The Easiest Cranberry Sauce

This cranberry sauce is the perfect mixture of sweet and tart! It’s made with fresh cranberries and topped with orange zest to really set it apart!

Making Thanksgiving dinner just got more delicious with this cranberry sauce. If you love cranberries like I do try this Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato with Rice Pilaf, Cranberry Cheesecake Fluff, or this Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball to have at your Thanksgiving dinner table.

The Easiest Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Your holiday dinner just got better with this amazing cranberry sauce! It’s one of my favorite side dishes to make during the holidays! It is simple, easy and so fresh tasting! You will not want to buy a can again and will love how quick and easy it is to make. What sets this cranberry sauce apart from others is definitely the subtle orange flavor. It’s the ingredient that you didn’t know it needed until you taste it! And then you’ll never want to have it without!

You can never go wrong with picking a fresh side dish over one from a can. It’s so delicious that it will for sure have your family and friends passing it around the table until it is gone! It is one of my all-time favorite side dishes, especially for Thanksgiving! I love to make this cranberry sauce with all my Juicy Butter Herb Turkey or Slow Cooker Turkey Breast. It will make your holiday meal complete!

Ingredients to Make Cranberry Sauce

Enjoy this cranberry sauce next to all your other delicious side dishes this holiday season! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

• Bag of fresh cranberries: Fresh cranberries are best but you can use frozen if needed.
• Sugar: The sugar sweetens up the cranberries.
• Orange Juice: This ingredient is added as a sweetener and brings out a more flavorful taste.
• Water: The water added to the sauce aids in popping the cranberries.
• Zest from one orange: The orange brightens and adds a hint of sweet orange flavor!

Let’s Make Some Cranberry Sauce!

This cranberry sauce recipe is so simple to make and doesn’t last long. It is simple to make and adds so much color and zest to all your holiday dishes!

1. Mix ingredients together and cook: In a saucepan add the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water and orange zest. Over medium low heat cook the cranberries until the sugar has dissolved and the cranberries start to soften.
2. Cooking until cranberries burst: Increase the heat to medium and continue to stir and cook for another 5-6 minutes until the cranberries burst. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

How to Zest an Orange

Orange zest is one of my favorite ways to add zest and a hint of orange zing to any dish that I am making! The color is bright and it just pops!

• To zest an orange you will want to use a grater with fine teeth or microplane. (A vegetable peeler will also work well too.) With a grater, simply run the rough, outside surface of the orange against it and you will then see the orange peel fall. Move your orange around to get the brightest orange skin that you can. You will want to make sure you do not grate past the white layer under the orange. It tends to become bitter at that point. If you are using a vegetable peeler, cut off the outside orange layer and peel from your fingers.

Tips for Making Cranberry Sauce

This sauce is super quick and easy to make! I’ve come up with a few tips that will help it turn out perfectly for you this holiday season!

• How to pick out cranberries: When you are trying to pick out cranberries at the store, look for full and unbroken cranberries. They will be bright pink or red in color!
• Fresh cranberries: If you are using fresh cranberries, gently rinse them and remove any stems or debris on them. Add in your cranberries whole.
• Frozen cranberries: If you dont have fresh cranberries available then frozen will work! Don’t worry about defrosting them first.
• Added flavor: For more flavoring you can add in more orange juice and leave out the water. You can also use other juices to replace the water with. The added citrus enhances this sauce immensely.
• Fresh orange juice: Squeezing your own orange juice is a little more work but the taste is amazing and adds a freshness to your cranberry sauce recipe.
• Thicker sauce: The longer the sauce sits, the thicker it will be become.

Variations to Try

You can totally switch up this sauce to change it up! It’s super easy to do and it adds so much to your holiday dinner! So, if you love to add in more flavoring and extras to make it your own here are a few ways to do so.

• Add more fruit: Diced apple or apple sauce, cherries, crushed pineapple or diced pear.
• Juice: Ginger ale, apple juice or cranberry juice are always great to add in instead of the orange juice.
• Nuts: Toss in a few pecans, walnuts or cashews for an added crunch and texture.
• Seasonings or spices: Add a pinch of ginger, cinnamon or nutmeg are fun to add in for warmth.

