If I could eat only one Thanksgiving side dish, I would choose cranberry sauce. Not some fancy homemade whole berry sauce either. I would choose the jellied cranberry sauce that comes in a can. Slide it onto a small platter and enjoy.
If you make homemade cranberry sauce, you can bring it to any event with your head held high. If you are going to bring the canned version, you might consider sprucing it up.
I think more people like canned cranberry sauce than admit to it. I base this on the fact that the platter is always empty when I host Thanksgiving dinner, and I didn’t eat it all (although I could have if others hadn’t done so first.) If you want to add a flare to this perfect dish, consider these three garnishes from Real Simple Magazine.
- Sugared Rosemary: Dip rosemary sprigs in water, then sprinkle with sugar. Let dry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Arrange on top of sliced cranberry sauce.
- Candied Ginger: arrange strips of candied ginger on top of sliced cranberry sauce.
- Orange and Thyme: Combine orange zest and thyme leaves on a cutting board and coarsely chop. Use the mixture as a garnish for the sliced cranberry sauce.