Recipes using Cranberries

Crockpot Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
1 12oz. bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup of sugar (can do 1/2 white and 1/2 brown)
1 cup orange juice

Directions:
Spray crockpot with cooking spray.  Put clean cranberries in crockpot.  Pour sugar and orange juice on top.  Cook on high for 2-3 hours until berries start to pop.

or this one which is my favorite...



Crockpot Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
12oz. fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup cranberry, apple, or Cranapple juice

Directions:
In a small crockpot (under 5 quarts) sprayed with cooking spray put in all the ingredients. Cook on High for 1 hour. Stir and continue cooking another hour. Stir every 15 minutes as the cranberries will soften and pop. Once it is the consistency you want turn off and cool down. Pour into a container and refrigerate over night for the flavors to blend.

Note: This is best made a day or two in advance so that the flavors will have time to sit and blend together. I do a mixture of white and brown sugar to give it an extra flavor boost. Using the juices instead of water enhances the flavor as well.


Creamy Cranberry Celery Sticks

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese
2/3 cups dried cranberries
1/4-1/2 cup chopped nuts
6-8 celery stalks

Directions:
In a bowl mix cream cheese, cranberries, and nuts.  Stir til blended.  Fill each cleaned celery stalk with mixture.  Cut each stalk of celery into four equal parts.  Arrange on a platter and serve or place in a dish and wrap with saran wrap and chili in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serves 6-8

Cranberry Cocktail Smokies
1 (12 oz.) bottle chili sauce
1 can cranberry sauce
2 pkgs. Cocktail or Lil’ Smokies

Directions:
Put everything in crock pot, cover, and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

*Be sure to stir after a few hours of cooking. Serve with colorful toothpicks.

Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs

*Can use a bag of plain frozen meatballs or use this recipe to make homemade meatballs:

2 pounds Ground beef
1 cup Corn flake crumbs
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Chopped, fresh parsley
1/3 cup Ketchup
3 tbsp. Minced onions
2 tbsp. Soy sauce
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Sauce
16 oz. can, jellied or whole cranberry sauce
12 oz. Chili sauce
1 tbsp. Brown sugar
1 tbsp. Lemon juice 


Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, corn flake crumbs, parsley, eggs, ketchup, onion, soy sauce, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well and form into small balls, from 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter. See * below. Place in a casserole or baking pan. Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Meanwhile in a saucepan, combine cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice. Cook stirring over medium heat until smooth. Pour hot sauce over meatballs in casserole. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the meatballs. Transfer to crock pot and keep on low for serving (could also just put frozen meatballs and ingredients for sauce in a crock pot. Cook meatballs on LOW a few hours and be sure to stir every once in a while to make sure they are well coated).

*Makes 4 to 5 dozen meatballs, depending on size.

 
Here's a cranberry breakfast recipe you may like to try:


Cranberry Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 very ripe banana
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 handful of fresh spinach
1 cup milk
1-2 tsp. honey
3 ice cubes (can omit if using frozen fruit)

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Pour into cup and serve.

Makes 2 cups

Note:  In place of the milk you can use water, your favorite flavored Kefir, or even cranberry juice. If you use cranberry juice try replacing the fresh cranberries with 1-2 chopped apples. Any leafy green will work in this recipe (as well as celery) or you can leave it out all together.

Crockpot Cranberry Chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken quarters.(can replace with 8 thighs or 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts)
8 oz. Catalina or French Dressing (I’ve tried both and couldn’t tell much difference)
1 15oz. can of whole berry cranberry sauce (I used the jellied one)
1 package dry onion soup mix (I made my own)

Chicken ready 2 cook w/everything dumped on top.

Directions: 
Wash a drain chicken (If using quarters you can cut them into legs and thighs or leave whole). Put in a gallon Ziploc bag with the rest of the ingredients poured on top.  Squeeze bag to make sure everything is mixed in good (I was lazy this time and just dump everything into the crockpot).  When ready to cook spray crockpot with cooking spray and pour chicken with sauce in.  Cook on LOW 6-7 hours for chicken with bones and skin or 4-6 hours for boneless chicken breasts.

*Since I did not mix everything first in a Ziploc bag I ended up turning my chicken pieces halfway through cooking time and it still came out good. Serve with rice and a green veggie or salad. This time around I served it with cauliflower rice and sautéed cabbage and spinach with onions and garlic.

*For a freezer meal leave in Ziploc bag. Press as much air out as you can, close, and freeze to use later. Thaw out in refrigerator overnight when you are ready to use.


Cranberry Pork Roast

Ingredients:
3 lb. pork loin roast
salt and pepper to taste
1 15-16oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup honey or brown sugar
1/2 cup cranberry juice
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1 tsp. dry ground mustard
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves

Directions:
Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of pork loin then put into sprayed crockpot.  In a medium bowl mix cranberry sauce, sugar, juices, and spices together.  Pour over pork.  Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.

To thicken gravy: Thirty minutes before meat is done take out some of the juice from roast. Combine the 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and cold water and mix together until smooth.  Stir this into juice mixture from roast and pour back into crockpot to get warm.