Cranberry Chicken is a quick and easy weeknight chicken dinner, that’s a real crowd-pleaser.

It was Easter, and the whole extended family was gathered at my grandma’s house. We loaded up our plates with the traditional fare, as well as a new chicken dish my Grandma June had prepared. It looked and smelled delicious.

“Grandma, what is this chicken?”

Others soon chimed in, wanting to know what the chicken was. My grandma, true to form – with an ornery twinkle in her eye replied, “I’ll tell you what’s in it after you’ve eaten it.”

We were mildly concerned at this point – wondering what she could’ve put in the chicken. With trepidation, we picked up our forks and dug in – to the most delicious chicken most of us had ever had. We were hooked from the first bite. Cranberry Chicken continues to be a staple at family holiday gatherings, and has become one of my “go-to” company meals.

Plan to put this on your family menu soon. As my five year old would say, it’s a “winner winner chicken dinner.” Enjoy!

 

cranberry chicken

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I usually cut mine to decrease cooking time.)
  • 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 3/4 bottle of Catalina dressing (You can use French in a pinch.)
  • 1 packet dry onion soup mix

To Prepare:

  1. Mix cranberry sauce, dressing, and onion soup mix in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Pour approximately 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 13×9 glass baking dish.
  3. Place chicken breasts (lightly seasoned with salt and pepper) in the baking dish, on top of the sauce.
  4. Top the chicken with the remaining sauce and cook in a 350 degree oven for 35-50 minutes (depending on size and thickness of chicken used) or until chicken is cooked through.

I like to serve Cranberry Chicken with mashed potatoes, as the extra sauce makes a phenomenal gravy! Any leftover chicken makes for a great second-day sandwich (especially if you use toasted bread!)