What To Cook For Turkey Day?

[racergirl435]

This will be my first gluten-free Thanksgiving and I haven't a clue what to do. My husband's mother also happens to be celiac disease but her "episodes" seem to come and go. Anyway...we're going over to my husband's great aunt's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Being that it is only myself and my mother in-law that are celiac disease, I will be cooking a special dinner for us but I am not sure how to handle it. Plus, it doesn't help that I've never cooked turkey before...like EVER...not even a breast. Does anyone have any gluten-free recipes for cooking turkey breasts?

Also, I was going to make candied yams, rice pudding and some plain veggies and maybe some mashed potatoes. I will also have some gluten-free gravy and biscuits. The biggest challenge for me is the turkey so any help y'all can give me with that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Jess

[Guest nini]

for your turkey or turkey breast you can use one of those Reynolds Oven Roasting Bags... they keep the turkey really moist and juicy and it gives you the temp and times for whatever size turkey meat you have... Really foolproof in my opinion. For side dishes you can make simple green beans with garlic cloves and diced onions if you like, just stir them up in a pan with a little butter or olive oil. A salad is always a nice touch, you can do just about anything with a salad. Baked Sweet Potatoes are a nice switch. Just buy whole sweet potatoes, wash them, wrap them in foil and bake in the oven with your turkey. I also really like 1-2-3 Gluten Free's Aaron's Rolls mix... they make a really nice dinner roll that anyone can enjoy. Also, The Gluten Free Pantry has a Yankee Cornbread Mix that is delish. Or you can buy cornbread pre made at Whole Foods (their Gluten Free Bakehouse line) I think even Foods by George and Kinnikinick also make cornbread already made. Roads End makes Gluten Free Gravy packets and you can always make homemade mashed potatoes if you want instead of the baked sweet potatoes. I also have a recipe for cornbread stuffing that is delicious if you want. Just e-mail me at nisla@comcast.net... I've had this offer listed on at least one other thread and am happy to share.

[happygirl]

I also love the Reynold's bags! This is only my second turkey to make, but my first turkey was great, and they are what my mom uses, too.

You could make a small turkey in the bag, and then use the leftovers to make turkey soup and freeze it!

[mroper]

Just buy a fresh turkey breast, this is only my second gluten-free Thanksgiving. I am going to soak mine in a brine from Emeril Live. I will be making the stuffing seperate this year for everyone else! You can have the Yams, I top mine with marshmellows...yum! Green beans, mashed potoatos, carrots, corn, Gravy and of corse pumpkin pie(no crust).

I guess it depends what you usually have for Thanksgiving dinner that makes it tough, since we are big veggie lovers I guess it just doesn't seem so tough this year to deal with.

[Guest nini]

you can have a crust with your pumpkin pie, I use The Gluten Free Pantry's Perfect Pie Crust Mix, Natural Feast and Gillian's both have premade frozen gluten free crusts, or you can crumble gluten-free cookies into the bottom of the pie plate for a crust, I like Enjoy Life Foods Snickerdoodles or Ginger Spice Cookies for a pumpkin pie crust.

[tarnalberry]

This will be my first gluten-free Thanksgiving and I haven't a clue what to do.  My husband's mother also happens to be celiac disease but her "episodes" seem to come and go.  Anyway...we're going over to my husband's great aunt's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  Being that it is only myself and my mother in-law that are celiac disease, I will be cooking a special dinner for us but I am not sure how to handle it.  Plus, it doesn't help that I've never cooked turkey before...like EVER...not even a breast.  Does anyone have any gluten-free recipes for cooking turkey breasts?

Also, I was going to make candied yams, rice pudding and some plain veggies and maybe some mashed potatoes.  I will also have some gluten-free gravy and biscuits.  The biggest challenge for me is the turkey so any help y'all can give me with that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Jess

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Turkey - roasting it in the oven's pretty easy (I use a probe thermometer, so I won't try to quote you times), and I keep it wrapped in foil, so it stays very juicy (doesn't brown, but my mouth can't see the colors!)