How to Store Cranberry Sauce

Whether you are storing leftovers or are making this ahead of time for your holiday feast, this cranberry sauce is delicious!

• Refrigerating cranberry sauce: Let your cranberry sauce cool completely. Then, add it to an airtight container where it can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
• Freezing cranberry sauce: Cook your cranberry sauce through then let it cool completely. Once it is cooled, add it to an airtight container or a ziplock bag to be frozen. Lay flat if it is in a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 1 month in the freezer. When reheating, your sauce will not be as thick with the added water from being frozen. You can thicken it up by simmering for a few extra minutes. Thaw in the refrigerator over night before warming up.
• Reheating cranberry sauce:  When you are ready to warm it up then simply reheat it over medium heat in a skillet. Simmering the sauce will help thicken this sauce back up from being frozen!

Make it a Complete Thanksgiving Meal

You know Thanksgiving is approaching us quickly and getting your menu made is a MUST ahead of time. Having a perfect thanksgiving dinner is always a dream for the host! Here are a few ideas that you can make for your Thanksgiving meal! They are all so delicious! Enjoy!

Dinner

Oven Baked Herb Turkey

Side Dishes

Slow Cooker Sausage Herb Stuffing

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

Easy Turkey Gravy

Side Dishes

World’s Best Green Bean Casserole

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The Easiest Cranberry Sauce

This cranberry sauce is the perfect mixture of sweet and tart! It's made with fresh cranberries and topped with orange zest to really set it apart! 

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 80kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup water
• zest from one orange

Instructions

• In a saucepan add the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, and orange zest. Over medium-low heat cook the cranberries until the sugar has dissolved and the cranberries start to soften.
• Increase the heat to medium and continue to stir and cook for another 5-6 minutes until the cranberries burst. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Notes

Updated on November 6, 2021

Originally Posted on October 31, 2019

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg

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Slow Cooker Sausage Herb Stuffing

This classic sausage herb stuffing is full of an amazing mixture of flavors! The spices used in this are the star of the show and it will be a side dish that everyone goes crazy over!

If you are looking for some more Thanksgiving ideas then I have a few that you should try first! This Casserole, this amazing Cranberry Sauce, and this delightful Pie should all be on your menu this year!

Sausage Herb Stuffing

I love everything about the food at Thanksgiving. The turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and one of my favorite parts is the stuffing! When you add the sausage, celery, carrots, onion, and fresh herbs, and spices you create an unforgettable stuffing. Something about making it in the slow cooker fuses all of the flavors together. The veggies cook up so soft and tender and the result is absolutely amazing. The edges get crispy and the stuffing is perfectly moist and full of flavor.

For many of us, Thanksgiving is a busy holiday of getting here or there. That is why this recipe is perfect for this holiday! Not only is it a classic dish that you see made at every Thanksgiving dinner but it can be made in your slow cooker! This makes it so easy to transport! Or, if you are hosting then this will free up your oven for all of the other food! It slow cooks to perfection adding crispy edges and will be the best stuffing that you will ever make!

What’s In Sausage Herb Stuffing?

I always love having herbs on hand in the pantry because they are great to add to any dish in a pinch. See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

• French bread: You will want to cut this into 1 inch pieces
• Italian sausage: Using meat that already has added flavor really takes this stuffing up a notch!
• Onion: Chop up your oven into small pieces so that it can be in every bite!  
• Carrots: When you chop up your carrots then just make sure that they are all about the same size so that they cook evenly.
• Celery: I like to slice up my celery into small pieces.
• Basil Leaves: Basil adds such a fresh taste to this stuffing.
• Rubbed Sage: When you use rubbed sage, you will notice a delicious earthy flavor!
• Thyme Leaves: Thyme is similar to sage but it also has a subtle hint of citrus and mint!
• Salt: This will enchance all of the flavors in this recipe.
• Pepper: The amount used in this recipe adds just enough flavors without adding in any heat.
• Butter: I used unsalted butter in this recipe.  
• Chicken broth: When you use chicken broth instead of water, it really adds in a delicious flavor!
• Fresh parsley and cranberries: These are used as a garnish on top!

