Cranberry Salsa

This is a fairly new recipe for me. I hadn’t had this until one of my girlfriends had a favorite things party last year and another friend brought this. It is amazing and I immediately asked for the recipe. For one, it is impressive simply because I love finding new ways to eat a food that you don’t use very often. Cranberries – sure, you might drink the juice all year, but let’s be real – most of us only have Cranberries at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know I am one of those people. For another, it is beautiful. The red and green colors make it the most festive dip!

This salsa has the tangy taste from the cranberries, sweetness from sugar, a little bit of spice from a jalapeno, and that classic salsa flavor from the green onions and cilantro. You serve this salsa over cream cheese and I promise, it won’t last long.

A bonus, this salsa is so EASY to make. Throw everything in a food processor and pulse until it is to your desired consistency. You want to let it sit for a couple hours in the refrigerator so the sugar can do it’s thing with the cranberries.

I have seen some recipe variations call for two 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese, but I think one is just fine. Some people like to put the block on the plate and pour the salsa over it but I prefer to spread the cream cheese out a bit and then cover it with the salsa. I think it is easier to spoon that way, with a cracker or a utensil. You’ll need a sturdy cracker or even tortilla chips. I actually prefer this dip with a town house, club, or ritz but they do tend to crack when trying to scoop up the cream cheese. Pita chips also work well and are very sturdy.