We love cranberries! We’ve been talking about the health benefits of the tiny fruit for years! While many people only eat them in the form of sauce, juice and rings, their health benefits mean you should fit them into your diet in many ways!
Cranberry juice, especially cranberry cocktail, is high in sugar. But the tart berries have more antioxidants per ounce than tea, blueberries or spinach! When you start cooking with the fruit, you can fight inflammation, boost heart health and possibly shield yourself from cancer. We’ve shared recipes for cranberry sauce and cranberry cornbread in the past. Today, we are sharing four more dishes perfect for Thanksgiving or any meal!
Thanksgiving dinner plates can be covered in brown foods. Meat, gravy and stuffing all make the plate one color. It’s good to add a pop of color. And it’s wonderful to add some new flavor notes. This dish is a little acidic and has a creaminess from the cheese with a hint of sweetness from the fruit. You can buy the cabbage pre-shredded; we like timesavers like that on big holidays. This recipe is so fast and easy, but is sure to visually impress on the buffet and then thrill people when they take a bite! A serving has 66 calories, five grams of carbs and one gram of fiber. Get the recipe.
This breadless stuffing is delicious. It’s solid enough to be stuffed into a bird, but the instructions are to cook it in a skillet as dressing. Putting it in your turkey would just be for presentation, which seems a bit laborious. It has all the seasonings of stuffing, and it could easily be the side dish that takes up the most room on your plate at mealtime! A serving has 127 calories, 5.5 grams of carbs and 2.3 grams of fiber. Get the recipe.
These meatballs are excellent as an appetizer. Or, they can be your main meal’s protein if you don’t want the hassle of cooking a turkey or ham. Turkey and ham take up a lot of space in the oven and are expensive. These meatballs use ground beef and couldn’t be easier. They cook in a crockpot for four to six hours, and you can use your oven for the rest of your meal! The homemade cranberry sauce is so simple and yet shines in this dish that will have everyone raving! A serving has 458 calories, 11 grams of carbs and two grams of fiber. Get the recipe.
We have never shared a recipe for delicata squash before. That’s a shame as it’s delicious, lower in carbs than many squashes and in season! It doesn’t take as long to roast as many other squashes as it has thinner skin. This recipe takes only a half hour. It’s an excellent option if you don’t have a crowd doing over on Thursday but still want a festive meal. Instead of doing a feast, you can have this as a beautiful and tasty main dish that celebrates the season. A serving has 247 calories, 16 grams of carbs and three grams of fiber. Get the recipe.
These four recipes should put cranberries on your table this fall in a delicious way! There’s much more to the fruit than just a condiment or drink. With its incredible flavor and health benefits, you should enjoy it frequently!
