Divas on a Dime: Great uses for leftover cranberry sauce
Happy day after Thanksgiving! Want to know who I feel sorry for? That lonely bowl of cranberry sauce in the back of the fridge. That’s who. Yesterday was the moment the cranberry waits for all year long. Her moment to shine. The belle of the bowl. The saucy side dish siren. The debutante of the bog. (Cue the sad violin music.) And now it’s over.
But wait! Let’s not relegate her to sad side dollop just yet. You need to know, I’m a fan of the cran, even in a can. This stuff is awesome! Think about it. Cranberries are a fruity, sweet, tart superfood.
Packed with vitamin C and fiber and when it comes to disease-fighting antioxidants they provide more than any other fruit or vegetable except for blueberries. Often the only jolt of color on an otherwise 50 shades of beige plate.
We should be using this wonderful sauce all year long. Let’s see where the cranberry can go, shall we? Some ideas.
Step aside turkey sandwich. The cran can dance with many partners. Peanut butter, almond butter or cream cheese accompanied by a schmear of cranberry makes your morning toast grand. Add some to mayo, mustard or BBQ sauce and mix it up with pork, beef, duck or chicken. Slather on beef or turkey burgers. Add cranberry to a turkey bacon club or grilled cheese made with sharp cheddar.
Bring it to breakfast. Top French toast, pancakes or waffles with a blend of cranberry sauce and maple syrup. Blend with yogurt or layer cranberry sauce with Greek yogurt and granola to make colorful parfaits.
Spoon some over baked brie cheese, top with nuts and serve with crackers. Warm it up and enjoy as a sauce over ice cream and cakes. Spoon it into muffin, cupcake or cake batter. Or bake these bars.
Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
Yield: 9 servings
Time: 40 minutes
What You’ll Need:
1 cup leftover cranberry sauce – canned or homemade
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 oz.) butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup chopped pecans or nut of your choice
Here’s How:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan, or line with parchment.
In a saucepan on the stove top or microwavable bowl, combine the cranberry sauce and sugar. Stovetop, bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Or microwave at high power for 1 minute, stir, then heat in 30-second increments until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is spreadable.
To make streusel; in a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Add the pecans and stir.
Firmly press about half of the streusel into the baking pan. Spread the cranberry mixture over the crust. Sprinkle with the remaining streusel.
Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Can we all show cranberry sauce some love more than just once a year? Thanks!
Frugal Festivity contributed by Patti Diamond from Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous!, www.divasonadime.com Join us on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom.
