Your Gluten Free Thanksgiving Guide

Hey there, how ya feeling my food loving friend? Ready to SWAN DIVE into the holidays with … a mask on? We’re living through an uncomfortable time, no question. And since the holidays tend to be heavily peppered with traditions, when the world gets whacky, it can feel nearly impossible to create a crumbs worth of normal. But guess what? COOKING can actually help us keep our delicious traditions alive this year, and you don’t need to leave home to do it!

I’ve been perfecting my gluten free Thanksgiving dinner since 2010, the fateful year when I learned the love of my life had a gluten allergy. Whaaaaaaaaa! But the good news is that my obsession with making “secretly gluten free food” (aka, gluten free food that tastes SO GOOD, literally no one knows it’s gluten free) has carried over to my holiday menus, and I figured if there’s EVER a year people need alllllllll the holiday help and inspiration they can get, that year is 2020! Below find a treasure chest containing my NO-LONGER-SECRET GLUTEN FREE GUIDE to ensure your Thanksgiving table is one big YUMFEST this year, even if you’re only cooking for four, or two, or just YOU! #moreleftovers #silverlining

P.S. Yes, you’ll love this guide EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT GLUTEN FREE. My food philosophy and recipes are made for all hungry humans, so you can easily replace gluten-free flour with regular AP flour, if you prefer.

My Favorite gluten free products
for thanksgiving

Best gluten free bread for stuffing Schar White Bread
Best gluten free thickener for gravy Bob’s Redmill Cornstarch
Best gluten free dinner rolls Schar Ciabbatta Rolls OR
Best gluten free crispy onions Natural Earth Products
Best gluten free bread crumbs Jeff Nathan Creations OR Kikkoman Panko Style
Best gluten free flour for pie crust Cup4Cup Multi-purpose Flour OR King Arthur Measure for Measure
Best gluten free frozen pie crust Wholly Wholesome (available at many grocery stores)
Best overall gluten-free “AP” flour to holiday baking Cup4Cup Multi-purpose Flour OR King Arthur Measure for Measure

4 STEPS TO CREATE A MAGICAL MENU

Take comfort in tradition: Choose one to three dishes your family and friends look forward eating every year—in my kitchen it’s my late grandma Willo’s classic White Bread Stuffing that my mom now makes, my homemade Brown Sugar Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce, and my 100% Homemade Pumpkin Pie. By recreating foods we love year after year, we revisit delicious memories and sooth our souls with moments of nostalgia.
Relish a new recipe: Whenever we embark on something new, our minds are naturally more present and being present creates a feeling of peace. So scour the interwebs (I find delicious inspo at Food52) or browse through your cookbooks and select a brand new recipe that tempts your taste buds, and perhaps stretches you culinary skills a bit, especially if you’re not cooking the whole Thanksgiving dinner! Then enjoy the juicy feeling that comes from creating anything new.
Picture a Pretty Plate: A Thanksgiving meal can look blah-beige realllly fast, so use side dishes to amp up the color and texture which creates a prettier plate because we eat with our eyes first! If I’m serving turkey, mash potatoes and stuffing, I’ll also make one or two green sides, add some red , orange or yellow from cranberry sauce, beets, sweet potato or butternut squash, and add crunch with seeds, nuts, homemade croutons, or raw veggies, finely diced.
Map the Meal: About one week in advance, take 15 minutes to map out your menu. Include a grocery list, which recipes you’ll make ahead of time, who’s bringing what, and a timeline for the day you’re celebrating, so you know exactly what time to pull that turkey from the fridge, or put your stuffed, whole roasted cauliflower into the oven!