Tips and Recipes for a Gluten Free Thanksgiving

Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone, but for my friends and relatives in the United States, it's right around the corner.  So, in the spirit of giving, I thought I would repost my Thanksgiving menu plans from the last two years, including links to some recipes. 

This year I have a lot to be thankful for, including a new baby, a new niece and nephew and another nephew on the way.  I hope you have a lot to be thankful for too, and that you get to spend this family surrounded by those you love. 

Thanksgiving Menu 2012

Here's what we ate this year.  Click on the highlighted items for recipes.

Turkey Breast Roast: This is similar to a pork or beef roast, in that it's boneless and tied up and ready to go. It only takes about an hour and a half to cook, and is all white meat. I wanted turkey, but without all the work of cooking a whole turkey. This served 6 adults and 2 children, and there were leftovers.



The Roast, before being sliced


 

After being sliced (I actually got 2 platters of meat, this was just 1/2 the roast

Gravy (I use Imagine Organic Gravy- gluten and dairy free)




Gravy, in my fancy-schmancy gravy boat that comes out once a year

Cranberry Sauce (click HERE for recipe),   Applesauce (click HERE for recipe), Roasted Red Peppers and Sweet Onion Sauce



Mashed Potatoes



Cubed Butternut Squash with Butter and Sage (this was a Martha Stewart Recipe, super easy)

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad

 

Zucchini Muffins

Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Topping  (no one thought to take a picture)

Gluten Free Cupcakes (I use Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix )




Gluten Free Cupcakes



Last year, we had a slightly different menu. 

Thanksgiving Menu 2011

Carrot Spice Soup (you could also go with a butternut squash soup.  click HERE for recipe)



Carrot Spice Soup

Turkey Pie with a Gluten Free Pie Crust (This is a Jamie Oliver Recipe that I adapted to be gluten free)



Cranberry and Applesauce



Homemade cranberry sauce

Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins (made from Bob's Red Mill Cornbread Mix)


Cornbread Muffins

Deep Fried Stuffed Olives with Goat Cheese Filling and a GF Breadcrumb Crust. My photo-taking ability doesn't do these babies justice. My sister modified a recipe to make them suitable for my son, and they were delicious. Good enough to just eat on their own with a glass of wine...




Deep Fried Olives

We also had mashed potatoes, quinoa pilaf, cauliflower and a green salad on the side. I was too distracted by the olives to remember to take pictures of them.
Apple Crumble  (Recipe HERE)



Whipped Topping



Whipped Topping. YUM!!!!

Vanilla Cupcake with Pumpkin Icing (We used Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Cake Mix.)  For the icing, my mom just added a few spoonfuls of pumpkin puree to regular icing.




Cupcakes with Pumpkin Icing

I hope this gives you some ideas for your own Thanksgiving, especially if you're looking for alternatives to the traditional turkey.  Aside from the main dish and the salad, I generally prepare most of my meal ahead of time, so that I can actually enjoy the day with my family. 

I hope you get to enjoy yours too!


Thanksgiving Round-Up

This is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, and we celebrated today, so that we could have tomorrow free.  My mother-in-law goes back home on Tuesday, so we wanted her last day in Canada to be relaxing and not full of activity.

We began the day with a trip to Southbrook Pumpkin Patch.  It's been an October tradition for us over the past couple of years.  We like it because although there is a Halloween theme, it's not too scary for little kids.

  We also like the rides and activities they offer.  This year was no different, although it was the first time we've had to pay a one dollar admission fee to get in.  We spent a good two hours there, and there were still many activities that we didn't get to before heading home to get the turkey in the oven.

