Vegetarian Recipes

Sugared Cranberries

These 3 ingredient Sugared Cranberries are the perfect budget-friendly way to immediately elevate any holiday spread! Everyone who sees them will comment on how beautiful they are. Then, they’ll try one, and you’ll have changed a life forever. They’re sweet, tangy, tart, and oh-so-festive all in one bite. Use them to decorate cakes, pies, and cocktails, or pop them into your mouth straight from the baking sheet! Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!

What are Sugared Cranberries?

These elegant-looking treats are basically candied cranberries, made by mixing fresh cranberries into a simple syrup and then rolling them in sugar. They’re juicy and tart on the inside, but the hard, sugary coating gives them a nice crunch. And they look so festive with their bright red color and sparkling sugar crystals, almost like snow-covered berries…which is probably why they’re also known as frosted cranberries!

True, these are more of a luxury, but if you’re looking for something special to add to your holiday spread that won’t break the bank, this is a festive and easy-to-make option!

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy sugared cranberries recipe:

Fresh Cranberries: These are hard to find year-round, so celebrate them while you can! I found 12 oz. bags of cranberries at Walmart for only $1.78, so I grabbed an extra bag when I was already planning to make my cranberry relish. I recommend using fresh cranberries over frozen for the best texture.
Granulated Sugar: I use regular granulated sugar to make the simple syrup and to roll the cranberries in.
Water: For mixing with the sugar to create the simple syrup.

Don’t Throw Out the Leftover Simple Syrup!

You’ll have some of the water and sugar mixture left over in your saucepan—don’t throw it out, reuse it! You can use it to sweeten your tea, cocktails, lemonade or even add a splash to your morning oatmeal. Another fun way to use it is to brush it over freshly baked cakes, muffins, or loaves (say, our cranberry orange bread) to help keep them moist.

These simple sugared cranberries are great as a garnish for a steaming plate of turkey breast or to decorate a glass of your favorite cocktail or mocktail. I love them with my apple cider shrub mocktail, but they’d be uber festive on top of a Christmas punch, too. They’re also amazing on their own as a fun snack. If you put them on a cheese board or a charcuterie platter, just get ready to hear lots of “oohs and ahhs.” You’re welcome!

How Long Do Sugared Cranberries Last?

So long as your cranberries are fresh and ripe, they can last for a couple of days stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. I personally try to use them within 3 days of making them. The sugar will ‘weep’ (meaning it’s soaking up moisture from the cranberries and the environment), so they’ll start to feel a little wet the longer they’re stored. I’d toss them in more sugar (so long as the berries are still ripe!) to freshen them up if this happens.

Overhead close up of sugared cranberries.

Side view of a bowl of sugared cranberries.

Sugared Cranberries Recipe

These easy Sugared Cranberries are made with 3 ingredients and are a festive way to elevate your holiday cheese platters, drinks, and desserts!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Total Cost ($2.29 recipe / $0.19 serving)

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Dry Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings (1 oz per serving)

Calories 109kcal

Author Jess Rice

Ingredients

1 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided 0.51
1 cup water $0.00
1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries, rinsed $1.78

Instructions

Combine 1 cup sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir and reduce to a simmer.
Once all of the sugar has dissolved, add rinsed cranberries. Stirring often so they are all covered in the sticky sugar water. Let them cook in the sugar water briefly, for just 1 minute. Remove from heat.
In a small mixing bowl, pour in the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar. Using a slotted spoon, remove the hot cranberries, allowing them to drip dry before tossing them in the reserved sugar.
Carefully remove the sugared berries with a clean, dry spoon and transfer to a cookie sheet. If needed, you can retoss some of the berries in the sugar again.
Let them dry and crisp up for 10-15 minutes before enjoying.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

how to make Sugared Cranberries – step by step photos

Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir and reduce to a simmer.

Fresh cranberries in a pan of sugar water.

Once all of the sugar has dissolved, add 1 12 oz bag of rinsed fresh cranberries. Stirring often so they are all covered in the sticky sugar water. Let them cook in the sugar water briefly, for just 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Slotted spoon holding cranberries over a bowl of sugar, with more sugared cranberries on a baking sheet to the side.

In a small mixing bowl, pour in the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar. Using a slotted spoon, remove the hot cranberries, allowing them to drip dry before tossing them in the reserved sugar.

Carefully remove the sugared berries with a clean, dry spoon and transfer to a cookie sheet. If needed, you can retoss some of the berries in the sugar again. Let them dry and crisp up for 10-15 minutes before enjoying.

Peppermint Bark

$11.05 recipe / $0.69 serving

Sugar Cookies

$5.65 recipe / $0.23 serving

Decorated biscotti scattered next to a coffee cup.

Homemade Biscotti

$3.11 recipe / $0.17 each

Candied Almonds

$6.61 recipe

The post Sugared Cranberries appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

How to Make Crispy Hash Browns

Potatoes are THE budget-friendly kitchen staple. They’re cheap and can be used in about a bazillion different ways. When I was asked for a tutorial on How to Make Crispy Hash Browns almost 9(!) years ago, I jumped on it. And all these years later, I still use this same method to get perfectly golden, crispy hash browns every time. I love making an indulgent breakfast on the weekends, and this recipe makes the perfect base for what I like to call my ultimate hash browns. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see what I topped them with to take them to the next level. 😉

Overhead view of hashbrowns in a skillet.

“Just made these with frozen hashbrowns. My husband took one bite and asked “Wow, what’s the secret to making them crispy?” I replied with “Beth.” 😂”

Erin

Easy Recipe for Crispy Hash Browns

Just like any breakfast potatoes, I’m sure everyone makes their hash browns differently. BUT, there are three things that I’ve found to be key to making really great golden brown hash browns: rinsing the starch off the potatoes, drying the potatoes well, and using an adequate amount of oil. Yes, that’s right, OIL! If you don’t use enough oil, the potatoes will dry and tend to go from white to burnt. Use enough, and you’ll get crispy yet moist potatoes with a beautiful spectrum of golden brown color.

