Homemade Cranberry Sauce

In honor of Thanksgiving, Food Network is getting the entire food community together to celebrate a Virtual Thanksgiving, called The Communal Table, on Wednesday, November 16 at noon EST.  

Since there are so many wonderful Thanksgiving recipes out there, I was really torn on what to make.  An array of pies, casseroles, and dips crossed my mind, but I wanted to make something different.  Now I know what you are all thinking, cranberry sauce is by no means different, but for me it is! Every year I slave over the oven making so many homemade dishes and pies (which will be posted soon I promise) that I never lave myself enough time to make some of the more simpler Thanksgiving dishes, like cranberry sauce.  I usually just take advantage of the fact that I can run out to the store and buy the canned stuff! 

Sadly, cranberry sauce is just one of those side dishes that tend to get overlooked. Therefore, since it really is so simple to make, I decided to share my homemade sauce with everyone and hope that you will set aside the 12 minutes that it takes to make this sauce! Yes, it really is that quick and the taste is heavenly! There are really only three basic ingredients that you need to make a homemade cranberry sauce, but the spices and flavorings are just for an additional boost!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

-1 cup sugar

-1 cup water

-1 12 oz. bag fresh whole cranberries

-1 cinnamon stick

-1 orange zested and juiced or a splash of orange liqueur (optional) 

-Pinch of nutmeg and allspice (optional)

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat the water and sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved.  Add the cranberries and bring to a boil. Then, turn down the heat to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick and spices if using.  Allow the cranberries to simmer for about 10 minutes. Many of the cranberries will pop, but it is okay if some remain whole. 

Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest and juice and/or orange liqueur (which is what I prefer using). Remove the cinnamon stick if you used one, and pour the sauce in a bowl or serving dish to cool.  Allow to cool completely before serving so that the sauce has time to thicken. 

Eat up and enjoy! 

For more great Thanksgiving recipes, visit Food Networks blog at FN Dish and check out these other great recipes as well:


Cocktails, Appetizers, Soups and Salads:
Sweet Life Bake: Pumpkin Margarita
Easy Peasy Organic: Thanksgiving Ginger Cocktail
Dishin and Dishes: Butternut Squash Bruschetta With Sage Pesto
Mooshu Jenne: Green Salad
Two Peas and Their Pod: Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Salad
Jones is Hungry: Roasted Vegetable Salad
Purple Cook: Pasta and Bean Stew With Tomatoes and Broccoli Rabe
From My Corner of Saratoga: Curried Pumpkin Soup

Mains:
CIA Dropout: Turkey and Stuffles Roulades With Squash Mash
FN Dish: Alton Brown's Good Eats Roast Turkey
My Angel's Allergies: Cranberry-Glazed Cornish Hens

Sides:
Cafe Terra Blog: Cranberry Pumpkin Stuffing
Virtually Homemade: Twice-Baked Cheddar and Chive Potatoes
Easy Eats Magazine: Sausage and Dried Cranberry-Walnut Stuffing
The Sensitive Epicure: Oyster Dressing and Gravy
Daily*Dishin: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Supreme
What's Gaby Cooking: Rustic Herb Skillet Stuffing
Family Fresh Cooking: Coconut Brown-Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Silvana's Kitchen: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Mushroom-Rye Stuffing
The Cultural Dish: Cranberry Sauce

Desserts:
I Am Baker: Pumpkin Cake
Heather Christo: Pumpkin Vanilla Ice Cream Pie
And Love It Too: Pumpkin Custard (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Haute Apple Pie Girls: Double Pumpkin Mini Pies With Candied Pecans
Ladles and Jelly Spoons: Not Your Same Old Pumpkin Pie
Daydreamer Desserts: Cuban Diplomatic Pudding
Thursday Night Dinner: Red Wine Chocolate Cake
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Caramel Apple Pie

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