Crazy for Cranberries

Updated October 22, 2007
Ryan Benyi; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Fall in love with one of our favorite cranberry side dish recipes featuring  fresh, canned, or dried cranberries.

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Roasted Cranberries and Grapes with Rosemary

Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Paige Hicks

Roasted Cranberries and Grapes with Rosemary Recipe

Black grapes have thicker skins than red grapes, and they'll hold up better under the broiler.

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Basic Cranberry Sauce

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This tangy-sweet homemade cranberry sauce is delicious served with turkey, chicken, quail, duck, or ham.

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Cranberry-Mint Sauce

Credit: Amy Neunsinger

Cranberry-Mint Sauce Recipe

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Almond-Cranberry Corn Bread

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Almond-Cranberry Corn Bread Recipe

Add a holiday touch to cornbread by stirring in dried cranberries and topping with almonds.

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Orange 'n' Jellied Cranberry Sauce Stacks

Orange 'n' Jellied Cranberry Sauce Stacks Recipe

Serve that simple can 'o cranberry sauce topped with orange slices to take this easy Thanksgiving side from familiar to fabulous. For extra flair, garnish with fresh cranberries and a mint sprig, and make sure to use an orange with the same diameter as the canned sauce.

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Cranberry-Apple Relish

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jan Gautro

Cranberry-Apple Relish Recipe

This tangy cranberry-apple relish is a perfect make-ahead holidy side; you can store it in the refrigerator for up to three days before serving.

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Cran-Blueberry Sauce with Candied Ginger

Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Paige Hicks

Cran-Blueberry Sauce with Candied Ginger Recipe

Make this sauce a couple of days ahead, and refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, adding water--a tablespoon or two--to thin it.

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Grandma Erma's Spirited Cranberry Sauce

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Melanie Clarke

Grandma Erma's Spirited Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Homemade cranberry sauce is delicious on its own, but it's even better when infused with the festive flavors of port and orange liqueur. Reviewer Nancy recalls, "This cranberry sauce is outstanding! I made four batches this Thanksgiving and placed the sauce in jelly jars and gave them away. Many, many compliments, and many of my friends used theirs over warm brie."

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Cranberry Compote

Credit: Van Chaplin; Lisa Powell Bailey

Cranberry Compote Recipe

Flavor this classic cranberry side dish with a splash of orange juice and orange liqueur and a sprinkle of nutmeg for holiday flair.

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Cranberry-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Credit: HOWARD L. PUCKETT

Cranberry-Glazed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

No holiday table is complete without a cranberry-sweet potato combo, plus this duo is good for your stomach and your overall health. Both cranberries and sweet potatoes are great sources of vitamins A and C and complement meaty main dishes well. Plus, they're super easy to prepare! Six ingredients and 30 minutes are all you need to get these potatoes on the table–and all the cooking is done in the microwave.

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Fresh Cranberry Muffins

Credit: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford

Fresh Cranberry Muffins Recipe

Muffins make great breakfasts or grab-and-go snacks, and these cranberry goodies capture the delicious flavors of the holiday season. To breeze through your holiday cooking, bake the muffins ahead of time and store in the freezer. Try substituting blueberries and lemon rind for a fresh twist on this recipe.

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Red Cabbage, Cranberry, and Apple Slaw

Credit: Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

Red Cabbage, Cranberry, and Apple Slaw Recipe

Combining sweet apple slices with tart cranberries makes this slaw a great twist on the classic cabbage version, and it's perfect for entertaining. Reviewer Gilblj notes, "I have served this at everything from fancy dinner parties to summer potlucks, and it's always a hit. A bit time-consuming to slice the cabbage–just start with presliced, bagged cabbage. I generally throw in a few extra apples, too."

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Caramelized Onion-Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bites

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Caramelized Onion-Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bites Recipe

Make the Caramelized Onion-Cranberry Compote up to a day ahead using fresh or frozen cranberries and serve this creamy dip as an appetizer on whole grain crackers. It's the perfect bite-sized dish to serve throughout the season at various holiday gatherings.

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Cranberry-Maple Butter

Cranberry-Maple Butter Recipe

This homemade "butter" adds rich flavor to breads, muffins, and more, and can be made with fresh or frozen berries. You can store it in the fridge for up to 2 months, so go ahead and mix up a batch to enjoy throughout the holiday season. For a colorful gift, fill a small glass jar with the butter, tie a ribbon around the top, and attach the recipe card.

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Cranberry Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola

Credit: Christina Schmidhofer

Cranberry Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola Recipe

Five ingredients and 15 minutes are all you need to prepare this delicious salad. The toasted pecans lend a rich, sweet flavor that balances out the tart dried cranberries. If you can't find lemon-flavored olive oil, we've included instructions on making your own.

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Spirited Cranberry-Apricot Sauce

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Spirited Cranberry-Apricot Sauce Recipe

Dried apricots and sherry add a kick to your Thanksgiving cranberry sauce. If you don't like sherry, use orange juice instead.

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Hot-and-Spicy Cranberry-Pear Chutney

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Angie Mosier

Hot-and-Spicy Cranberry-Pear Chutney Recipe

This versatile, quick, and easy cranberry and pear chutney is delicious served with turkey or ham, and also makes a wonderful gift. One recipe yields about 6 cups and will keep up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

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Cranberry Salsa

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Angie Mosier

Cranberry Salsa Recipe

Pump up the flavor of cranberries by stirring in jalapeño pepper, cilantro, orange zest and crystallized ginger. Serve this salsa over turkey, chicken or pork roast.

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Fruit and Spice Cranberry Chutney

Fruit and Spice Cranberry Chutney Recipe

This warmly spiced chutney is reminiscent of freshly baked mince pie. Although it's a natural with sliced turkey, it's good served over vanilla ice cream too.

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New-School Cranberry Salad

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

New-School Cranberry Salad Recipe

We were so inspired by Old-School Cranberry Salad that we created a new version using fresh oranges and pineapple in place of canned and subbing dried cherries for maraschinos.

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Old-School Cranberry Salad

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Old-School Cranberry Salad Recipe

"My cranberry salad has become a staple at our Thanksgiving table because of its beautiful color, taste, and texture. Everyone seems to love this dish. I started adding the maraschino cherries to temper the tartness of the cranberries. The other fruits were added to satisfy family members' tastes. This recipe has a lot of flexibility, and that's why I love it so much." --SL reader Shawn Jackson, Fishers, IN

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Cranberry Rolls

Credit: Ryan Benyi; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Cranberry Rolls Recipe

To bring out the flavor of these spiced Cranberry Rolls, serve with cinnamon butter.

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