Leftover Cranberry Sauce Inspiration

Cranberry, Orange & Mint Chutney

As far as Thanksgiving leftovers go, I fall squarely on the leftover sandwich side in the soup versus sandwich debate. This year my leftover cranberry sauce far outlasted the turkey. So I turned to cheese, Aged Kerry Gold Irish Cheddar and Philadelphia Cream Cheese to be exact. This chutney recipe comes from Bon Appetit and represents a tangy, textured alternative to canned or molded cranberry sauce.

ingredients: 

2 12 oz bags fresh cranberries

4 navel oranges

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup red onion, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1 tbsp ginger, peeled & minced

2 tsp orange zest

yield: 6 cups

1. pulse two 12 oz bags fresh cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped

2. transfer chopped cranberries to a large bowl

3. zest 1 of the 4 oranges into a small bowl, set aside

4. with a paring knife, remove peel and white pith from oranges, working over a medium bowl to capture the juices, cut between orange membranes to release segments

5. coarsely chop orange segments and add to cranberries

6. stir in sugar, minced red onion, mint, ginger and zest into cranberry mixture

7. cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours  

And now begins the fun part - leftovers!

Turkey-Cranberry Salad

mix 2 tbsp cranberry chutney with several slices of turkey breast, chopped. stir in 1 tbsp mayo + 1 tsp whole grain mustard + salt and pepper to taste. serve open faced on multigrain bread or tucked into a cup of boston bibb lettuce.

Cranberry Cream Cheese

mix 2 tbsp cranberry chutney with 2 tbsp Philadelphia cream cheese. smear onto whole wheat toast. 

Cranberry and Aged Cheddar Grilled Cheese 

melt 1 pat of butter on a non-stick pan. add one piece of multigrain or whole wheat bread and cover with slices of aged cheddar cheese, i prefer Kerry Gold. as cheese begins to melt, add 2 heaping tbsp cranberry chutney and second piece of bread on top. when ready, flip and grill on second side, add more butter into pan as necessary. serve with whole grain mustard on the side.

do you have any leftover Thanksgiving recipes to share?