For the first time in many years I changed the type of cranberry salad I offered for Thanksgiving. I knew I wanted something really different from the cranberry chutney I’ve made for years, or the relish cranberry salad, from my mom, which I’ve also prepared many times.
I started looking for what I’ll call a ‘fluffy’ cranberry salad. What I ended up with was a type of cranberry ambrosia salad. Some of the best pointers for the recipe would be draining the cranberry/sugar and crushed pineapple. This must be done well; so you don’t have a runny salad.
The salad is also very large, expect it to serve 10-12 persons. I prepared the cranberry and sugar mixture the night before, and let it set overnight in the refrigerator. Then; I made the salad 2-3 hours before the dinner was served. I used one cup of sugar on my 12 ounces of fresh cranberries, but I did view recipes that used only 2/3 of a cup.
We enjoyed turkey breast, Cornish game hens, dressing, noodles, green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts, deviled eggs, biscuits, and only (1) pie this year. We sent bundles home with family, which is the norm, at our abode. The most interesting part of Thanksgiving dinner was what happened to the first green bean casserole. Phillip is always in charge of this dish. He made it early as I requested and set it on the screened porch until time to go in the oven. I left to take my shower; when I got out everyone was all a flutter, Rumor, our corgi, had found that green bean casserole and had eaten about half of a 9 x 13 pan!!! Fortunately there were no serious repercussions from her escapade. No tossing her cookies either, just many outdoor trips!!!! Phillip had to scurry, but he had another dish made in record time, and we still had our annual green bean casserole.
Let’s take a look at what I ended up with in recipe land:
Fluffy Cranberry Salad
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar, may use less
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drain well
2, medium apples, skins on, diced
1 ½ cups red grapes, sliced in half
1 cup walnut pieces
1 ½ cup mini marshmallows
8 ounces heavy whipped cream
8 ounces cream cheese
In a food processor grind the cranberries, combine with sugar and allow to set a few hours or overnight. Drain cranberries and crushed pineapple in a sieve, pressing to release extra juice. Combine cranberry and pineapple with the remaining fruits, nuts and marshmallows.
Soften the cream cheese and gently combine with the whipped cream. Stir into the salad ingredients with a gentle hand. At one point I felt it could use a little more whipped cream, so I reached for perhaps another 2-3 ounces of the whipped cream. Overall everyone at the table enjoyed the salad. I enjoyed it for 2-3 more days, it held up quite well, absolutely no weeping.
It was a great holiday, my favorite for the entire year. Ervin and I started the day as volunteers at the Branson Turkey Trot. We cheered runners and walkers on as they headed for the finish line. I’m glad we were able to participate. Funds raised this year went to ‘Pathways’, a new non profit dedicated to sex trafficking. The group has been doing outstanding work in Stone and Taney Counties.
