Thanksgiving v
The ABC’s of a Gluten-Free
By Elizabeth Barbone
On the gluten-free diet? Worried about Thanksgiving? I understand. The meal, with all its appetizers, side dishes, and desserts,
can be overwhelming. However, with a few tips and recipes, a gluten-free Thanksgiving can be as easy as A-B-C!
A
sk (and answer)
• If you aren’t hosting Thanksgiving, call your host a few weeks before the big day (the earlier
the better!) and ask how you can help incorporate gluten-free foods into the Thanksgiving
meal. If you decide to bring your own food, talk about how that will be handled. Remember,
oven space is at a premium on Thanksgiving. You don’t want to show up with an unexpected
dish that requires oven space only to find the oven is already stuffed.
• Answer any questions he or she might have about the gluten-free diet. (If this is the first time
they’ve hosted a gluten-free guest, they might have lots of questions!) Consider sharing the
common gluten-free Thanksgiving foods with them.
• On Thanksgiving, if you encounter an unfamiliar dish, ask questions about how it was
prepared and what ingredients (and brands) were used. Even with growing awareness and
labeling of gluten-free foods, you might encounter some products you are unfamiliar with.
If you are unsure about the gluten-free status of a certain product, look up the brand on-line.
Today many brands list their gluten-free products on their website, making it easy to check
the gluten-free status of an unfamiliar product—even on Thanksgiving day! And if you can’t
find the information you need? Skip it. Getting sick isn’t worth it.
B
e Aware
Cross-Contact (also called cross contamination) occurs when a gluten-based food comes in
contact with a gluten-free food*. (Think of a sauce splattering accidentally into another pot or
a piece of gluten-free bread being cut on a board containing crumbs from a non-gluten-free
bread.) The result of this accidental cross-contact? The gluten-free food is no longer gluten-free.
Cross -contact can occur at any stage of food preparation and serving. Happily, it can be
avoided. Here’s how:
• During preparation: Prepare all the gluten-free food first. (Did you know that gluten-free
stuffing and gravy could be prepared the night before Thanksgiving and reheated just
before your meal?) When all the gluten-free food is safely tucked away and covered,
prepare the non-gluten-free food.
• On Thanksgiving: Be aware of how food is served. Remember cross-contact can still occur.
For example, you don’t want someone using the same spoon to serve gluten-free stuffing
and wheat-based stuffing. If possible, separate the food into two areas, gluten-filled and
gluten-free. If serving Thanksgiving buffet-style, think about making “gluten-free” cards.
This is a great craft for kids! Place the “gluten-free” card near each gluten-free side dish
along with polite reminders not to share utensils between dishes.
Common Thanksgiving
Gluten-Free Foods
Be sure to avoid cross-contact with glutencontaining ingredients and foods during
preparation and serving.
• Turkey (be sure not to stuff it with nongluten-free stuffing)
• Mashed Potatoes (if you use canned
broth or stock be sure the broth/stock is
gluten-free)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Vegetables (if served in a thickened
sauce, be sure no wheat flour was used
to thicken the sauce)
• Salad (avoid croutons)
• Cranberry Sauce
Common Thanksgiving Foods
Containing Gluten*
• Stuffing, including cornbread stuffing
(most cornbread contains wheat flour,
only gluten-free cornbread is safe)
• Gravy
• Green Bean Casserole
• Breads, rolls, muffins, including cornbread (most cornbread contains wheat
flour, only gluten-free cornbread is safe)
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Pie, Cakes & Cookies
*All of these foods can be made gluten-free
using gluten-free recipes and ingredients.
• If your entire meal is gluten-free, be aware of any surprise foods that might show up.
Will your aunt bring her favorite non-gluten-free pie? Or will your sister show up with
rolls from a bakery? Decide in advance how you’ll handle this. If you maintain a
gluten-free home, it’s okay to simply thank the person for their thoughtfulness
and send the food back home with them where it can be enjoyed.
* Cross-contact can occur with any allergen. Gluten is just one example. Other
common allergens are soy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, dairy, fish, and shellfish.