How to Make Sausage Herb Stuffing

When you use your slow cooker, it makes it so easy to show up to your destination with a delicious dish to share. It also keeps the food warm while you are enjoying your meal for when you go back for seconds… or thirds!

1. Prepare bread crumbs: To prepare the bread crumbs, Cut into 1 inch pieces and stale them overnight. You can also toast them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until they are lightly golden.
2. Cook sausage: In a medium sized skillet, cook and crumble the italian sausage until no longer pink. Prepare your slow cooker by spraying it with non stick cooking spray.
3. Combne ingredients and add to slow cooker: In a large bowl toss bread crumbs, sausage, onion, carrot, celery, basil, sage, salt, pepper, and butter until combined. Add to slow cooker and pour chicken broth on the top. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until vegetables are tender.
4. Garnish: Garnish with fresh parsley and dried cranberries if desired.

Tips for Making Homemade Stuffing

Sausage herb stuffing is one of my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving! Here are a few tips that I have to make this recipe turn out perfectly!

• Bread crumbs: This recipe calls for you to make your own bread crumbs for the stuffing! I like to do this to add in some delicious and fresh artisan bread. But, if you don’t have time or want this to be faster then buying store bought ones works fantastic too!
• Type of bread: You can easily change up the type of bread that you use in this stuffing! Try out Brioche, sourdough, country bread or even cornbread!
• Add ins: You can add in a few more ingredients to make this your own! Try some walnuts, bacon, or some mushrooms!

How to Store Leftovers

Thanksgiving leftovers are the best of the best! Here is how you can store this sausage herb stuffing and eat it later. After all, Thanksgiving is just not Thanksgiving if you aren’t breaking out the food for round two the next day!

• Refrigerate: Once your stuffing has cooled then put it in an airtight container in your fridge. It will last for 3-4 days!
• Reheat: To reheat your stuffing, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your stuffing in a baking dish and cover it with some foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through!

More Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Try

You are going to love this recipe! In my honest opinion it is the best stuffing that I have ever had. And how nice is it to be able to free up some space in the oven and transport it to your destination easily? This will be a recipe that you will want to make again and again! It is sure to be a huge hit at the dinner table this Thanksgiving!

Side Dishes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

Easy Turkey Gravy

Bread

Lion House Rolls

Side Dishes

Smashed Sweet Potatoes (2 Ways! Sweet AND Savory)

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Slow Cooker Sausage Herb Stuffing

This classic sausage herb stuffing is full of an amazing mixture of flavors! The spices used in this are the star of the show and it will be a side dish that everyone goes crazy over! 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian American

Keyword sausage stuffing

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 460kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 1 large crusty loaf of french bread cut into 1 inch pieces, (about 8 cups)
• 1 pound ground italian sausage
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 medium carrots chopped
• 2 stalks celery sliced
• 1 Tablespoon Basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons Rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon Thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 tablespoons butter cut into ½ inch pieces
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Fresh Parsley chopped and dried cranberries for garnish

Instructions

• To prepare the bread crumbs, Cut into 1-inch pieces and stale them overnight. You can also toast them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until they are lightly golden.
• In a medium-sized skillet, cook and crumble the Italian sausage until no longer pink. Prepare your slow cooker by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl toss bread crumbs, sausage, onion, carrot, celery, basil, sage, salt, pepper, and butter until combined. Add to slow cooker and pour the chicken broth on the top. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until vegetables are tender.
• Garnish with fresh parsley and dried cranberries if desired.

Notes

Updated on November 5, 2021

Originally Posted on November 5, 2015

Nutrition

Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1148mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4196IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg

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Fall off the Bone Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Fall off the Bone Slow Cooker Short Ribs is a perfect hearty, satisfying, and savory dinner! Full of flavor and fork tender succulent beef, it’s a meal worth coming home to.

