The 2-Ingredient Breakfast I Always Eat the Morning After Thanksgiving (I Look Forward to It Every Year!)

Call it a hot take, but cranberry sauce is the most important item on the Thanksgiving table. Everything else is a rendition of beige: stuffing, turkey, gravy, potatoes. Sure, you might have a dash of butternut or sweet potatoes, but even those are generally drowned in butter and, sadly, they often lack seasoning. Cranberry sauce, however, is splashy and bright. It’s attention-grabbing and acidic. It’s sweet, but not cloying (at least, the good stuff isn’t). There’s a reason people smother their plates with this once-a-year sauce. 

My family makes a big batch of cranberry sauce on the stove the day before Thanksgiving. It’s loaded with fresh orange slices for extra juiciness and punch. Our version is soft and spoonable, not jellied, and despite its central role on the Thanksgiving plate, I’m thankful that there’s always plenty left over.

Of course, we smear the fruity preserves on sourdough with all the fixings for leftover sandwiches, but well before lunchtime on the day after Thanksgiving, I’ve already had my first serving of cranberry sauce. I look forward to my post-Thanksgiving breakfast of homemade cranberry sauce swirled into Maple Hill Creamery Cream on Top Yogurt all year. 

Finding the right yogurt is essential to nailing this next-day breakfast. Maple Hill Creamery’s Cream on Top whole milk plain yogurt is it. The creamery uses 100% grass-fed milk for all its products, and the quality dairy makes all the difference. This yogurt is tangy and flavorful without sweeteners or added flavoring (though the vanilla version is also delish). 

I recommend making sure that you’re the first to open the yogurt container, because it’s all about the cream on top. Pop open the lid, and you’ll be greeted with a wonderfully thick layer of full-fat cream. It’s rich and luscious, like dessert. I usually can’t resist skimming it off and eating it right then and there. Of course, the yogurt underneath is also rich and creamy. It’s softer than Greek yogurt, which makes it perfect for swirling with your pectin-packed sauce. 

I fill a cereal bowl with yogurt and dollop several tablespoons of cold cranberry sauce in the center. Give it a good mix to make a stunning pink breakfast with sweet-tart berry flavor in every bite. If I want more texture, I’ll sprinkle in some granola.

And who says you can’t chase your Thanksgiving-plus-one breakfast with a slice of pumpkin pie?

Buy: Maple Hill Creamery Cream on Top Plain Whole Milk Yogurt, $7.99 for 32 ounces at Amazon.com

What’s your favorite way to use up holiday leftovers? Tell us about it in the comments below.