Create
Everything from gravy to pumpkin pie can be made gluten-free. So have fun
creating gluten-free versions of your favorite Thanksgiving foods! To get you started,
Green Bean Casserole and Pie Crust recipes are on the back.
About the Author
Elizabeth Barbone is the author of “Easy Gluten-Free Baking” (Lake Isle Press 2009) and the forthcoming
“How to Cook Gluten-Free” (Lake Isle Press 2012). The owner of GlutenFreeBaking.com, Elizabeth teaches
gluten-free classes across the country, writes the “Gluten-Free Tuesday” column for SeriousEats.com, and
contributes monthly online gluten-free videos and blogs for pricechopper.com.
➥
Recipes on
other side!
Recipes v
Gluten-Free
By Elizabeth Barbone
Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole
Serves 6-8
Here’s the classic green bean casserole made gluten-free. You can prepare it through
step nine the night before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving, follow remaining steps.
(Reheating might take longer than twenty minutes, use your judgment.)
1 small onion, minced
8 ounces white button mushrooms, finely chopped (approximately 1 cup)
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups plus 1/4 cup milk, divided
Pinch granulated garlic
Pinch dried thyme
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen French-cut green beans
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 recipe fried onions, recipe below
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. (if you will be baking this dish while the turkey is in
the oven, whatever temperature you are cooking the turkey will be fine).
2. Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
3. Add onion and sauté onion until translucent, stirring occasionally.
4. Add mushrooms and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cook until mushrooms are
soft and tender.
5. Add two cups of milk, garlic and thyme. Bring to a boil. Once the mixture boils,
reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Combine remaining 1/4 cup of milk and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Stir vigorously
with a fork to combine milk and cornstarch.
7. Return milk mixture to a boil. Quickly whisk in cornstarch mixture. Allow the
mixture to boil for 45 seconds. Remove from heat. Set aside.
8. Thaw and drain green beans. Stir into mushroom mixture.
9. Pour green bean mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Top with grated
Parmesan cheese.
10. Bake covered for 20 minutes.
11. Remove cover and sprinkle fried onions over the top of the mixture.
12. Return casserole to oven for 5 minutes or
until bubbling and lightly golden brown.
Fried Onions
These fried onions have a high munch factor. Luckily,
this recipe easily doubles, or triples, ensuring you
have enough for snacking and covering your casserole.
1 medium onion, sliced into thin strips
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons white rice flour
Vegetable oil
Salt, to taste (optional)
1. Combine cornstarch and white rice flour.
2. In a large zip-lock bag, toss onion in flour mixture. Coat well. Remove onions from
bag; shake off any excess flour.
3. Fill medium-size frying pan with 1/2 inch of vegetable oil.
4. Heat oil over medium heat until hot (to test your oil, drop one onion slice into it. The
onion should sizzle when it hits the oil. If it doesn't, the oil is not hot enough).
5. Fry onions until golden brown and crispy. Turn frequently to ensure even browning.
6. Remove onions from oil using a slotted spoon. Place on paper towels to drain.
7. If desired, season with salt to taste. Use as directed above.
Q
Gluten-Free Pie Crust
This recipe makes enough dough for one single crust
9-inch pie. Double the recipe for “double crust” pies,
such as apple.
1 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons ice water
1. In a food processor or large bowl, combine dry ingredients. If using a food processor, pulse to combine. Whisk to combine if preparing the pie crust by
hand.
2. Add the butter. Pulse to combine or use a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture.
No large piece of butter should remain. Add the
beaten egg and water. Pulse until a dough comes together or, using a wooden spoon, stir the water into
the dough.
3. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper with white
rice flour. Center the dough on the paper. Lightly
flour the top of the dough. Roll out dough into a
large circle, about 11-inches. Invert the pie plate over
the dough. Slide your hand between the counter and
the parchment paper. In one quick motion, flip the
dough and pan over. Carefully pull the paper off the
dough. If any of the dough rips apart, press it back
together. Trim edges, crimp if desired.
4. Use pie dough as directed in your favorite pie recipe.
For more gluten-free recipes, please visit pricechopper.com and GlutenFreeBaking.com.