Make-Ahead Cranberry Sauce

The holidays are such a busy time. Anything you can cross off your list by doing it ahead of time will take some of the stress out of things. This cranberry sauce can be made weeks or months ahead to serve at your holiday meal.

Now you are of course welcome to just open up a can of cranberry sauce, but this is one side dish where you can taste the difference between store-bought and homemade. And it’s so worth the extra effort to make homemade cranberry sauce. 

Using just 4 ingredients, you can make your own cranberry sauce and freeze it until you’re ready to use it.

This freezes well for up to 3-6 months. Imagine making this one afternoon in late summer and knowing that you have one of your holiday side dishes already made and ready to go!

Make-Ahead Cranberry Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. bag cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider

Assembly instructions:

1. Add cranberries, sugar, water, and cider to a stovetop pot and heat on medium heat.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Continue stirring regularly until the cranberries fall apart and the mixture reduces to a thick, chunky sauce.
4. Cool to room temperature.
5. Pour into a medium-sized resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Serving instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Transfer to a bowl and serve with your turkey, pork, ham, or chicken. 

Ways to use any leftover cranberry sauce:

• Glaze meats.
• Spread it on toast or bagels like jam.
• Pour over cream cheese or brie and serve with crackers.
• Heat up and pour over cakes.
• Bake into fruit muffins.
• Combine with bbq sauce over chicken wings.
• Mix it into oatmeal.
• Spread on the bread or a croissant for a delicious turkey and brie sandwich. 
• Make these tasty cranberry-brie bites as an appetizer.

Check out these other make-ahead side dishes for your holiday meal:

• Mac and Cheese
• Buffalo Ranch Cauliflower and Broccoli
• Butternut Squash
• Southern Cornbread
• Honey Maple Glazed Carrots
• Rice Pilaf

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Make Ahead Cranberry Sauce

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry sauce, holiday meal

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 124 kcal

Ingredients

• 12 oz. bag cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Add cranberries, sugar, water, and cider to a stovetop pot and heat on medium.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Continue stirring regularly until the cranberries fall apart and the mixture reduces to a thick, chunky sauce.

4. Cool to room temperature.

5. Pour into a medium-sized resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Serving instructions:

1. Thaw.

2. Transfer to a bowl and serve with your turkey, pork, ham, or chicken.