Zesty Cranberry Sauce

This is the easiest thing to make out of all the Thanksgiving side dishes, and it can be made the day before which leaves one less thing to do on the big day. These cranberries are SO good. They are WAY better than anything that comes out of the can, although I think those have their place too, namely in my cranberry salad! (A nice alternative or addition to your menu.)

Place the cranberries in a large skillet. I buy bags of cranberries when they're on sale and toss them in the freezer. You can put them into the skillet fresh from the fridge, or from the freezer. No need to thaw them. Then add the white sugar,



brown sugar,



orange zest, orange juice and water.



(Yes, that is a gravy separator. All my measuring cups were dirty.)



Cook the cranberries over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to pop.



You'll be able to hear them popping (little sizzling noises!) and they'll look like this:



Remove from the heat and let cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve at room temperature, or chilled. As I mentioned, this can be made 1-2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator until serving time. As for leftovers, if you have any, this sauce is a delicious condiment on a turkey sandwich!

Get more Thanksgiving inspiration at the Ultimate Recipe Swap and the Krazy Kitchen. And there are more recipes at What's Cooking Wednesday.

Zesty Cranberry Sauce

1 12 oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tsp. grated orange peel
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries begin to pop; about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Serve chilled or at room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Makes 2 1/2 cups, 8-10 servings.