This recipe only uses 3 simple ingredients (potatoes, oil, and seasoning salt), so each ingredient really matters! That’s why I like to keep things simple and focus on technique. And I’m happy to say this easy recipe has never failed me yet. 😁

Side view close up of crispy hashbrowns cooking in a skillet.

Crispy Hash Browns Recipe

In just a few simple steps, you can learn How to Make Crispy Hash Browns at home. Follow my tricks to make them perfectly crisp and delicious!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Total Cost $1.97 recipe / $0.49 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings (1 cup each)

Calories 303kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs.)* $1.76
4 Tbsp cooking oil, or as needed** $0.16
Seasoning salt to taste $0.05

Instructions

Peel the potatoes, if desired. Use a large-holed cheese grater or food processor to shred the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse well, or until the water runs clear. Let the potatoes drain.
Squeeze the potatoes of their excess water by pressing against the side of the colander or squeezing in your fist. Or, place the potatoes in a clean, lint-free dish towel, roll them up, then press to remove excess moisture.
Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat***. Once hot, add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Tilt the skillet to spread the oil over the surface. Add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the surface of the skillet in a solid, yet thin layer (1/2 inch thick or so). Let the potatoes fry, without disturbing, until deeply golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Season lightly with seasoning salt.
Flip the potatoes, and drizzle with additional oil if needed. Let the potatoes cook on the second side without disturbing until golden brown and crispy again. Season lightly on the second side.
If needed, flip and cook one more time to achieve the ratio of brown to white that you like. Repeat the process until all of the potatoes are cooked. Serve hot.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I use Russet potatoes because they crisp up great in the skillet due to their texture and composition. You can certainly try another type of potato, but just keep in mind waxier varieties might not crisp up the same.

**You must use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, corn, peanut, or sunflower oil. Butter obviously gives amazing flavor, but the butter solids tend to burn, so you’ll want to use clarified butter or ghee instead. I didn’t have the patience to clarify any butter, so I just used canola oil.

***I always use my 10″ cast iron skillet because it offers non-stick protection while giving really even heat and a nice surface for crisping. While stainless steel is also great for crisping, starchy foods (like potatoes) tend to stick a lot more on stainless, so it can be tricky. If you’re not well practiced with keeping food from sticking on stainless steel, I’d suggest either cast iron or a non-stick skillet.

Nutrition

How to Make Hash Browns step-by-step photos

Clean the potatoes: Start with two russet potatoes (about 2 lbs). You can either scrub them clean and leave the skin on or peel them. Gather the other ingredients.

Shred the potatoes: Use a large-holed cheese grater or a food processor to shred the potatoes. I found that the potatoes shredded fairly easily with the cheese grater, so it wasn’t worth cleaning out the food processor.

Rinse the shredded potatoes: Place the shredded potatoes in a colander and rinse them really, really, really well. The water running from the colander should be clear. Then, let them drain.

Dry the shredded potatoes: Making sure the potatoes are as dry as possible is my secret to keeping them crispy. If they have too much water on them, that water will turn to steam while they cook, which basically steams the potatoes and makes them soft. So, you can either let them drain a long time in the colander, squeeze them dry with your hands, or roll them up in a clean, lint-free towel and press them dry. I chose the towel method.

A hand holding a pot of tony chachere creole seasoning.

Make the hash browns: Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add about a tablespoon of oil. Spread the oil over the surface of the skillet, then add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the bottom of the skillet in a solid but thin layer (only about 1/2 inch thick). You’re shooting for maximum surface contact here, so if they’re packed in there too thick, some won’t touch the skillet…and they’ll generate steam again and make everything mushy.

While the potatoes are cooking, sprinkle on a little seasoning salt. This is the kind I use, but you can use whatever brand you like. I love the little bit of extra flavor and kick that seasoning salt adds to the crispy hash browns compared to just plain salt and pepper.

Hashbrowns cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Now, the key here is to not touch them long enough for them to get really nice and brown and crispy. If you mess around with them, stirring or flipping too often, they won’t form a nice crust, and the long strands will kind of break down. So, LEAVE THEM BE. 😊 Then, once they’re very golden, flip them. You might need to drizzle on a little more oil at this point to help the second side crisp up.

Then, LET THE SECOND SIDE BE until it’s also golden and crispy. Now, depending on how many potatoes you have in the skillet, you may want to flip and cook one last time to get most of the potatoes crispy, but that’s up to you. Some people like a 50/50 ratio of crispy to soft, some people like almost all crispy. Repeat the process a couple more times or until you’ve cooked all the potatoes.

Overhead view of homemade hash browns on a plate, topped with a fried egg, sour cream, avocado, diced tomato, and sliced jalapeño,

These crispy hash browns are great on their own and all, but why not make them ULTIMATE by adding lots of yummy toppings? I did a fried egg, some avocado slices, diced tomato, sliced jalapeño, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Waffle House ain’t got nuthin’ on my hash browns.

Serving Suggestions

On those days when I don’t want to add any toppings, I like to serve these homemade hash browns with something equally delicious to make it a complete breakfast! I love piling them up alongside candied bacon for the perfect sweet-and-savory combo. Air fryer hard-boiled eggs are also great because they’re hands-off and cook themselves while I tend to the potatoes! But if I’m feeding a crowd, I’d go for something like a frittata or sheet pan pancakes since they’re both easy to make and can serve a lot of people at once.

Storage & Reheating

Let your leftovers cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a skillet with a little oil or in the air fryer to crisp them back up again!