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Now everyone can gobble gobble freely!
Chris Ritter / BuzzFeed
Welcome to Thanksgiving, a food-centered holiday (kind of like a lot of holidays) that's potentially riddled with pitfalls and Peptos for people with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. The good news is that, with more and more legitimately delicious products and recipes available for all the weird stomachs out there, the holiday eating season can be a joy instead of a struggle.
Thanksgiving is all about getting together to ~share the love~, so go ahead and bring some of these delicious dishes to a potluck, or offer the recipes as suggestions to whoever's hosting the grand event.
THE SCENE: The lil pre-meal snacks can be super frustrating to deal with. You wanna nosh on something before the main event, but most dishes are either topped with some kinda breadcrumb or served on crackers.
Here are a few ways to get around all those snafus:
Polenta Squares with Blueberry and Corn Relish
Polenta is just finely ground corn and should be a staple in everyone's pantry, not just those who avoid gluten; super versatile, this recipe allows you to totally customize the size/number of bites, depending on the party.
Winter Squash Hummus
Making your own hummus will take any party to the next level, especially if you make one with yummy squash, too. Instead of the usual pita chip, serve with whatever you prefer to dip - veggies, rice chips, or gluten-free toast points.
Herb Stuffed Mushrooms
Bite-sized and full of herb-y deliciousness. Plus, goat cheese. Some stuffed mushrooms recipes include a breadcrumb topping, but you can avoid the drama of all that gluten by just skipping it. Recipe here.
Salted Candied Almonds
Though spiced nuts are a little more of a "yuletide" treat, these guys will definitely help curb any pre-dinner grumblies in your tumblies in the most delightful way.
Endive Appetizers
This recipe is a little more customizable than the others, because you can either follow the recipe's suggestions (a white bean puree or a tuna tartare) or pick what to serve in the adorable endive "boats"! Maybe a dollop of the hummus you also brought along will do or an equally delectable fresh fruit salad - anything gluten-free and tasty!
Vegan Creamy Curried Pumpkin Soup
It gets colder earlier and earlier each year, so keep guests happy and warm with this hearty soup. Since this dish will be served as an appetizer, there's no need to worry about providing toast to dunk. Maybe keep a couple gluten-safe cracker options on hand, which you'll already have from the hummus mentioned above.
THE SCENE: You're finally sitting down at the table. Only instead of digging into the carby greatness that is stuffing (or "dressing" if you're getting technical/weird about stuff), you're sitting there with, like, maybe some lonely turkey on a plate, being all "why am I even here."
Have no fear! Let's avoid that possible existential crisis with these gluten-free stuffing recipes:
Roasted Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Pistachio Stuffing
acouplecooks.com / Via buzzfeed.com
Not all stuffings have to be bread-related, even though that is its signature look. Try this wild rice stuffing instead; if you're in need of an entree, too, then definitely use the acorn squash part of the recipe as well.
Classic Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Stuffing
Ahhh, a great stuffing in all its glory. Cubed bread and all the goodies of the season. Recipe here. It uses a homemade, perfect crusty loaf for these cubes, but any slightly dry gluten-free bread will do.
Sweet Potato Quinoa Stuffing
Essentially everything you'd include in a normal stuffing mix, but with quinoa! So much more nutrition, none of the gluten! Recipe here.
Stuffing with Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Mushrooms
This recipe, which recommends using one of the Udi's varieties of bread, will make you want to give everyone at the table an extra hug of gratitude. The mushrooms and kale bulk up this stuffing enough that maaaaaybe you could even call it your entree?
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing with Leeks, Pecans, and Dried Cranberries
Every delicious combination of comfort food, all in one pan! It provides a method of making your own gluten-free all purpose flour mix, but using your favorite all purpose flour is also perfect.
Kabocha Squash Stuffing
The combo of soft squash with your favorite, crunchy gluten-free bread really brings this recipe to the next level.
THE SCENE: Let's get real: the sides are the best part of every Thanksgiving meal. Hands down. So when it feels like you can't partake in any of them, except for like the cranberry sauce, it can be a real party pooper.
Save the day with these scrumptious and easy side dish recipes:
Easy Cider Roasted Vegetables
glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
What is easier than roasting seasonal veggies? Not much, my friends! This recipe's cozy roasting sauce mixed with the wonderful vegetables makes a great, fresh side that won't make you feel terrible.
Dairy-Free Pressure Cooker Kale Mashed Potatoes
These potatoes come together in a pressure cooker, which frees up valuable oven and stove space. Plus, there's bonus kale!
Red Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Cranberries and Pecans
glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
Yeah, okay, no one likes to think of salad on Thanksgiving, BUT, this salad has all your favorite flavors and will look super pretty on the plate next to all the other inevitable brown stuff.
Rosemary Parmesan Sweet Potato
It literally doesn't get any easier than this recipe. It's basically two steps: 1. bake potato. 2. top potato. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Green Bean Casserole
Easiest way to make green bean casserole completely gluten-free? FRY YOUR OWN AMAZING ONIONS. Yes, yes, yes. Gluten-free breadcrumbs can come in many shapes and sizes; some stores sell them pre-packaged, but this recipe also includes a method to making them yourself. (It's super easy: smash up some bread then season it up.)
Cheddar Bay Biscuits (a copycat recipe)
Yes, these biscuits are both gluten-free and taste the same as the famous biscuits from the Restaurant-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. WIN-FREAKIN'-WIN. Gluten-free all purpose flour is truly a gift from the heavens.
THE SCENE: Ahhh, dessert. The elusive mistress of the gluten-free crowd. Everyone is sitting around, eating their slices of goodness, rubbing the sugar-filled treats in your face whether they meant to or not.
At long last, there's hope on the horizon! Treat yourself to these baked goods:
Deep-Dish Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
buzzfeed.com / kumquatblog.com
Deep dish pies just give you more to love. Get with the pecan program here. This crust uses an all purpose gluten-free flour and might turn out a little crumbly, but it's still totally yummy.
Pretzel Shortbread Cookies
Yes, gluten-free pretzels exist, and they deserve to be appreciated! Plus, this recipe is a nice break from the heavier fare that might be around the dessert table.
Buttermilk Pear Upside-Down Cake
A little different than the traditional apple pies of the world, this cake uses an oat flour, which is all the go-ahead you need to also eat this for breakfast the next day (if there are any leftovers)!
Cinnamon Oatmeal Date Bars with Chocolate Chunks
If you cut these into smaller bars, then eating more of them will feel sneakier/more delicious. The simple combo of dates and oats is a secret tradition in the gluten-free world to help out any dessert's crust situation; anything else added in just helps the mixture stick together with goodness. Recipe here.
Upside-Down Sticky Toffee Pudding
♫ POUR SOME TOFFEE ON ME♫
Recipe for this decadent dessert, which recommends either a custom blend of flours or your favorite gluten-free all purpose, here.
Creamy No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
Stop. LOOK AT THAT. This pie is totally marriage material. Take this pie right on home to meet mom! Not only does it use the classic combo of dates and oats for a crust, it's also a no-bake pie which means it's also an all-wonderful pie.
