Can you feel that chill in the air? No, I’m not talking about the changing weather. It’s almost as if something is creeping up on us… oh right, THANKSGIVING. It’s only the single biggest foodie holiday of the year in America. So naturally, after years and years (and years and years) of meal prepping, stressing and stressing some more, I’m all about finding ways to make Turkey Day as easy and seamless as possible.

Here’s my foolproof list:

Step one: Make breakfast a day ahead. Like, for instance, an item off of this list. (Full disclosure: My Nutella Stuffed French Toast Cups are #1 and really easy to make ahead of time)

Step two: Brine or baste your turkey with wine. Forget to brine and baste and just drink the wine.

Step three: Make this super easy cranberry sauce because it’s allllllll you’ll need!

Okay, so maybe that isn’t the most practical of lists, but dear reader, your time is precious to me. After all, the holiday is filled with my favorite F’s: food, family, friends and FUN! And well, I’d like to maximize the fun part. So if I can make that day less stressful and more fun, I’d consider it a job well done.

There’s a massive cult following out there for the canned stuff. I get it; it’s pretty good and probably the easiest thing you’ll put on the table. But if you’ve never bothered with making homemade cranberry sauce because it’s just so daunting, please give this a shot! I promise it is still the easiest thing you’ll cook all day.

This sauce is the typical tart, yet sweet cranberry, but it shines with subtle hints of orange and sage. It’s so good I’ve caught Kevin eating it straight out of the fridge. And more than the delicious taste, this Thanksgiving staple is incredibly easy to make. Toss your ingredients in the pot and get back to cooking your sides. When you come back, you’ll magically have sauce. Pro-tip: this is also a great dish to make ahead.

Try this. When have I ever steered you wrong?

So please, from my family to yours, have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I am thankful for each and every one of you. You guys are the reason I keep updating this site. Take care folks, and have a wonderful day.

Until next time. X

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Easy Cranberry Orange Sage Sauce

Easy Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Sage

Author: Sarah | Away from the Box
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 3 cups 1x

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Description

Cranberry Orange Sage Sauce is an easy and fast recipe for homemade cranberry sauce. Make Thanksgiving meal prep easy by making this ahead.

Scale

Ingredients

1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
3 leaves fresh sage
12 oz. fresh cranberries

Instructions

Place the granulated sugar, water, orange juice and sage in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
Add the cranberries and reduce heat to low, then remove the sage leaves. Cover the saucepan and simmer 10-15 minutes, until the cranberries have burst and the sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and let cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Category: Side Dish
Method: Stove
Cuisine: American

Keywords: cranberry sauce, orange sage cranberry sauce, thanksgiving, thanksgiving side dish, homemade cranberry sauce, cranberries