Tips for an Easy Gluten Free (Allergen/Intolerance Free) Thanksgiving!

photo from Betty Crocker

I love this compilation of ideas from Gluten Free Living on how to simplify a gluten free Thanksgiving (they are great tips for other allergens as well). I think number 3 and 6 just might be my favorites.  It is definitely worth a read! Here is a recipe to make gluten free onion toppings for a green bean casserole. However, I also saw somewhere that they are coming out with gluten free store bought ones, so keep your eyes peeled at the store!  I'm not sure if they contain dairy or not, unfortunately.  I make my own cream of mushroom soup like this:

Finely chop 1 cup of finely mushrooms. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a little milk sub and salt and pepper to taste. Puree in the blender until well blended. Add milk sub or olive oil to make it creamier.  Add more mushrooms to thicken it. Walla! A splash of worcestershire sauce is great in here, too! For Betty Crocker's version go here!

Here are some of their Gluten Free Living's other helpful tips. . .

Holiday meal help

Here are a few items that will make your holiday meal easier:

• Xanthan gum is the key to successful gluten-free baking. Add about 1 teaspoon to every cup of gluten-free flour. Available in stores nationwide.

• Pillsbury gluten-free pie crust is a new product hitting the refrigerator section of your local store just in time for the holidays. It makes a surprisingly flaky crust for dough that comes out of a tub. pillsbury.com

• Aleia’s stuffing mix, found online and in some supermarkets and natural food stores, can be used to make stuffing all your guests will enjoy. We’ve been at dinners where it was preferred to the regular stuffing, most likely helped by the addition of cranberries and walnuts.aleias.com

• Cream of mushroom soup is essential to the traditional green bean casserole that so many people associate with their holiday dinner. The easiest brand to use is Pacific Natural Foods because it’s concentrated, just like the recipe calls for. Thee condensed soup comes in aseptic cartons instead of a can. pacificfoods.com

• The breaded onion rings mixed in the casserole and used to top it are still a challenge. Some people skip them and top the beans with crushed potato chips or gluten-free corn flakes or crackers. Others make homemade onion rings.