Making my way through the leftovers after a holiday meal is always a challenge. I hate to waste food so I try to be as creative as possible when reinventing leftovers to make tasty meals for the family. Yesterday I came across a plastic container containing a few cups of homemade cranberry sauce. I remembered a recipe that I had made years ago for a chunky cranberry quick bread that would use up the two cups of sauce that I had leftover. I searched my trusty kitchen file and found the recipe. With staple ingredients, this batter comes together rather quickly. A sprinkle of maple/cinnamon steel cup instant oats makes for a sweet crunchy topping. This is a great way to turn those holiday leftovers into a sweet treat the whole family will enjoy.
Leftover Holiday Cranberry Sauce Quick Bread
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2″ loaf pan, set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small mixing bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and cranberry sauce; mix well. Combine dry ingredients to the cranberry mixture, mixing just until the dry ingredients are moist. Fold in chopped walnuts. Spread batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool completely before slicing.