Thankful for Gluten Free Thanksgiving Tips

My kids have been sick with ANOTHER cold this week and rather than watch Moana for the 500th time, I suggested a marathon of Disney classics. We decided on Dumbo, Cinderella, and Peter Pan. So as we watched classic Disney movies and I worked on finishing this post before Thanksgiving has passed us by, it occurred to me that Thanksgiving is the Disney classic of the holidays, with its recipes and traditions that are known and practiced by soon many, that have remained unchanged and have withstood the test of time. 

But what happens when you can’t eat gluten and have to reinvent the classics? Chances are, most of those old family recipes will need some tweaking in order for you to enjoy Thanksgiving the way you used to!

But don’t fret, it’s possible. Your Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to turn into a bad Disney live action remake. Have I taken this metaphor too far? Yes. Do we watch too much Disney+? Yes. So, let’s get to it! 

There are a million gluten free Thanksgiving recipes out there on Google and Pinterest to choose from. 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 dishes. 

Most importantly, I’m hoping this list will help keep you from googling “Is (fill in the blank with a product) gluten free?” a million times while you fight the holiday crowd at the grocery store. 

As with navigating being gluten free on any holiday, you need to identify what foods are most important to you to have on that Thanksgiving table. What is naturally gluten free that other trusted family members will make? What meals 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 mashed potatoes? It’s also nice to have something you can eat at each phase of the meal—appetizer, a few for main course, and dessert.  

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

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, aka the best thing you will ever eat. 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

While casseroles, like green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole, are delicious, they do take some extra time, ingredients, and sometimes even practice to make. So to help you out, here are some GF alternatives to some common casserole ingredients. 

Breadcrumb topping – EASILY make your own breadcrumbs with Three Bakers Bread or Rice Chex mixed with some spices (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, there are a few good gluten free options out there. 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 cranberries anyway, but they are 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 from scratch!

Gravy

Gravy is such an easy change from non-gluten free to gluten free by switching out the the flour. I’ve toted my little Tupperware of gravy to relatives’ houses before and it’s definitely  worth making, but would be much 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 there and sharing 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 at Walmart.

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

A note about cornstarch, which can sometimes be used in gravy instead of flour in gravy… It turns out that cornstarch is more complicated than it should be if you are bothered by cross contamination. Cornstarch, since it’s made from corn, is 100% naturally gluten free, so it should be safe as long as nothing is added and it’s not processed along side gluten. Argo, a popular one, may not be safe due to cross contamination. Rumford is another one that is labeled gluten free, but is not certified and as Clabber Girl/Rumford makes gluten containing products as well, you may also want to avoid this if you are sensitive to cross contamination. 

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.

For breadcrumbs, I much prefer tearing up my own favorite multi grain gf bread (again, love me some Three Bakers!). Just a minute or two under the broiler at the end (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 any type of gf 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 – Sargento; all of their shredded cheese is gluten free. 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 has led relatives to believe that they are homemade.  But, it works because they are delicious! 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, or even verified, I’ve had them many times and have never had gluten symptoms. Though, of course, try at your own risk.

Rolls/Biscuits/Cornbread

Rolls are the only Thanksgiving Day food my four (soon to be five) year old 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.

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 personally 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 too? 

Dessert

There are a million gluten free thanksgiving 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 Arhurs 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 the best, in my humble opinion.   

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

Don’t Worry About a Thing 

Remember, don’t stress it, it’s just a meal. And if something doesn’t turn out the way you were hoping it would, there’s always next year!

Also, don’t worry if you didn’t take copious notes about the products described above, you can always Subscribe to my newsletter below to see my abbreviated list of Favorite Products for Gluten Free Thanksgiving Ingredients.  This truncated version should be easier reading for quick glances while you shop at the grocery store.  

Better yet! Send a screen shot to relatives, and in doing so, maybe gain a couple more gluten free dishes at that Thanksgiving table this year!

Happy Thanksgiving!