Here's what's on my Thanksgiving Menu (all homemade, of course, and Gluten-free Casein-free)

* Starters

- Orange Soup (Butternut Squash, Carrots, Sweet Potato, Oranges, Vegetable Broth)

- Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

* Main Course

- Roasted Turkey

- Sauteed Green Beans

- Sauteed Spinach with Carrots and Garlic

- Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

- Brown and Wild Rice Stuffing

* Sauces

- Turkey Gravy

- Apple Cranberry Sauce

* Dessert

- Pumpkin Pie

- Baked Cinnamon Apples

[Claire]

you can have a crust with your pumpkin pie, I use The Gluten Free Pantry's Perfect Pie Crust Mix, Natural Feast and Gillian's both have premade frozen gluten free crusts, or you can crumble gluten-free cookies into the bottom of the pie plate for a crust, I like Enjoy Life Foods Snickerdoodles or Ginger Spice Cookies for a pumpkin pie crust.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Reponding to the cookie crumb crust idea. Aren't these crusts used for fillings that are not baked. If you cook the crust ahead then are you actually filling it with your pumpkin mix and recooking or do you put your filling in the crumb crust and cook both together? I am confused!

I have always used this type of crust for an unbaked pie.

Straighten me out Claire

[tarnalberry]

Reponding to the cookie crumb crust idea.  Aren't these crusts used for fillings that are not baked.  If you cook the crust ahead then are you actually filling it with your pumpkin mix and recooking or do you put your filling in the crumb crust and cook both together? I am confused!

I have always used this type of crust for an unbaked pie. 

Straighten me out  Claire

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I last did it with Pamela's cookies, I used it with a pie I baked. It didn't burn or anything. Same thing when I use crumbs from pumpkin bread for a pumpkin pie crust - add enough liquid for holding it together and it won't burn.

[bluelotus]

* Starters

    - Orange Soup (Butternut Squash, Carrots, Sweet Potato, Oranges, Vegetable Broth)

    - Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

* Main Course

    - Roasted Turkey

    - Sauteed Green Beans

    - Sauteed Spinach with Carrots and Garlic

    - Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

    - Brown and Wild Rice Stuffing

* Sauces

    - Turkey Gravy

    - Apple Cranberry Sauce

* Dessert

    - Pumpkin Pie

    - Baked Cinnamon Apples

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Would you mind passing along the spinach recipe, stuffing recipe, and gravy recipe, I'd love to see those. I think you've posted some recipes before, so if they are up, just let me know.

[kevsmom]

I found an interesting recipe that I'm going to bring for Thanksgiving that I think everyone will like:

Green Beans with Crushed Almonds

1/2 lbs. green beans, trimmed (I'm going to use frozen)

1 1/1 tablespoons unsalted gluten-free butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup blanched whole almonds, finely ground

Salt and Pepper

Cook beans in saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender and drain. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat, then cook garlic, stirring, until it just begins to color slightly, about 1 minute. Add almonds and cook, stirring, until they begin to color slightly, about 2 minutes. Add beans and cook, stirring until tender and heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To grind the almonds I'm going to put them in a zip lock bag, and beat them to death. It's a good way to get out some aggression.

It sounds pretty easy to make. That's my kind of cooking.

Happy Thanksgiving -

Cindy

PS - I made this recipe and didn't like it. I went back to the store, bought another large bag of green beans, 2 small bags of blanched almond slivers and some garlic salt.

I made the green beans per instructions on the bag and drained them, sauteed the almonds until lightly brown and added them to the beans and then seasoned them to taste with garlic salt. Much better.

[Guest nini]

Reponding to the cookie crumb crust idea.  Aren't these crusts used for fillings that are not baked.  If you cook the crust ahead then are you actually filling it with your pumpkin mix and recooking or do you put your filling in the crumb crust and cook both together? I am confused!

I have always used this type of crust for an unbaked pie. 

Straighten me out  Claire

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've always used it for pies that I had to bake... grease the pie plate good before you put the cookie crumbs in and all should be fine. I've not had any problems with it, and they've turned out very yummy.

[tarnalberry]

Would you mind passing along the spinach recipe, stuffing recipe, and gravy recipe, I'd love to see those.  I think you've posted some recipes before, so if they are up, just let me know.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The spinach is really just going to be spinach, sauteed in a bit of oil (very little, my FIL is on the Ornish diet), with slivered carrots and crushed garlic. I'd cook the carrots and garlic in the oil before adding in the spinach, since they need longer to cook, of course. Not much of a recipe.

