1-First, rinse the 6 oz of fresh cranberries under cool water to get them clean. In a small sauce pot, combine the cranberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1/8 tsp salt stir it all together and cover with a lid.

2-If you’re adding that optional jalapeño, remove the stem, slice it lengthwise, deseed if you want less heat, finely dice it, and toss it into the pot. Heat the mixture over medium-high until it boils, then give it a good stir.

3-Next, simmer it uncovered on medium-low for about 5 minutes until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens up nicely. Turn off the heat and pop the sauce in the fridge to cool for around 10 minutes.

4-While that’s chilling, place the 8 oz of cream cheese on a plate or shallow bowl and use the back of a spoon to make a little indentation on top. Once the sauce is cool, pour it over the cream cheese, then top with the sliced 3 green onions.

5-Finally, serve it up with 1 box of crackers and slices from 1 apple it’s ready to enjoy! This whole process takes just 25 minutes total, with 5 minutes prep, 10 minutes cooking, and 10 minutes cooling.