal Plan
Dinner
Monday: Crispy Mediterranean Wraps {eggs, spinach, feta, tomatoes}
Tuesday: Butternut Squash Soup with Spinach Ravioli {AllRecies.com}
Wednesday: Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
Thursday: Thanksgiving
Friday: Homemade pizza on beer battered crust and homemade sauce. {AllRecipes.com}
Saturday: Turkey tenderloin {Mini Thanksgiving}
Sunday: Leftover pizza
Snacks
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What is your favorite Thanksgiving recipe?
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
That sounds like such a great take on a classic! I might have to give this one a whirl!
I hope you do! Stop back and let me know how it turned out.
I’m pretty sure my favorite Thanksgiving recipe is for pumpkin pie. It’s by far the highlight of Thanksgiving food-wise. I’m sure you never in a million years would have guessed that. lol!
Thinking about asking hubby to take a stab at this cranberry sauce. It looks like something up our alley. Thanks!
Pumpkin pie, actually any pie {except pecan} is my favorite part too. I can hardly keep myself from digging into the pie in the freezer. It’s calling my name.
We make homemade cranberry sauce too. I don’t add anything to it, it’s just the simple sugar, water, cranberries recipe, but people LOVE it and ask me to make it.
Sure. It takes 15 minutes and three dollars.
I haven’t cooked for Thanksgiving in years. We would spend it with my family and my Dad would cook. We won’t be having Thanksgiving with him this year and I’m mopey about it.
Awwww, that would make me sad too. I hope your Thanksgiving is happy none-the-less.
I love real cranberry sauce, too, although I grew up with the canned kind:) Last year I finally found the recipe I’ve been looking for on The Pioneer Woman’s site. Your recipe looks really good, too! I love cranberry with citrus!
Sadly, I don’t know if I can compete with The Pioneer Woman. Seriously, that woman can cook!
That cranberry sauce sounds yummy! I want the recipe for the medeteranian wraps too, those sound good!
The wraps are super easy. All you need are wraps, scrambled eggs, feta, spinach or lettuce and tomatoes. It’s the first time I’m making this, but it sounds really good.
LOVE making them like this! In fact I already have my bag of fresh berries ready. Can’t wait to get started.
So much better than the canned kind, right?
Yum, that sounds great! I love cranberry sauce (even the kind in the can)!
You have got to try this recipe, you’ll never go back to the canned kind again!
That cranberry sauce sounds divine! I bet it is SO much better than the canned kind.
It is! It is!
I’ve got a pretty classic – no twigs in our cranberry sauce kinda family too. This looks so good that I might need to shake them up a bit and give it a try!
You totally should. I bet once everyone tries it, they will never go back.
Pomegranate juice sounds like an interesting twist.
I like homemade cranberry sauce too and your version sounds wonderful. Love your tradition of everyone making part of the dinner. Sounds like a lot of fun.