I think the stuffing recipe is on my "As Promised, A Few Recipes" post, but if not, it's nothing more than regular stuffing ingredients, but with rice instead of bread (and the liquid changed to reflect that fact). Using a short grain rice (particularly brown, for this type of thing) will result in a "creamier" consistency that's more like bread stuffing, rather than individual grains of rice. (Risotto, actually, might work quite well, also.)

As for the gravy, it's nothing more than the drippings from the turkey (with the fat skimmed off for the FIL) and cornstarch, as discussed in the gravy post.

I'm a big believer in simple, but scrumptious, cooking. :-)

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Tiff,

Can you post the baked apples recipe?? Thanks... I am trying my first pumpkin pie recipe with either the Gluten Free Pantry Crust (if it arrives tomroow) or a Pamela's Cookie Crust (which worries me)

Here is my menu for Thursday (all gluten Free):

1. Mixed Greens w/ Granny Smith Apple Vinegarette

2. Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Soup

3. Deep Fried Creole-Butter-Injected Turkey

4. Smoke Gouda and Cream Cheese Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5. Hot Sausage and Sage Gluten Free Stuffing

6. Pinot Noir and Mushroom Infused Turkey Gravy

7. Portabello and Proscuitto Green Bean Casserole

8. Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows and Cinnamon

9. Cookie Crumb Crust Pumpkin Pie

10. Tons of Wine

[happygirl]

We did "our" Thanksgiving yesterday as my husband works on Thanksgiving but was off on Tuesday. So his parents and grandparents came over and I cooked for everyone. Here was my menu-and it was a big hit-almost completely gluten free!

1. Roasted Turkey

2. Mashed Potatoes

3. Gluten free homemade gravy---made w/turkey drippings, a bit of water, and Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour

4. Corn

5. Homemade Cranberry Relish (Cranberries, 1 orange, sugar)

6. "normal" pepperidge farm dressing (made in a casserole dish)

7. Cornbread dressing (made from scratch-cornbread w/bob's red mill gluten-free flour, celery, onions, butter, and gluten-free chicken broth)

8. Rolls (for everyone else)

9. gluten-free Pumpkin Cheesecake (made w/Pamela's Pecan Shortbread crumbs)

10. Holiday Punch (non-alcoholic) and wine

I am the only Celiac in the bunch (although his family is wonderful and was careful about not letting "safe" serving pieces touch "non-safe" food items on their plate!!!!) but they looooooooooved it. I think they liked my cornbread dressing better than the normal one given by how much of each is left over. I'm going to have to make more for our little Thanksgiving on Thurs. I'll post any recipes if anyone wants them as they were ALL successful for me last night! Yay for being a "newlywed" (first time I've cooked a holiday dinner for them) and impressing the in-laws

[jerseyangel]

Laura, your dinner sounds great! Hope mine will turn out as well--this is my first gluten-free year. Happy Thanksgiving

[tarnalberry]

Tiff,

Can you post the baked apples recipe?? Thanks... I am trying my first pumpkin pie recipe with either the Gluten Free Pantry Crust (if it arrives tomroow) or a Pamela's Cookie Crust (which worries me)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The baked apples are just peeled, sliced apples, tossed with lemon juice (oh, two teaspoons or so per apple, maybe a bit less as you get a lot of apples), water (let's say 2 tablespoons per apple), brown sugar (oh, a tablespoon per apple, maybe a bit less depending on your tastes), cornstarch (uh... I don't know... one tablespoon per cup of water used - more if you like it with a thicker sauce), cinnamon and nutmeg). I mix it all up, dump it in a large, rectangular baking dish (like the kind you'd use for lasagna) and bake at 350F for ... 35-45 minutes, or until it's done.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Thanks Tiff......much appreciated!!!

Laura,

Now I need your Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe.....Please!!!!

[happygirl]

Thanks jerseyangel! I must say, I am rather proud of myself.

