Quick Cranberry Orange Chutney {Powernap}

This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

We have a bit of a cranberry sauce divide in our house. My husband insists that it should be served straight out a can, preferably still in the shape of a can with the rings from the actual can visible on the jiggly tower of sauce. For nearly ten years I’ve tried my best to understand why he thinks this is the most desirable way to eat cranberry sauce and still haven’t figured it out. I, on the other hand, find the gelatinous canned stuff completely unappealing and prefer a simple scratch recipe. I love this because it is so good on the dinner table and is even better on turkey sandwiches the day after. Who doesn’t love a condiment that performs double-duty?!

For me, the best part about this chutney is what a cinch it is to make in advance. Not just the night before, more like a whole week ahead. When you are planning on hosting a huge party these kind of make-ahead recipes can be the key to staying sane on the big day. This year I don’t have any need to thinking about cooking ahead since we are not hosting. Instead I enjoyed whipping this up earlier this week and using it for turkey sammies. (Yes, that’s right. I skipped the actual roasting of the turkey and went straight for making the leftover sandwich!) Despite the fact that my homemade sauce did not show the signs of being from a can (thank goodness) my husband loved the tangy chutney combined with some blue cheese, turkey and stuffing. I think I might not wait for Thanksgiving next year to make this again!