Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Made Simple

"To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through: that is what it means to be a nurse." - Rawsi Williams

I'm a nurse, so I work a lot of holidays. About half of them, actually. This year I'm working Thanksgiving. I also recently moved, so instead of doing Thanksgiving "potluck style" like I usually do with my large family back in the midwest, I prepared the whole meal myself! As a result, I didn't make everything from scratch, but I did make a darn good meal. I am calling this my "express" Thanksgiving, because it only took 3 1/2 hours total, and most of that was turkey cook time (and I did all my shopping in the morning before I started cooking!).

Feel free to steal any of my secrets--after all, the point of Thanksgiving isn't to make a bunch of complicated recipes from scratch, but to spend time with people you love. So I'm personally giving you permission to cheat a little this year, and spend more time loving, and less time cooking!

The Turkey

Last year I made my first Thanksgiving turkey, which was a combination of recipe suggestions and tips from family and friends. It was absolutely amazing. It was a little time consuming, but man was it delicious! This year I decided to try something else, and used a turkey bag. It was easier (which is what I wanted), but not nearly as good. If you have the time to baste, and want to make a perfect turkey, follow this recipe. 

The Stuffing

I love how there are so may easy gluten-free options available these days. This year, I tried Glutino's Cornbread Gluten-free Stuffing. It was great! I highly recommend it, especially if you are pressed for time. Otherwise, if you have time to make your own stuffing, here is my personal recipe. I really enjoy changing my recipes up, based on my mood, which is a little more tricky with a box. In general, I prefer using my own recipe and adjusting it, but overall I was impressed with Glutinos and would try it again.

Green Bean Casserole
This has been the hardest recipe for me to "get right." I have adjusted my recipe about six times, and this is the best version. One of the tricks to this casserole, and really almost any casserole, is to let it cool before serving. Otherwise you won't give the casserole time to thicken up. Have your own great green bean casserole recipe? I'd love suggestions!

The Rolls
One of my goals this year is to perfect gluten-free rolls. I'm definitely not there yet. So for Thanksgiving I tried Udis Gluten-Free French Rolls. They were fantastic! They only take 5 minutes to heat up, and they went amazing with my orange marmalade. A simple, yummy add-on to any meal.

Additional Sides
Corn, canned cranberry. Sadly, I didn't make my own mashed potatoes this year. My family recipe is literally the best mashed potatoes you will eat in your life. I will make them and post it eventually, because it is a recipe that has to be shared. This year it was just a matter of time, which is why I bought mashed potatoes from Whole Foods instead. They were divine.

Not pictured: Whole Foods Gluten-Free Apple Pie

Also not pictured: Me drinking a ton of red wine and wearing reindeer antlers while cooking...I wish I was joking.

Grateful Green Bean Casserole

"I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land." - Jon Stewart 

I still don't feel like I've perfected the traditional Thanksgiving green bean casserole (gluten-free style), but this recipe comes close! If you have your own, leave it in the comments!

Ingredients:

3 cans of french style green beans

1 can of gluten-free cream of mushroom soup

1T gluten-free soy sauce

1/2 cup diced onions

1 teaspoon onion powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of crushed Funyuns 

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, diced onions, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper.

Step 2: Slowly stir in drained green beans until they are completely covered in sauce. Transfer mix to 8x12 or larger oven-safe container.

Step 3: Bake casserole for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and top with crushed Funyuns. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6-10 side dishes. 

Family Recipe: Fried Peanuts

"Adventure is out there!"

My grandpa is one of the sweetest people alive. Doesn’t he remind you of the guy from UP in this picture?

I absolutely adore this pic, which was taken on my visit last weekend to the assisted living where he lives in San Antonio. I spent four days with my grandpa sitting on his balcony drinking wine, eating big wonderful breakfasts, and watching him tease the other residents by pretending he was going to run them over with his scooter. They shook their walkers back at him threateningly, then they laughed together. My gramps is kind of hilarious, and a joy to be around.

