Impress Your Thanksgiving Host/Hostess

You'll be the favorite single guest when you make the following mango-cranberry chutney for Thanksgiving this year.

As a single guy, I get invited to "orphan" Thanksgiving dinners quite often. I always wonder what to bring, and I discovered this recipe a couple of years ago from Food and Wine magazine. I'm a big fan of cranberry and it was neat to make a fresh cranberry dish that's different than what most people will see at the Thanksgiving table.

What's great about this recipe is that it's a chutney, with the slight curry taste giving it a real exotic feel. And what dish isn't great when there are mangoes included? :)

I like making this recipe every year and I think it's also a fun host/hostess gift to make. Throughout the year, I save my salsa jars or jam jars and keep them for when this time of year comes around so I can make this mango-cranberry chutney and give them out as gifts. (Unfortunately, this recipe only yields maybe two salsa jars worth of chutney. So if you plan to pass out more gifts, you'll need to double the recipe.)

This recipe is easy to make, but I have to warn you that it does take some time. The nice thing is that it can be done ahead of time and refrigerated for up to two weeks. (A minor note: The recipe calls for mustard seeds. I sometimes don't like recipes that have too many odd ingredients, and I classify mustard seeds as one of those things I don't have often in my pantry and aren't willing to buy just for this one recipe. I feel like the chutney tastes great as is, but if you're a big mustard seed fan, maybe it'll make a big difference for you to add it.)

Happy Thanksgiving!