Cranberries and chiles make an intriguing flavor combination even before you add the ginger, cilantro and honey. Taken as a whole, this unique Cranberry Salsa offers a nice change of pace to a familiar holiday menu. Serve with baked Sweet Potato Chips for added seasonal appeal.

Cranberry Salsa in a glass serving dish surrounded by Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Thanksgiving at Home

I’ve been thinking hard about Thanksgiving. I love all of the wonderful posts I’ve been reading about delicious side dishes, salads and seasonal desserts. I want to join in and offer some fabulous ideas for Thanksgiving too. The thing is, my family’s favorite Thanksgiving menu is filled with familiar comfort foods. That means we make very few changes in our Thanksgiving menu from year to year.

Once again, as Thanksgiving approached, I asked each of my family members what one dish they couldn’t do without on the Thanksgiving table. One wants the corn salad with garlic sweetened pecans served in the antique corn bowl that was my aunt’s. Another wants the sweet potato dish with onions and bacon that I added to the menu when I discovered that I especially like sweet potatoes combined with savory ingredients. My youngest craves the Pumpkin Yeast Braids we have been making at Thanksgiving every year that he can remember. I love my Dad’s basic bread stuffing recipe he made every year as I was growing up and my husband wouldn’t be satisfied without some creamy mashed potatoes and gravy.

That leaves little room for creativity beyond a new twist on a dessert I might try, in addition to the usual pies, and maybe something new and different with cranberries.

Finding a New Recipe

So, what’s a food blogger to do? I looked through folders full of recipe clippings and gathered everything that had to do with cranberries. Next I picked up several bags of cranberries at the market, along with some other potential ingredients. Then I began to experiment.

Cranberry Salsa being scooped up with a Sweet Potato Chip.

The most interesting recipe I pulled from my files was a magazine clipping from an old issue of Southern Living. It included a recipe for Cranberry Salsa with Sweet Potato Chips. I just love salsa and unusual fruit salsas always pique my interest. Pairing cranberries and chiles sounded intriguing and seemed like a nice change of pace from the sugary cranberry sauces I have come to expect at Thanksgiving.

I was also fascinated by the suggestion to serve the Cranberry Salsa with Sweet Potato Chips made in the oven. Would they be crisp enough to hold a salsa and still taste good? The idea challenged me.

A Unique Salsa with Baked Sweet Potato Chips

I had to try them and, as I got into the recipe for the Sweet Potato Chips, I found that it was really quite simple. The trick was to watch carefully and remove the chips just as they began to brown. I let a few brown a little too long. Still they turned out to be crisp and tasty. I will definitely make these again.

Still, I have to admit that there are plenty of great substitutes out there and store bought veggie or tortilla chips might be a welcome alternative on a busy Thanksgiving weekend. Whatever way it works for you I do recommend trying this delicious fresh tangy salsa for a light appetizer at Thanksgiving or anytime.