How to Have a Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

Whether you’re cooking a Thanksgiving meal for one of your gluten-intolerant kids or hosting a friend or family member with a strict gluten diet, here are a few tips how you can turn some—or all—of your Thanksgiving feast into a gluten-free, friendly experience. Happy cooking!

Turkey
Instead of filling your turkey with stuffing, try filling it with apple wedges, celery, onion, and garlic. Flavored with thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper, this stuffing is a delicious gluten-free alternative.

Stuffing/Dressing
If you still crave the doughy experience of stuffing inside your turkey, you can very easily make gluten-free stuffing or dressing. To make it as simple as possible, buy a gluten-free loaf, cut it in cubes, and mix with butter, eggs, celery, and any desired spices before baking (bake before stuffing into the turkey)! This can also be done with your own cubed gluten-free bread made from scratch. Cornbread is another great substitute to make a gluten-free stuffing or dressing.

Vegetables
To make a side of veggies gluten-free, you can simply cook them with a little olive oil and spices. However, if you’re looking to elevate your gluten-free veggie game, try using an au gratin recipe minus the bread crumbs. Brussel sprouts, green beans, or butternut squash beg to be made into a decadent au gratin dish with a crunchy parmesan and Swiss cheese topping. To achieve this, cook your veggies however you like, but add a top layer of grated parmesan and shredded Swiss cheese. Put your dish under the broiler at the very end, just until the cheese starts to become a golden brown.

Dessert
For Thanksgiving, your classic dessert is pumpkin pie. If you want a traditional pie, try using a gluten-free pre-made pie crust. For your filling, you’ll want to avoid a pre-made mix, as most of those mixes have gluten. Instead, you can make your filling by using the real deal—pumpkin puree with sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, and spices. Voila!