With Thanksgiving NEXT WEEK (yes, you ready that right!), my mom and I wanted to share a delicious appetizer that comes together in about 30 minutes. It is incredibly easy to whip together and the sweetness of the cranberries with the savory cheddar cheese is perfection. We serve this with crackers, crostinis, or pita chips! As a quick note- if you are cooking for a crowd, we recommend doubling this recipe!
If you are looking for any other Thanksgiving recipe we have shared in the past, I will leave a link here to everything. We have shared my mom’s dressing, Mac n cheese, pumpkin roll, hot cranberry casserole, and more!
White Cheddar Cranberry Dip
Ingredients:
- 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 cup canned cranberry sauce (or make the homemade sauce below!)
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
Optional Homemade Cranberry Sauce (we recommend it!)
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions:
For the homemade cranberry sauce:
- Add the cranberries, granulated sugar, orange and lemon juice and water to a small saucepan. Stir to combine, cooking over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
- The sugar will dissolve and the cranberries will start to burst and pop, you want some cranberries rather whole, while others will disintegrate. *This will make more than what you need for the dip- you’ll only need 1/4 cup of this cranberry sauce mixture for the dip.
Make the White Cheddar Cranberry Dip:
- Lightly spray a small 1 1/2 quart baking dish with oil and preheat the oven to 375F.
- In a medium-large mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese and 1 3/4 cups aged cheddar cheese until combined.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg into the cheese mixture and combine.
- Gently stir in 1/4 cup of the cranberry sauce and 1/2 cup reserved fresh cranberries. Spoon the cranberry mixture evenly into prepared baking dish and top with the remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheddar. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly in the middle and the edges.
- Serve immediately with crostini or pita chips. Can also add a sprig of fresh rosemary on top to garnish!
I hope you all enjoy! If you happen to make any of these Thanksgiving recipes tag me on IG- we always love to see what you guys are making and loving! XO- Nina and Alexa
