It’s Thanksgiving week!
For most of us in the United States, that means a LOT of eating.
Food holds a lot of sentimental value, and many traditions around the world are centered in the kitchen.
For those with food allergies or autoimmune disorders (like Celiac Disease), the holidays can be really hard to navigate, or even sad!
My daughter has Celiac Disease, and we do our best to make sure she has a positive experience around the holidays. Over the years, we have learned to modify some of her favorites to keep her safe and healthy.
Turkey and Gravy
The turkey is the easy part: as long as it is made with gluten free seasonings and either roasted or fried (in clean fry oil), you’re good to go. Topping it with gravy, however, is trickier! If you like to use the convenience of gravy packets, McCormick’s gravies are gluten free and easy to make. If you like to go homemade, simply replace any thickening agent in a roux with gluten free all-purpose flour or cornstarch. Add your turkey drippings and other ingredients as usual, just be sure to check labels first.
Green Bean Casserole
Modify this seasonal favorite with gluten free (or homemade) cream of mushroom soup and skip the French’s Fried Onions – it’s super easy to make your own! Slice an onion very thinly and fry in your oil of choice; we like straight bacon grease to add a bit of flavor!
Dinner Rolls
Finding a good gluten free roll is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow: it’s really hard to do, but once you do, your life is changed forever! We love Katz Gluten Free Bakery brand as well as Outside the Breadbox – both are soft and chewy and don’t even need to be toasted!
Stuffing
This one is tricky because even cornbread stuffing from a box can have hidden gluten in it. The best thing to do is go homemade, which is really easy with recipes like these. Making cornbread is second nature to me at this point – it’s an easy bread to make for my 6-year-old Celiac – so it’s just a few extra steps to creating a stuffing she can enjoy at Thanksgiving!
Pumpkin Pie
The easiest way to modify this favorite is to simply make a crustless pie. As much as we’ve tried, gluten free pie crust just doesn’t do it for our kiddo. She loves pumpkin mousse though, which is basically pumpkin pie filling folded in with a tub of whipped cream. Doesn’t sound like she’s suffering too much there!
What are your tips and tricks for an allergy-friendly holiday meal? Leave them in the comments!
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