Discovering Cranberries

Cranberries are much more versatile than we thought as kids.  All we knew was cranberry sauce in a can.  Then there came cranberry juice, which was so exotic.  

Nowadays, however, cranberries seem to be everywhere.  Dried cranberries can replace raisins in just about everything from muffins and cookies to chicken salad. 

Cooking with cranberries is interesting.  When cooked, they turn very sweet and the bitterness found in the canned, jellied sauce is simply not there.  

And in addition to the wonderful flavors cranberries add to pork, chicken, and salads, they are good for you.  Or so I’ve read.

This dish is delicious and quite rich.  The left overs (if there are any) can be chopped up for a tasty chicken salad for lunch the next day.  I did not have enough left over to freeze, but I see no reason why it would not freeze well.

Cranberry/Bacon Chicken

Ingredients.

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup apple juice or pineapple juice

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried mustard

1/2 cup applesauce

2 slices bacon, fried crisp

2 sweet onions (such as Vidalia), cut in large wedges

Directions

Soak cranberries in apple juice in a bowl until cranberries are rehydrated, 1/2 hour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F Coat bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray

Arrange chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Whisk mustard and applesauce together in a small bowl; spoon over chicken breasts.

Lay two half-slices of bacon atop each chicken breast. Arrange onions around chicken.

Top chicken with cranberries, pouring any remaining juice over chicken.

Cover dish

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove lid and continue baking about 20-30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F.