Last year, I didn't cook for Thanksgiving but did a turkey w/a not-so-good cornbread dressing (last year was my 1st gluten-free events). Wasn't bad, but wasn't great. Last year's gravy wasn't great either. Over the course of the year (thanks to education and having more time now that I'm out of school) my cooking skills have improved and I know what I like, what brands to use, etc. It has all paid off! My mom has also helped a lot w/trying things out-she's the one who experimented to make a good cornbread for this dressing.

I bet your first gluten-free Thanksgiving will be better than you think....and if you have some not-so-great moments, you'll fix them for next year! My husband thought my meal last year was great just because I wasn't sick from it...and I didn't dry out the turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving-I am thankful for this board!

[happygirl]

I will gladly share it. I just finished another slice for lunch and brought it for two of my friends (non-Celiac) and they loved it. The only adjustments I had to make were for the crust.

Crust:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crums (instead, I used Pamela's pecan shortbread cookies crushed up)

3 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

4 (I used 2 reduced fat, 2 regular) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cups Sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup Fat Free Evaporated Milk

1 cup pure pumpkin

Topping:

2 cups sour cream

¼ cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

For the crust: Melt butter and mix with sugar and crumbs. Press firmly onto bottom of 9” springform pan (I used a holiday pie pan). Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.

For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar blend until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed. Add remaining ingredients and mix until blended. Pour mixture over crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is almost set (mine was right at 1hr 5 min). Keep oven on.

For the topping: Combine sour cream, sugar, and syrup. Remove cheesecake from oven and top with sour cream mixture. Return to oven for additional 15 minutes. Allow cake to stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Loosen cake from rim, but do not remove remove from cake. Cool completely before removing rim. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (I did it overnight).

To serve it, we added a little bit of Cool Whip to the top also. If you make this, I hope that you enjoy it as much as I am enjoying mine

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Thanks LJ,

I'll let you know how it turned out..

Bronco

[mightymorg]

I'm making my family's recipe for cranberry sauce salad to bring to Thanksgiving with my dbf's family. It's gluten free, and OH SO GOOD!! Especially when you eat it together with the turkey!

Cranberry Sauce Salad:

2 jars whole cranberry sauce

large can crushed pineapple, in juice

1 cup chopped pecans

2 packages lemon OR orange gelatin

grated rind of an orange

Drain the juice from the pineapple, and combine with enough water to equal 1.5 cups. Bring to a boil in small saucepan.

In a large mixing bowl, pour the hot liquid over the gelatin, stir until gelatin is dissolved.

Thoroughly mix in the remaining ingredients (pineapple, cranberry sauce, pecans, grated rind), pour into a large casserole dish or jello mold and chill until set.

[jerseyangel]

mightymorg--The salad sounds really good! I'm going to copy the recipe

[mightymorg]

Thank you! It's not Thanksgiving or Christmas without that salad and my mom's squash casserole!

I hope you enjoy it!

[bluelotus]

The spinach is really just going to be spinach, sauteed in a bit of oil (very little, my FIL is on the Ornish diet), with slivered carrots and crushed garlic. I'd cook the carrots and garlic in the oil before adding in the spinach, since they need longer to cook, of course. Not much of a recipe.

I think the stuffing recipe is on my "As Promised, A Few Recipes" post, but if not, it's nothing more than regular stuffing ingredients, but with rice instead of bread (and the liquid changed to reflect that fact). Using a short grain rice (particularly brown, for this type of thing) will result in a "creamier" consistency that's more like bread stuffing, rather than individual grains of rice. (Risotto, actually, might work quite well, also.)

As for the gravy, it's nothing more than the drippings from the turkey (with the fat skimmed off for the FIL) and cornstarch, as discussed in the gravy post.

I'm a big believer in simple, but scrumptious, cooking. :-)

Thanks for sharing the recipes!

[cornbread]

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving meal and nobody got glutened!!

I made turkey, baked sweet potatoes, corn on the cob and mashed carrots/parsnips (British invasion on the plate ), followed by baked apples with maple syrup and cinnamon. I made gravy from the turkey juices mixed with gluten-free/CF chicken broth and thickened with a little almond flour. This was my first gluten-free Thanksgiving and only my second Thanksgiving ever. I'm stuffed!