3 Ways to Jazz Up Canned Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving Dinner

Stephanie Smith

Yahoo Food is proud to present The Tipline, a video series giving you tips, tricks, and hacks to get you through the holiday season and weeknight dinners alike. Today’s tip: three ways to transform canned cranberry sauce.

Store-bought canned cranberry sauce brings back memories of Thanksgivings past. Some people consider it tradition to eat the tart fruit sauce in jelly form right from the can. Others loathe that solid, gelatinous berry cylinder wobbling on the dinner table while you pass the mashed potatoes.

If the sight of canned cranberries sauce makes your eyes roll, there are a few ways to transform the pantry item into something more attractive, and this Tipline video shows you how.

Canned cranberry sauce can be jazzed up with orange juice and spices, or reshaped with cookie cutters. Or, fold the solid sauce into a batter for a tasty cranberry loaf.

Detailed recipes for orange cranberry sauce and cranberry bread are below:

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Cranberry Orange Sauce

1 can cranberry sauce
Juice and zest of two fresh oranges
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine cranberry sauce, orange zest, juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sauce just comes to a boil. Turn down to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then place in the fridge until thoroughly chilled. Sauce should thicken a little once cooled. Can be made 2 days in advance.

Cookie Cutter Cranberry Sauce

Slide canned cranberry sauce out of can onto cutting board. Slice in ½-inch round slices. Lay flat. With a cookie cutter, gently cut shapes out of discs. With a spatula gently place on a tray and place in fridge until ready to serve.

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Cranberry Bread

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 can cranberry sauce

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in orange juice, orange zest, vegetable oil and egg. Mix until well blended. Gently stir in cranberry sauce. Spread batter evenly in loaf pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

For more Thanksgiving tips and tricks, check out these stories:

Here’s How You Should Carve Your Turkey Breast On Thanksgiving

3 Easy Hacks to Upgrade Store-Bought Pie for Thanksgiving

This Gluten-Free Stuffing Will Please All of Your Thanksgiving Dinner Guests