There are two places to be on Thanksgiving morning: on the football field or in the kitchen. Back in high school, I was in the stands with my friends, cheering on the Trumbull Eagles. Now that I’m adulting and a proud homeowner, there’s no place I’d rather be than whipping up holiday recipes in my brand-new kitchen. I pour myself some spiced eggnog, crank up the holiday tunes, and begin cooking up my foolproof cranberry sauce. I can always count on this side dish to taste like I’ve spent hours in the kitchen—the story I roll with ‘round the holiday table!
3-Ingredient Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Alex Mellardo
I can’t take all the credit, as this is my husband’s recipe. While he never really has time to cook, he enjoys Thanksgiving festivities and prepared this side dish with me for our first Thanksgiving together. It’s now become our family tradition, and I prepare it every year.
My family takes Thanksgiving quite seriously. Each year, my Aunt Mimi hosts a delicious Thomas turkey feast, where there are up to 18 of us around the table. After antipasto, my Italian family moves on to the natural next course: pasta with homemade tomato sauce, meatballs, sausage, and braciole. To help the turkey—the star of the day—stand out, we serve my special homemade cranberry sauce. Not only is it the “cherry” on top of the turkey and stuffing, but the leftovers are a delightful sandwich topper for the entire holiday weekend.
The best parts of this recipe? You only need to purchase three ingredients, and the aroma of simmering cranberries will make your entire home smell like the holidays. Trust me—the natural scent is better than any candles you can buy.
If there’s one lesson to take away from this recipe, it’s that cranberry sauce shouldn’t only be enjoyed on Thanksgiving. Turkey with cranberry sauce is a sandwich match made in heaven—and in the kitchen, of course!
How To Make My Foolproof Cranberry Sauce
Allrecipes/Karen Hibbard
Ingredients:
- 1 (12-ounce) pkg. fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup water
* Serves approximately 6 to 8
Directions:
- Prepare cranberries. Rinse and drain the cranberries.
- Heat sugar, syrup, and water. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, maple syrup, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Boil cranberries. Add the whole cranberries, and bring the mixture to a boil once again.
- Simmer. Reduce heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer until the cranberries begin to burst, about 15 minutes.
- Cool the cranberry sauce. Remove from heat, cover the cranberry sauce, and allow it to cool down to room temp.
- Serve! Transfer to a glass bowl and serve. Mixture can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 1 to 2 weeks.