I Tried Cranberry Sauce Baked Brie and It’s a Decadent Dish I Would Serve at Any Holiday Feast

I’m always up for a cooking challenge, but sometimes, during the holiday season, we all need a little no-brainer recipe once in a while. Something that requires little to no thought, but yields an amazing outcome. I’ve found that recipe. And, in this case, it’s actually no recipe at all.

Sarah Carey (aka @SarahCarey1) posted a cranberry Brie bake on her Instagram account recently, and several comments were pleading for the recipe. Spoiler alert: There isn’t one.

“Sarah, where’s the recipe? Otherwise, just gonna put all these in a dish and bake it!,” one of her more than 44,000 IG followers commented. To which Carey replied, “That’s right. No recipe.” Bake brie on top of cranberry sauce and serve? I’m all in!

If there was ever a dish that was all about winging it, this would be it. As much as I have a soft spot for canned cranberry sauce (the nostalgic shlock sound as it leaves the can has a place in my heart and at my Thanksgiving Day table), I thought this dish deserved a fresher fruit concoction. So I tossed fresh cranberries, a bit of sugar (tart is my preference, so I just use a tablespoon), and a splash of OJ into a pot, and 10 minutes later — after the berries gave up that familiar pop — I had my cranberry sauce.

I poured it into a Corningware oven-safe dish, topped it with a round of Brie, and put it in a 350°F oven. Timing, however, was tough to figure out, so I checked in at five-minute increments to avoid any burning. Thirteen minutes total seemed to be the sweet and gooey spot for a decadent dish that I could serve up for any holiday feast. 

Baked until bubbling and oozing, the richness of the Brie is cut by the tart cranberries and makes for a fantastically festive dish when scooped out onto crackers. With the dish’s ease and fabulous taste, I would absolutely make this again — even after the holidays are over.

1. Homemade sauce is better. If you don’t have your own cranberry sauce recipe, try this one. 
2. Don’t be afraid to use your imagination. Carey serves this with crostini sitting sidecar, but feel free to get creative. A baguette, crackers, or even graham crackers would work well.
3. Remove the top layer of Brie before baking. By slicing off the top of the Brie before baking, you create a lovely trough of melty cheese instead of messing around with removing a thick rind post-bake.
4. You can top the Brie with almost anything you like. While Carey added a sprig of rosemary, I chose walnuts for this go-around (tossed on after baking to avoid burning).
5. Don’t forget the utensils. Serve with a small spoon for the fruit and a cheese knife for the Brie. It makes things so much easier.
6. Serve it quick. You have to serve this relatively quickly to keep it gooey. But don’t worry — it’ll be gone just as fast.