Thankful for Gluten Free Thanksgiving Tips

People seem to put more thought into what they are eating on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. And when you are having a gluten free Thanksgiving? Well, that can be a turkey of a whole different color.

Those old family recipes will need some tweaking in order for you to enjoy Thanksgiving the way you used to.

What I’m hoping to do is help you decide where you want to focus your time, as well as give you the scoop on some good (and safe!) gluten free products that you can use in common Thanksgiving recipes. 

As with navigating being gluten free on any holiday, you need to identify which dishes are more most important to you.

What is naturally gluten free that other (trusted) family members can make? What sides immediately come to mind that you’d be most bummed about missing? Do you really need to make that complicated casserole, or would you be just as happy with some Bob Evans store-bought mashed potatoes?

It’s also nice to have something you can eat at each phase of the meal—appetizer, main course, and dessert, so you don’t feel left out.  

There are a lot of delicious gluten free options to consider, so read on dear friend, to discover delicious gluten free Thanksgiving food tips and products that will have you wishing you’d worn stretchy pants with the rest of ‘em.  

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Appetizers

This course is your little gluten free belly’s time to shine as the possibilities for appetizers are endless. My husband’s absolute favorite is Bacon Wrapped BBQ Water Chestnuts. It has minimal ingredients—Heinz ketchup is GF, so is Lea Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. Cheese boards with gluten free crackers are always a hit, and an easy gluten free spinach artichoke dip is another crowd pleaser. I love this easy 5 ingredient Caesar Spinach and Artichoke Dip from Iowa Girl Eats.

Casseroles

Casseroles, like green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole are delicious, but they do take some extra time, ingredients, and sometimes even practice to make. To help you out, here are some gluten free alternatives to some common casserole ingredients. 

Breadcrumb Topping – EASILY make your own breadcrumbs with crushed up Rice Chex mixed with some salt, garlic powder, and butter (or sugar and cinnamon for a sweet topping)!

Marshmallows – Kraft Jet Puffed Marshmallows are safe if you are in need for a sweet potato casserole. According to Celiac.com, Kraft states that marshmallows are not subject to gluten during production.

Fried Onions – Though not certified gluten free, Aldi’s Simply Nature Organic Gluten Free French Fried Onions are a great option if you don’t want to make your own for a green bean casserole. 

Cream of Mushroom Soup – There are a lot of casseroles, including green bean, that call for cream of mushroom soup. While cream of mushroom soup is not too difficult to make from scratch, there are a few good gluten free options out there. Notably, Campbell’s now makes a Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup. Health Valley Organic Cream of Mushroom Soup and Walmart’s Great Value Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup are both certified gluten free. Pacific Foods Gluten-Free Organic Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup is also safe as they keep the “top 8 allergen ingredients and finished products containing those ingredients in an allotted space,” according to their website. 

Cranberry Sauce

I love cranberry sauce with my turkey, but it’s a lifesaver as a sauce if you run out of time to make gluten free gravy. Ocean Spray has a statement on their website that their cranberry sauce is gluten free. Though gluten free, Ocean Spray’s does have high fructose corn syrup. There are organic kinds out there that are undoubtedly better for more money. Or you could always make some cranberry sauce from scratch with minimal ingredients, here is a good recipe.

Gravy

Gravy is such an easy change from non-gluten free to gluten free by switching out the flour. I’ve toted my little Tupperware of gravy to relatives’ houses before and it’s definitely worth it, but would be better right off the stove. If you’re not hosting this year and your hostess/host is accommodating concerning dietary restrictions, I’d see about making gluten free gravy at their house. Perhaps bring your own pan to prevent cross contamination and share with everyone, so you don’t have to worry about any gluten gravy mix-ups!

Gluten Free Flour – A flour that is primarily sweet white rice flour based is supposed to be the best for gravy. Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Baking Flour is a good one with a first ingredient of sweet white rice flour. Bob’s also sells Sweet White Rice Flour on its own.   

Bouillon – BOU Chicken Bouillon Cubes—labeled gluten free and can be found on Amazon!

Chicken Broth – Swanson Chicken Broth is a popular one that undergoes “rigorous testing” to verify that it is gluten free. 

