Cranberry Goodness

Happy Monday!  Hope you had a great weekend.  Lots of my friends in the South got snow over the weekend, but snow skipped the Midwest for now.  It was freezing so we tried to stay inside as much as possible while squeezing in lots of Christmas fun.

Cranberry isn't my favorite flavor... usually.  However, this time of year it just seems so festive!

I've always wanted to make cranberry dishes and cranberry garlands so I figured this year was time perfect time.  I've made several yummy dinners and dishes that all include cranberry.

1. Cranberry Vinaigrette
This is a seasonal vinaigrette from Aldi and it might be one of my very favorite vinaigrettes ever!!  It's under $2 a bottle and it's so good.  It's perfect on every kind of salad - veggies, berries, grilled chicken, etc.  I need to go and stock up on some before it all sells out.

2. Cranberry Candied Jalapeno Chicken Meatballs

RUN to your nearest Sams and buy some of these amazing meatballs!  They're on sale right now and they're so good.  We've already purchased a couple of packages of them.  They come in a two pack so you don't have to make them all at once if they're just for dinner.

I made them for us and then we took them to Kevin's Christmas party.  People raved about them and they were so good that we took home a clean plate.  Kevin didn't even get to eat one.

You just have to heat them up and I like to brown them a bit. I have served them two different ways and both were delicious.  They're really flavorful and NOT SPICY.  I don't like spicy things and these were perfect for me.

Option 1: Meatballs with Cranberry Rice
Brown meatballs in a skillet.

Serve with a rice medley of white rice, onions and cranberries.  I chopped fresh cranberries and yellow onion.  Sauteed them with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Then added in the cooked rice.  It was delicious.  I even added in some feta to mine.

Option 2: Meatballs with Cranberry Dipping Sauce
Heat and brown meatballs.
Serve with a delicious cranberry sauce.

1/2 can cranberry jelly
3 T berry jelly
minced red onion
minced yellow onion
1/2 c chopped fresh cranberries

Cook the veggies first and add in the jellies last.  Let them cook together until the sauce thickens up.
It was such a good dip.  I didn't coat the meatballs in it, but served it on the side.

3. Cranberry Wild Rice Salad
I took this to my Friendsgiving luncheon and several people asked me for the recipe.

1 box of wild grain rice cooked as directed
11/4 purple onion chopped
1/4 yellow onion chopped
1/2 c fresh cranberries chopped
olive oil
feta cheese
4 links of chicken sausage (I got mine from Aldi)

Cook rice.

Saute all veggies in olive oil until they are soft.  Add in cooked rice.
Slice and brown chicken sausage in another skillet.
Add sausage to dish.
Sprinkle feta on top.

Serve hot or cold.  Both were delicious.  And it's just as good leftover as it was fresh.

Do you cook with cranberries this time of year??

I'd love for you to leave me a link in the comments to your favorite cranberry recipe!