The Perfect Guide to a Stress Free Ultimate Gluten Free Thanksgiving

Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes are what Thanksgiving is made of and it’s easier to pull off a stress-free Thanksgiving than you think! With these tips, you will have an amazing gluten free Thanksgiving!

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The Ultimate Gluten Free Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving, it’s one of my favorite holidays. All about the food, no worries about presents. Just lot’s of good eats, and of course, plenty of leftovers.

I was diagosed with Celiac shortly before Thanksgiving several 5 years ago…I was still clueless and I cried, having no idea if I would be able to eat anything at Thanksgiving dinner at my in laws. Lucky for me, turns out there was nothing I couldn’t eat. Everything was naturally gluten free and because they are not originally from here, items like stuffing, are not something they normally eat.

Over the years, my husband and I have figured out our favorite Thanksgiving foods, and some tricks for making the perfect Thanksgiving.

Ultimate Gluten Free Thanksgiving Tip #1

Don’t try to make all the things!

If you ever watch Ina Gardner, with all her fancy dinners and get-togethers, she never makes all the things. I have a half-sized oven and kitchen that is 12 square feet (maybe, it may be less, but standing up to go measure is to much work at the moment).

Some things I buy instead of making from scratch:

Gravy (I like the one from Full Flavor Foods and I doctor it with a few tablespoons of drippings from my turkey)

Mashed Potatoes (Did you know the ones in the refrigerated section are gluten-free?…They are and they actually taste pretty good!)

Rolls (I buy gluten-free dinner rolls, like the ones in the picture from Udi’s or Schar makes some great Ciabatta)

Cranberry Sauce (I have no idea how to make cranberry sauce, so I buy one in a can)

Maybe you order your turkey or use a boxed stuffing mix (I’d suggest Three Bakers), Pies can be ordered from brands like Gem City or Raised Gluten Free and shipped to your door. The point is, you don’t have to make EVERYTHING, pick a few things and then outsource the rest.

Ultimate Gluten Free Thanksgiving Tip #2

Pay attention to Cross Contamination.

The last thing you want is to be sick on Thanksgiving! If you can’t have a completely gluten free Thanksgiving, there are things to do to help make sure you stay well.

• Watch out for the turkey. Not all turkeys are gluten free, check out Gluten Free and More’s guide to buying a gluten free turkey. Personally, we use Butterball and I’ve also used the Publix brand (it is labeled gluten free).
• Be conscious of sneaky ingredients, like chicken broth. While many are gluten free, there are some that are not (working on a great roundup of gluten free chicken broths!).
• Consider making dishes in individual servings sizes, like Stuffing Muffin Cups (recipe HERE!) or individual mac and cheeses.
• Make your plate ahead of everyone else. Being first in the line helps ensure that serving spoons are shared between dishes.
• When all else fails, make your own Thanksgiving feast at home and bring your own plate.

Ultimate Gluten Free Thanksgiving Tip #3

Don’t forget the leftovers.

That’s one of the best parts of Thanksgiving…leftovers.

You can make so many great things with Thanksgiving leftovers.

One of our favorites is this Turkey Cilantro Soup (Aguadito de Pavo). In a few days, there will be a Peruvian Salsa Crillola up that makes a killer turkey sandwich.

Pot pies (or these mini muffin sized ones are always a fave!), the skies the limit.

Don’t forget to save the Turkey carcass for some homemade stock (I’ll have a recipe up shortly!)

So many great dishes can be made from leftovers (here’s 10 to get you started!)!

Remember What It’s All About

It’s a total cliche, especially since one of the main reasons I loved Thanksgiving growing up was eating the food at as many houses as I could get to, but it really is about being thankful for our friends and family.

So whether your family accommodates, or you have to bring your own plate, try to focus on the things that make you thankful for your family.

If there are any recipes you are looking for let me know, if I don’t have one, I’ll point you in the right direction.

If you have a tip on what you do to keep yourself from being overwhelmed at Thanksgiving, let us know in the comments!

In case your wondering, here are the links to the recipes I actually made from the picture!

Brined Gluten Free Turkey (you will never do turkey another way again!)

Easy Green Beans with Fried Garlic and Roasted Almonds

Gluten Free Stuffing Cups

The gravy was made with Full Flavor Foods, the Cranberry Sauce is Ocean Spray and the potatoes are from Simply Potatoes (I found them in them by the eggs!)

Happy Gluten Free Eating!