Sharing another Thanksgiving recipe: Cranberry-Orange Relish (LC)

My husband loves cranberries and several years back, when we were "doing Atkins", I needed a way to create our traditional Cranberry-Orange Relish without all the sugar that traditionally was used. So I came up with the following recipe which substitutes sugar-free orange marmalade for most of the sweetening and Splenda for the rest. It is now a favorite even for those who aren't watching their sugar intake!

Cranberry-Orange Relish (LC)

12 ounces fresh cranberries -- (1 bag) well washed and patted dry
1/2 cup sugar-free orange marmalade
1/2 cup Splenda granular

Either in a meat grinder or in a food processor chop the raw cranberries. Transfer to glass or ceramic serving bowl and add the marmalade and Splenda. Cover with plastic and let stand for 24 hours. Refrigerate after that; this will keep for 2 weeks. Leftovers can be combined with mayonnaise and used as a dressing for leftover turkey sandwiches.

Yield:
"3 cups"

Sharing my recipe: Pecan Bacon Cornbread Dressing

Every year the debate rages... Which dressing to make, "regular" (ie. plain bread) or "cornbread"... I say, make both! I love cornbread dressing, but also my grandmother's "regular" (and oyster version) dressing, so I make the cornbread and let Grandma make the "regular".  Here's my favorite cornbread dressing recipe:

Pecan Bacon Cornbread Dressing

1 package jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg -- for cornbread
1/3 milk -- for cornbread
4 slices white bread
8 bacon slices
5 tbsp butter
3 c chopped onion
2 c chopped celery
1 c chopped shallots
4 tsp dried rubbed sage -- or 4 tbsp fresh chopped sage
1 tbsp dried thyme -- or 3 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
4 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c pecans -- toasted, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs -- beaten

Prepare and bake 1 8x8" pan of jiffy corn muffin mix according to package directions, using 1 egg and 1/3 cup milk. Allow to cool throughly. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

Preheat oven to 325 deg. F. Cut corn bread and white bread into 3/4-inch cubes. Place bread cubes on baking sheet and toast until dry but not hard, about 15 minutes. Cool. Transfer to large bowl. Butter 11x13x2-inch baking dish. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bacon to paper towels; reserve 1/4 cup bacon drippings in skillet. Cool bacon and crumble. Add butter to bacon drippings in skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and shallots; sauté just until pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in sage and thyme. Add to bread cubes in bowl. Mix in pecans and crumbled bacon. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Stir 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs. Moisten remaining dressing with remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake dressing in covered dish alongside turkey for 1 hour. Uncover dressing and bake until top begins to crisp, about 5 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

-Christi