(me, grandpa, melanie, and joe (cat) on the balcony drinking wine)

One thing I distinctly remember from my childhood was my grandpa making these awesome fried peanuts. We made them together on the last day of my trip. He said they are a family recipe passed down from my late grandmother’s father. I won’t even try to pretend that they’re healthy, but some things are worth spoiling your diet over <3

Ingredients:

1 container raw peanuts (spanish are best)

2 cups canola oil (or enough to cover peanuts in saucepan)

sea salt

Directions:

Step 1: Bring canola oil to a boil in small saucepan. Add peanuts and boil 5-15 minutes, until they are golden brown (or darker, depending on your preference).

Step 2: With a straining spoon, remove peanuts from the sauce pan and place on paper towels to dry. Immediately shake salt liberally over peanuts.

Step 3: Wait for peanuts to cool (I like to eat them warm), then enjoy!

Succulent Split Pea Soup

"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice." - Robert Frost

A lot of people consider soup to be a winter food, or just for when you're sick, but I think soup is a perfect summer food!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, you say. Hot soup? In the summer? Blasphamy! 

But hear me out.

Like many people, I feel summer clothes aren't always...forgiving. Tank tops, shorts, bikinis, Oh my! As a result, I generally eat "better" in the summer. Smaller portions, lighter foods, you get the idea. About mid-September I let my hibernation fat begin to build again, but in May it is all about healthy food choices. Soup is typically a great choice if you are wanting to eat slimmer.

Also, soup is a lighter meal, which makes it more compatible with the outdoor lifestyle than typical "summer foods." For example, have you ever tried to play beach volleyball after a large hamburger and hearty helping of potato salad? I'm cramping up just thinking about it. But eat a bowl of soup for lunch instead and you're ready to run in less than an hour.

So, hopefully these two arguments will make you rethink some of your soup prejudices. Besides, everything is worth trying at least once. (At least that's what I tell myself every time I convince myself to attempt another doomed craft on pinterest).

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Ingredients:

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup baby carrots

2 cups water

1-2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon diced garlic

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 lb ham (shredded or diced)

1 package split peas (drained and rinsed)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Step 1: Add garlic, baby carrots, and grapeseed oil to a medium to large pot. Saute for 5-10 minutes. 

Step 2: To the pot add chicken broth, water, onion powder, ham, and split peas. The water should be covering all contents. If not, add more water. 

Step 3: Bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Simmer and cover for 2 hours. Stir every 20 minutes or so, adding water when needed. Peas will eventually liquify, and add water based on how thick you want your soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Italian Broccoli Slaw

"Luckily my kids love broccoli, and although we sometimes enter into UN-like negotiations about how many 'trees' they need to eat before they partake in the ice cream, it is a vegetable that they tend to embrace." - Gwyneth Paltrow

This is an incredibly easy side dish that goes great with any summer BBQ (just don't grill your vinyl siding, like I did...). It is also very healthy and quick to make, so its perfect to make last minute for potlucks. My future mother-in-law taught me this recipe when she visited, and I've made it many times since! It is always a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients: 
1 bag broccoli slaw
3/4-1 cup Italian dressing* (verify it's gluten-free)
1T rice vinegar

Directions:

Step 1: Toss broccoli slaw, italian dressing vinegar, until all pieces are covered. Let marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. 

Serves 7-10 sides. 

*use low fat or fat free dressing for an exceptionally healthy dish!

Chicken Mushroom Casserole Comfort Food

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity." - Voltaire

This was one of my favorite comfort foods growing up. It was also the first meal I ever made myself! It is very simple, and extremely good. If you want to make it more healthy, throw in some carrots or mixed veggies.

Ingredients: 

3 defrosted chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups rice

1 cup condensed mushroom soup (make sure it's gluten-free)

1 cup water

1 1/2-2 T of Cavenders greek seasoning

1T garlic grapeseed oil

Directions: 

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. 

Step 2: In a casserole dish, add rice, mushroom soup, water, greek seasoning, and grapeseed oil. Stir. Place the defrosted chicken breasts on top of the rice mixutre.

Step 3: Bake for 50-60 minutes. Enjoy!

Serves 2-4. 

Blame it on the Books

As much as I love coming up with new gluten-free recipes, lately I've been on a reading kick and neglecting the rest of my life...

I blame these books:

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Gone Girl by Jillian Flynn

Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death, and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First Years by Michael Collins

Happy reading!