Bring on the Turkey!
Can we all just agree that Thanksgiving is the best holiday? A complete day devoted to eating as much as humanly possible, and then napping afterwards. I guess remembering what you’re thankful for too is important, but I'm extra thankful that I get to enjoy this holiday in addition to the life I have on a typical day. Let’s face it…I can’t eat a feast every day! It’s my favorite holiday, hands down. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, rolls…and that’s not even touching the appetizers beforehand and the desserts afterwards. I…Can’t...Wait…
Of course, just like any holiday does now, it comes with a few added challenges. I have to make sure we have enough gluten-free options, and then of course the carbohydrate counting and insulin dosing that comes with it. Which is not easy when you graze all day, but we’ll figure it out. The point of this post is to share how we’ve adapted our traditional menu and will make our Thanksgiving gluten-free friendly.
Now clearly, I haven’t made all of these things yet. It’s only November 19th—-so once I actually make these dishes, I’ll follow up and let you know how they all turned out. But I’m a list maker—-and have to have it in order to feel like I’m somewhat organized. So this is how I plan on making sure Thanksgiving is both delicious, and gluten-free.
Appetizers- We’ll have spinach artichoke dip, shrimp cocktail, a charcuterie board, buffalo chicken dip, and chips with salsa. It’s like we pre-game all day to start stretching our stomach to make room for the main meal. Starting at like, 9am…the actual meal will be at 3pm. We use gluten-free tortilla chips (typically they are unless they’re whole grain ones, but you just have to check the label) and keep regular crackers on a separate plate. I do have to remind everyone to not put the knives directly onto a cracker if they’re spreading cheese since it’s just easy to not think about. I’ll have the Schar gluten-free entertainment crackers on the side as well, which kind of taste like a Ritz cracker.
Turkey- This is gluten-free unless you do something crazy, but then you’re on your own!
Gravy- We make our own and will thicken it with King Arthur Measure for Measure flour. Otherwise, you can find lots of store bought, readymade gluten-free gravies.
Stuffing- I definitely will go store bought on this one because my prep time will go mainly to desserts. My mom has a great homemade stuffing recipe, and she usually stuffs the turkey. I asked her to leave that out and make it separately, and I’ll bring a side of gluten-free stuffing for us. You can buy boxes of instant stuffing from pretty much any grocery store. I picked one up at Wegmans, but I saw a lot at Trader Joe’s and Aldis too.
Mashed Potatoes- Potatoes are gluten-free, we just add milk and butter. Lots of butter.
Green Bean Casserole- I’ll be making this so that I use gluten-free items and we all will just share because there is literally no difference in taste. Campbells has started making gluten-free Cream of Mushroom soup, and Aldis sells gluten-free fried onions. So, I’ll follow a typical recipe and just swap in the gluten-free counterparts.
Cranberry Sauce- Does anyone actually eat this? It’s gluten-free, but who cares…it just sits molded on the plate because it’s fun to look at.
Rolls- My mom will have dinner rolls for everyone, but I do plan on making gluten-free dinner rolls from scratch and bringing them. I’ll be making these dinner rolls; however, I do plan on halving the recipe since it’s only Lia and I that will probably be eating them. I may wrap up any extra and make slides with them using Thanksgiving leftovers, but we’ll see how many are actually left over.
Desserts- I’m bringing the majority of the desserts this year, which I don’t mind whatsoever. I used to make separate pies with gluten-free crust and a regular crust, and we’d have SO much left over afterwards. However, I’ve finally figured out the crust, and have a recipe that tastes like its gluten-free counterpart. This pie crust is the only one that I’ve found easy to work with. Many taste okay, but they crumble when you roll them due to their lack of gluten. Sour cream is the key ingredient——it makes the pie crust flakey, but also holds it together nicely. Using that pie crust recipe, I’ll be making:
Apple Pie: I’ll also use King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure flour in the recipe.
Coconut Cream Pie: I know it’s not a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but who cares. It’s delicious, and nice because I can make it a day ahead.
Pumpkin Pie: It’s it even Thanksgiving without it?
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars: My daughter specifically requested these. I’ve never made them, but they seem pretty straight forward. I’ll use gluten-free Oreos and King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure flour.
I’ll share pictures of everything once it’s made. But once you get the hang of it, planning and enjoying a holiday that accommodates both gluten and gluten-free (and peanut-free in our case) items is not as daunting. Remember to use separate serving utensils and dishes to avoid cross-contamination, and if you’ll be watching blood sugars like we will be, God Speed. Sorta kidding, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be max bolusing with some of these desserts! There are no hold backs on Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