Serve this with a side of Dad’s Famous Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Cauliflower or Stick of Butter Baked Rice. You can serve the meat and sauce on top the sides to help sop up all the goodness as well.

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

According to definition, short ribs are a cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas of beef cattle. They include a short portion of the rib bone, thus the name short rib. This cut of meat is actually pretty tough but once it reaches fork tender, it’s amazing. Your whole family will love this delicious dish!

This is why beef short ribs were meant for long, slow braising at a low heat. The longer you cook them the better they become, if you try to cook them fast, they’ll remain tough. Cooking them in the slow cooker may just be one of the best ways to get them to the perfect level of fall-off-the-bone doneness. After cooking away for hours in your crockpot, short ribs turn from chewy and tough to melt-in-your-mouth tender. They’re a perfect winter meal. Add a vegetable some rolls and your set for a hearty week day or Sunday special meal.

Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs Ingredients

The ribs slow cooked with the sauce imparts the best flavor. You are going to love it!

• Beef Short Ribs: 8-10 should fit nicely in your slow cooker
• Salt and Pepper: To taste
• Olive Oil: To Taste
• Carrots: Use large carrots, not baby carrots. Large carrots have more flavor
• Beef Broth: To have a good beefy flavor don’t substitute for other broth.
• Garlic: 3 cloves minced, sounds like a lot but trust me it’s needed.
• Tomato Paste: Imparts strong flavor without the extra water.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Gives immense flavor
• Italian Seasoning: One of my all time favorite spice combinations, it’s so good!

Cooking Beef Short Ribs

Quick prep work and then let the slow cooker do all the work!

1. Sear: Salt and pepper the short ribs and sear in the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Make sure to do all sides. When they have a nice golden crust on all sides place in the slow cooker and add the carrots on top.
2. Sauce: In a small bowl whisk the beef broth, garlic, tomato paste, worcestershire and italian seasoning. Pour the sauce over the ribs
3. Cook: For best results cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Tips for the Best Short Ribs

It’s really hard to mess these up, unless you don’t let them cook long enough.

• Ribs: You can use short ribs with the bone in or without. Either will be amazing
• Veggies: You can add onion and celery along with the meat.
• Searing: You may be tempted to skip the searing step, Don’t! It caramelizes the surface of the meat enhancing the flavor. So good! Worth the extra time.
• Tough:  If you short ribs turn out tough, that means that they didn’t cook long enough. Long and slow is key and they need to reach an internal temperature of 180-205 degrees F. This is when the heat is able to break down the connective tissue that makes them tough.

How to Make a Gravy

The sauce will create a mouth-watering gravy you don’t want to skip.

1. Cool: After the meat has cooled for about 15 min in its juices remove the meat and cover.
2. Drain: Let the drippings cool for another 5 min till the fat begins to rise. Spoon the fat off of the liquid and discard.
3. Boil: Turn the Slow Cooker on high or you can pour the drippings into a saucepan on the stove over high heat.
4. Thicken: Mix 2 Tablespoons of Cornstarch and 1/4 cold water together. Pour into the drippings and stir constantly till nice and thick.

More Beef Recipes to Love

• Thai Basil Beef
• Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
• Slow Cooker Korean Beef
• One Pot Beef Stroganoff
• Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

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Fall off the Bone Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Fall off the Bone Slow Cooker Short Ribs is a perfect hearty, satisfying, and savory dinner. Full of flavor and fork tender succulent beef, it's a meal worth coming home to.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword short ribs, slow cooker short ribs

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

Servings 6 People

Calories 66kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 8-10 beef short ribs
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 large carrots sliced
• 1 cup beef broth
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

Instructions

• Salt and pepper the beef short ribs. Heat a large skillet with the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the short ribs and sear each side for 1-2 minutes or until they have a golden brown crust. Remove from skillet and add to the slow cooker and add the carrots on top.
• In a small bowl whisk the beef broth, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and Italian seasoning. Add to the slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high 4-5 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 363mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 10204IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

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