Thanksgiving Leftovers: Cranberry Baked Brie Bites

Well, Thanksgiving came and Thanksgiving went.

We all ate a little too much turkey, a little too much gravy, way too many slices of pie, and more scoops of mashed potatoes than we care to count.

Despite all of this overeating, one thing is always certain...

No matter how fast Thanksgiving comes and goes, the leftovers are here to stay.

Most leftovers are pretty easy to tackle. Turkey can be made into yummy soups and stews and sandwiches. Mashed potatoes and vegetables make a great base for lunch.

But what about that pesky cranberry sauce?? Is it an easy part of the meal to throw away? Sure. But I say, waste not!

Let's put that cranberry sauce to new use. Let's grab a couple of sheets of frozen puff pastry. Let's put brie and cranberry sauce/chutney/preserves inside. Let's call it---Baked Brie Bites.

I was originally inspired by this Joy the Baker recipe. I'm pretty sure my mouth started watering as I read through the description. I don't tend to have too much jelly/jam/marmalade on hand, but thanks to Thanksgiving (how punny!)--I did have plenty of Cranberry Apple Chutney leftover!

I absolutely recommend serving these hot out of the oven--they make a great appetizer. I have also been enjoying a few of them for breakfast each morning alongside scrambled eggs (it's like an adult bite-sized Pop Tart! Rejoice!).

Crispy Sweet Potato Ravioli

Thanksgiving is pretty much here.

Let that sink in for a second.

This past weekend, we decided to host a “Friendsgiving” at our place. The holidays can be really crazy, so it was great to have everyone together!

Either because I am crazy or because I just love food that much, I thought it would be seriously adorable to do Thanksgiving dinner-themed appetizers. So, this wasn’t your typical dinner party. But it paid homage to turkey day. That’s all that matters.

What was on the menu you ask!? Well, obviously there was the bird. AKA, Turkey sliders topped with brie cheese and my Cranberry Apple Chutney. I added whole wheat breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, an egg, and chopped rosemary along with salt and pepper to the ground turkey and formed them into small burgers. So tart and savory and bite-sized cuteness!

Then there was the starch. And on Thanksgiving, that starch had better be sweet potatoes (in my humble opinion). I made crispy sweet potato ravioli. These were a HIT. The recipe is a secret below for your holiday appetizer pleasures!

We also had a veggie. And it was green beans. In particular, it was the traditional Cambell’s soup/French’s crunchy onion green bean casserole. Everyone knows it. Everyone loves it.

Our friends were also generous enough to provide other apps and desserts and they are all amazing! We love them!

Oh, and how could I forget. The holiday cocktail! Spiked hot apple cider. That is, one gallon of apple cider, 2 cups of dark rum, 1 orange (sliced in half) and 3 cinnamon sticks simmering away all day in the crock pot. A total winner! You can simmer it on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 or so, then leave it on the “warm” setting while serving! Cinnamon and sugar rims are a totally necessary addition that everyone will be bubbling about.

I think I’m finally getting into the holiday spirit. Christmas shopping, and eating sweet potatoes until I can’t get off the couch, and drinking hot cider or peppermint mocha lattes. We can’t fight it, let’s just accept it! If the holiday spirit still eludes you, try a batch of these Crispy Sweet Potato Raviolis—Fall has never tasted so good!

Cranberry Apple Chutney

There is something about the combination of savory and sweet that makes me want to do a little food dance. The dance would serve two purposes: it would first express, where words fail, how much I LOVE sweet and savory; and second, it would burn a few calories that I most likely consumed while enjoying something sweet and savory.

I think it is this combination that makes Thanksgiving turkey bearable for me. What I mean is, I don't want super dry turkey unless I have some kind of cranberry sauce to dip it in. Turkey, savory. Cranberry, sweet and tart.

I have to say, I am not completely appalled by cranberry sauce in a can. First of all, it's HILARIOUS to me to see a mold in the unbecoming shape of a can just sitting amongst all the other delicious Thanksgiving dinner dishes like it belongs there. Seriously, the sight makes me want to laugh out loud.

I saw cranberries in the grocery store recently and realized that it would be wrong of me to let the Thanksgiving season come and go without trying out my hand with those pretty little berries. And I wanted to make a Thanksgiving Turkey slider for a party I'm hosting this weekend. And so I thought...turkey slider, topped with homemade cranberry chutney. Thanksgiving in one bite!

This chutney would be great in a variety of ways. First, of course, it would be most delicious on a turkey burger or a leftover turkey sandwich. Shake it up with some olive oil and make a sweet salad dressing out of it. Serve it with some crackers and brie for a very sophisticated cheese plate! The opportunities are endless for this tart and flavorful chutney!