Let's be real: people in America eat turkey all year long. What makes turkey on Thanksgiving special is the sides. And the cranberry sauce.

Cranberry sauce's relevance in the Thanksgiving meal makes its quality critical to the meal's success. Homemade cranberry sauce is vastly superior to that of cans -- and takes so little to prepare. I prefer mine sweet (not saccharine) and tart, and here's my recipe.

RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 12-oz bag of cranberries
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup sugar

Directions:

• Place cider and sugar in a pan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil.
• Lower heat to low, and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add in the cranberries until they pop and the consistency of the sauce is just how you like it. (Note: sauce will thicken as it cools.)
• Enjoy.

30 minutes total time. Serves 10 cranberry sauce eaters or 5 cranberry sauce junkies.