This is one of those things that we couldn't have done if I was cooking a whole turkey.  We got home from the farm at almost 3 pm, but I was still able to get dinner on the table by five.  Everything except the turkey was prepared ahead of time, and the turkey roast took a little less than two hours to cook.  Here's a photo recap of our dinner:



Turkey Roast with Gravy

The Roast, before being sliced


 

After being sliced (I actually got 2 platters of meat, this was just 1/2 the roast

Gravy, in my fancy-schmancy gravy boat that comes out once a year

Cranberry Sauce, Apple Sauce, Roasted Red Peppers and Caramelized Onion Sauce:

Butternut Squash with Sage and Mashed Potatoes (no one thought to take a picture of the potatoes):

Zucchini Muffins (gluten free, of course):

 

 

 

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad:

 

 



 

A few more food photos:

 

Gluten Free Cupcakes



 

This meal was actually pretty simple to put together.  I made the cranberry and apple sauces ahead of time, and bought the caramelized onion sauce.  The roasted red peppers are from our personal stock of jarred peppers that we do every year.  I prepared the potatoes and the squash yesterday, and the salad was tossed right before dinner.  Only the turkey and the gravy were cooked today, taking a lot of stress off.  My son and I also baked the cupcakes this morning before heading out to the farm,  but that was fun! 

 

 

I wanted to give my mother-in-law a taste of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner without the fuss of cooking a whole turkey, and I think I succeeded.  I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with happiness.

 

My parents with my mother-in-law



How to Host a (Relatively) Stress Free Thanksgiving

This Sunday I'm having Thanksgiving at my house.  I posted the menu HERE.  Well, the weekend is upon us, and like everyone, I haven't had much time to prepare in advance.  I don't want to be running around like a turkey with her head cut off (ahem), so I've got a plan in place to hopefully help me keep my sanity this weekend. With a little tweaking, hopefully this schedule could make Thanksgiving a little less stressful for you too!

Friday Night: List-mania!  I'll be making a grocery list, a to-do around the house list that includes cleaning and odd jobs, a list of items needed for the meal, and a time line for Sunday.  I'll be throwing in a few loads of laundry tonight to get it out of the way.

Saturday:  Up early.  I'm going to try to grocery shop before the crowds hit.  I've decided to go with a gluten free pie crust from a mix instead of a puff pastry crust for my turkey pie.  I did find some gluten free puff pastry recipes, but they look like they might take a few tries to get them right, and I don't want to be trying anything complicated this weekend. I'll pick up a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers for the centerpiece. 

Cleaning:  My husband and I will clean the areas of the house that aren't likely to get dirty between Saturday and Sunday.  I'll get out the plates, serving dishes, etc. needed for the meal, give them a clean and put them in the dining room for Sunday.  I'll take a few minutes to sweep the front porch and tidy up any dying flowers.

Cooking:  Since we're not doing a roast turkey, I can make the turkey pie the day before.  If you are doing a whole turkey, make sure you've given it enough time to thaw before it needs to go into the oven and then cook it the day you plan to serve it.    I plan on preparing the turkey pie, as well as the cranberry sauce and the apple crumble in advance, leaving very little for Sunday.  We have a lot of apples, so I may even make some homemade applesauce.

Clothing:  I always seem to end up frantically searching for something to wear on special occasions minutes before guests arrive, even if it's a pretty casual affair. This time, I'll lay out my son's clothes as well as my own the night before.  This includes jewelry and make-up.  

Sunday: Up early. 

Cleaning: Today I'll spend some time in the morning after breakfast cleaning areas like the family room and kitchen, that always look messy regardless of how often I clean them. Empty the dishwasher to make room for all the dishes coming later, make room in the closet for shoes and purses, and double check things like extra toilet paper in the bathrooms. 

Cooking:  I'll set the table in the morning and make the cornbread so that the oven is free in the afternoon for reheating the turkey pie and for the lamb.The salad I'll put together at the last minute.  My mom is bringing the lamb, potatoes and muffins.

Clothing: Hopefully my son will take a nap before everyone arrives.  I'll put him in his good clothes at the last minute.  Come to think of it, I'll put myself in my nice clothes at the last minute as well.  I have a knack for getting dirty at the most inopportune times. 

Then, I'll pour myself a nice cup of coffee, and take a few minutes to relax before the guests arrive.

Wish me luck!