Recipes To Help You Use Up Leftover Cranberry Sauce
Hard as we may try, it’s just plain tricky to prepare the exact right amount of food at Thanksgiving! Leftovers are inevitable.
Some leftovers are easier to deal with than others. Leftover mashed potatoes don't usually pose a problem- because who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? But some things take a little more thinking- such as cranberry sauce.
Cranberry sauce obviously goes great with your turkey dinner, but what about afterwards? What do you do with all that leftover cranberry sauce when you no longer have turkey to pair it with? Let’s talk about it!
- Spread it across toast. It’s not much different from jam, right?
- Spread it across waffles or pancakes. You could even give it a more syrupy texture by heating it up on the stove first! (And adding a little bit of maple syrup if needed for texture purposes).
- Heat it up and serve on top of vanilla ice cream!
- I mean really, you could serve it on top of several desserts- cheesecake, freshly baked brownies, pound cake, lemon bars- get creative!
- Add it to your morning yogurt parfait. Not much pairs better with fruit than yogurt!
- If you’re making a fruit smoothie for breakfast, go ahead and add some cranberry sauce for a tarty twist!
- While we’re talking about mornings, go ahead and mix cranberry sauce with oatmeal for a delicious way to change it up!
- Mix it with balsamic vinegar or any homemade vinaigrette for a festively delicious salad dressing!
- You know those delicious thumbprint shortbread cookies that are usually filled with strawberry jam? Replace the jam with cranberry sauce instead!
- Orange and cranberry go so well together- drizzle cranberry sauce on homemade orange rolls!
- If you don’t have leftover turkey to do turkey sandwiches, you can still enjoy tasty Monte Cristo style sandwiches with any deli meat you have on hand! Just use the cranberry sauce for dipping!
- Try a leftover Thanksgiving pizza by using cranberry sauce as your pizza sauce and top with turkey, shredded cheese, and any other leftovers you may want!
- Make a simple chicken marinade by mixing cranberry sauce with your favorite BBQ sauce and cook it all together in a crock pot for an easy dinner! You could also use pulled pork to make sandwiches
- Throw together an overnight French toast! If you have a favorite recipe, just substitute the fruit with cranberry sauce! I bet some orange zest or cinnamon would be divine!
These Cranberry Oat Bars seem so cozy and tasty!
Cranberry Sauce Oat Bars
Easy cranberry sauce oat bars with a buttery crust, cranberry sauce filling, and crumbly pecan oat topping is the best way to use leftover cranberry sauce? aheadofthyme.com Author: Sam
Yield: Yield: 9 (3-inch) squares
Serving size: 9
Calories per serving: 415
Ingredients:
Serving size: 9
Calories per serving: 415
3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup cranberries sauce
For the pecan oat topping:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup pecans, finely crushed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add rolled oats, flour, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Continue to mix until fully combined. The mixture will resemble crumbs.
Transfer the mixture into a 9-inch square baking pan, and firmly press it in to create an even layer on the bottom. Layer and spread cranberry sauce on top.
Make the pecan oat topping: In a shallow saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, oats, pecans, and cinnamon. Stir until fully combined. Sprinkle and evenly distribute the topping on top of the layer of cranberry sauce.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned. Place on a wire cooling rack to cool down and cut into 9 even squares.
Source: saheadofthyme.com
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add rolled oats, flour, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Continue to mix until fully combined. The mixture will resemble crumbs.
Transfer the mixture into a 9-inch square baking pan, and firmly press it in to create an even layer on the bottom. Layer and spread cranberry sauce on top.
Make the pecan oat topping: In a shallow saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, oats, pecans, and cinnamon. Stir until fully combined. Sprinkle and evenly distribute the topping on top of the layer of cranberry sauce.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned. Place on a wire cooling rack to cool down and cut into 9 even squares.
Source: saheadofthyme.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
This seems like a dessert that would definitely get my kids excited!
Layered Cranberry Gelatin Salad
Serving size: 12
Calories per serving: 108
Ingredients:
Calories per serving: 108
cranberry LAYER:
1 package (3 ounces) cranberry or raspberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauces
lemon LAYER:
1 package (3 ounces) lemon gelatin
1 cup boiling water
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 cup miniature marshmallows
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
Directions:
In a small bowl, dissolve cranberry gelatin in boiling water; stir in cranberry sauce until blended. Transfer to an 8-in. square dish. Refrigerate until set.
In another bowl, dissolve lemon gelatin in boiling water. Beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth; stir into the lemon gelatin with the pineapple. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, about 2 hours.
Fold the cream, marshmallows and pecans into cream cheese mixture. Spread over cranberry layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.
Source: stasteofhome.com
In another bowl, dissolve lemon gelatin in boiling water. Beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth; stir into the lemon gelatin with the pineapple. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, about 2 hours.
Fold the cream, marshmallows and pecans into cream cheese mixture. Spread over cranberry layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.
Source: stasteofhome.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
I saw several variations of cranberry meatballs, but the addition of little sausages and ingredients like mustard, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce made me think this would definitely be a winner!
Cranberry Meatballs and Sausage
Serving size: 16
Calories per serving: 152
Ingredients:
Calories per serving: 152
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound bulk pork sausages
1 can (14 ounces) jellied cranberry sauces
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 package (1 pound) miniature smoked sausage links
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble bulk sausage over the mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 in. balls. In a large skillet, cook meatballs over medium heat until a thermometer reads 160°.; drain.
In a large saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and mustard. Cook and stir over medium heat until cranberry sauce is melted. Add the meatballs and sausage links. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until sausage links are no longer pink and sauce is slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes.
Source: stasteofhome.com
In a large saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and mustard. Cook and stir over medium heat until cranberry sauce is melted. Add the meatballs and sausage links. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until sausage links are no longer pink and sauce is slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes.
Source: stasteofhome.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
What’s your favorite way to use leftover cranberry sauce? Share with us below!
Camille Hoffmann
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! camille@dvo.com
