Read on for some simple and fun ways to incorporate cranberry sauce into meals, drinks and desserts after a holiday dinner.
Cranberry Pancakes for Breakfast
Fry up some bacon and make cranberry pancakes for breakfast. Just cut back some of the liquid ingredients, like milk, to the recipe and put in some cranberry sauce. Another option is to make regular pancakes and add a dollop of cranberry sauce along with some whip cream for a festive take on pancakes.
Put Some Cranberry Sauce into Muffins
Cut back on the liquid in a recipe for muffins and add some cranberry sauce to the mix. Banana muffins are a good mix with cranberries as the sweetness of the bananas works will with the tartness of the cranberry sauce. It’s also possible to throw in some dried cranberries as well.
Make a Cranberry and Turkey Sandwich
Adding cranberry to sandwiches can make a nice change for lunch. Instead of peanut butter and jam, why not try peanut butter and cranberry sauce in a sandwich. Another option is to pair up leftover turkey and cranberry sauce into a sandwich, some people even stuff in some stuffing. Cranberry sauce can be added with other deli meats like chicken or ham as well.
Make a Cranberry Smoothie or Shake
Don’t feel like eating the cranberry sauce right now? One idea is to freeze leftover cranberry sauce in an ice cube tray. Once the cranberry cubes are frozen, pop them out and store in a container or freezer bag.
They can be reheated and used to add to another meal in the future. But a delicious alternative is to add them to a shake or smoothie. Just pop them into a blender with milk, plain yoghurt, honey and a banana or other fruit and enjoy a cranberry smoothie. For a sweeter version, replace the yoghurt with vanilla ice cream instead.
Another idea is to blend together the frozen cranberry cubes, pineapple juice and orange juice and ice for a delicious frozen drink.
Make a Cranberry Dessert
Use cranberry sauce for an interesting twist on dessert. Cut back some of the liquid on a brownie recipe and add a little cranberry sauce. Once the brownies are cooled, then cut them in squares. Put a brownie in a nice looking bowl, make a nest of cranberry sauce and fill it with ice cream the top with whip cream and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles.
Another idea is to add cranberry sauce to a trifle. Mix it in with a strawberry and kiwi level in this layered dessert.
There are so many things that cranberry sauce can be added to for some holiday fun at the kitchen table. Some of the ideas include a cranberry and peanut butter sandwich, a cranberry shake, cranberry muffins, cranberry pancakes and a cranberry and brownie dessert. Pick one or go all out and make all of these recipes until the house is cleared of cranberry sauce.
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Tami Nicholson - Tami is the Topic Editor for Parenting Methods at Suite101. She is a mother of two with a background in education and journalism.
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