Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Try more slow-cooker Thanksgiving side dishes.

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Photo: Jill Chen / Istock

This classic holiday dish is made hassle-free in your slow cooker.

SERVINGS
12

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1⁄2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1⁄2 cup water
1⁄2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

PREPARATION
1. Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Rinse the cranberries and put them into your stoneware. Add the orange juice, water, sugars and cinnamon. Stir. (There will be an awful lot of liquid, the cranberries will float and you'll wonder how on earth this could possibly turn into cranberry sauce.)

2. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, stirring every hour.

3. When the skin on the cranberries has softened, the cranberries will "pop" when pushed with a spoon against the side of the crock. Smoosh all cranberries and stir well.

4. Continue to heat enough for it to be warm throughout. Take the lid off and heat on high for another 30 to 45 minutes (your house will smell wonderful!). Serve or store in the refrigerator. This can be made up to 2 days in advance.

The Verdict
I've made cranberry sauce exactly once before, for a kindergarten class. We followed the directions on the bag, and it came out quite bitter. No one (except one little boy who enjoyed shocking his classmates with odd behavior) would eat it. But this? I liked this! It’s way better than the canned stuff.
-Stephanie O'Dea, author of Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking

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