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.

Gluten-Free Stuffing (Thanksgiving or any time!)

"The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

This stuffing can be used to bake separately or within the turkey.  If you want a more southern taste, substitute half the white bread with corn bread. Happy Thanksgiving (or whatever day you decide is magically enough for stuffing!).

Ingredients:
1 loaf white gluten-free bread (I used Udis per usual!)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup yellow onion
1 cup gluten-free chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons sage
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper  

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Double toast each piece of bread so that they are completely dry but not burned. Rip each piece of bread into small pieces and sprinkle in 10x10 pan.

Step 2: On med-high heat cook diced carrots, onion, and celery in 2 tablespoons of butter for 20 minutes, or until soft. Drizzle cooked vegetables onto the bread. 

Step 3: In a small bowl mix chicken broth, salt, pepper, parsley, and sage.  Melt leftover 3 tablespoons of butter and mix into chicken broth. Pour mixture over bread and veggies. Gently toss all ingredients together so every piece is lightly covered with broth, but not soggy.

Step 4: Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Best served with gravy!

Serves 6-8 sides.