Mac N Cheese

Cheese doesn’t really naturally fit its way into a Thanksgiving meal, but mac n cheese works, thank goodness! If, like me, your ideal food is more Super Bowl and less Thanksgiving, then here is another time to shine! 

Spice things up by including some fresh diced jalepeno and crispy gf bread crumbs on top, one of my very favorite varieties of mac.

Again, for breadcrumbs, crunched up Rice Chex mixed with salt, garlic powder, and butter is soo delicious. Just a minute or two under the broiler at the end of baking (watch that your tips don’t start to burn!) and you will have that crispy homey crunch to your cheesey noodles.

Noodles for Mac n Cheese – Tinkyada and Jovial (both certified GF) are my go-to for gluten free pasta. Just make sure you cook them on the al dente side, so they don’t get too mushy while baking.   

Shredded Cheese for Mac n Cheese – I know some people are anti shredded cheese (hi Mom!) and freshly grated is better, but if you are short on time, Sargento shredded cheese is GF. Powdered cellulose or potato starch is used as anti-caking agents on some of their cheeses, neither of which contain gluten. 

Mashed Potatoes

It’s a not-so-secret secret anymore that my grandmother “Ganny” uses the store bought refrigerated Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes and lets our relatives believe that she makes them from scratch. 

It’s believable because they are that good! It’s hard to think of an easier Thanksgiving Day side dish with a bigger pay off.

These do say gluten free on the box, and though I can’t find anything on it being certified, I’ve had them many times and have never had a reaction.

Rolls/Biscuits/Cornbread

Rolls are the only Thanksgiving Day food my oldest daughter will eat. But don’t feel married to having rolls, here’s the low down on rolls and other carbo loading options. 

Rolls – We are blessed with a number of really great gluten free bakeries in the Cincinnati area and Sonnie Marie’s has some great rolls. While you are at it, get yourself a Sonnie Marie’s bun for a day-after turkey sandwich, because those buns are fabulous. Kinnikinnick also makes some great Artisan Dinner Rolls. 

Biscuits – Go the biscuit route and get Cappello’s Buttermilk Biscuits. Ugh, they are so satisfying, I want at least three right this moment. I get mine from Thrive Market. Join Thrive Market now and get 30% off your first order and a free gift.

Or read my post on Thrive to learn more.

Cornbread – Cornbread is another great and easy alternative to rolls, and who doesn’t love cornbread? Krusteaz is a great certified gluten free cornbread option.   

Stuffing

I’m not a big stuffing fan, so I have not tried any of these, but just to give you a few ideas—Katz and liveGfree (both certified GF) make a gluten free stuffing. I’ve had many other wonderful products from these brands, so maybe their stuffing is awesome too? 

Dessert

There are thousands of gluten free dessert recipes out there and I wish I had time for them all. But, since I don’t have time to make the ultimate gluten free pumpkin cheesecake of my dreams, brownies are an excellent choice. Brownies are EASY and delicious. You can also make them even more delicious with add-ins, toppings, and frosting. If you haven’t had King Arthurs Ultimate Fudge Brownie mix yet, you haven’t lived. 

Also, if you are lucky enough to have them, utilizing a local gluten free bakery for dessert is an excellent and easy way to go. Last year, I got a whole Tickety Boo “Cheesecake,” and even the gluten eaters loved it. My mom, who tends to HATE anything gluten free, actually loves these! The chocolate flavors—the chocolate hazelnut and Mexican hot chocolate are my favorite.   

If you are dying to make a pie of some sort, I haven’t tried it yet, but MiDel GlutenFree Graham Style Pie Crust seems to be prevalent in stores. If you want to go above and beyond and make your own pie with graham cracker crust, Schar Honey Grams are great. 

Don’t You Worry About a Thing

Remember, don’t stress it. It’s just a meal. You don’t even need to eat “Thanksgiving” food for it if you don’t want to. And if something doesn’t turn out the way you were hoping it would, there’s always next year.

Concerning a closely related topic, check out my post on Navigating Being Gluten Free in Social Situations. Everything is going to be ok!

Happy Thanksgiving. And as always, I hope you eat something great today!