First Thanksgiving Gluten-free

[Hummingbird4]

Well, Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I'm trying to figure out how to deal with it. Usually my sister-in-law hosts Thanksgiving dinner, and I do Christmas. We'll deal with Christmas later....

Assuming Thanksgiving is NOT at our house, do you veterans have any suggestions on how to deal with the food/cross-contamination issue? Are most turkeys off-limits? I know it will be stuffed with stuffing, so I assume I cannot eat *any* of it. Should I bring along a couple of gluten-free dishes to share, plus my own plate of turkey and allowable stuffing/mashed potatoes/gravy? I'd almost rather not eat (much) than to bring all my own food; and after the last debacle with my mother-in-law calling me "fussy" when I ate at her house, frankly I'm dreading it.

Wishing life didn't revolve around food quite so much.

[ShayFL]

If it were me, I think I would bake one of those small turkey breasts and take it with me. And maybe a sweet potatoe casserole. Those two things would be enough for me. And it would be simple.

Make sure you get your food first.

[Mtndog]

Hummingbird- The first Thanksgiving is the worst. Most turkeys are gluten-free but not once you stuff them with bread stuffing. My MIL changed her turkey stuffing to the French Canadian meat stuffing IN the bird and the bread stuffing out. Could you talk to her and ask her not to stuff the turkey at all? Explain to her exactly what happens to you when you eat it. If she's uncooperative then I WOULD bring my own food!

I've found that people are actually pretty curious about gluten-free food when I bring my own.

Another option would be to have Thanksgiving with your family (even the night before) and just go to your MIL's that day. You could bring some CRAZY GOOD gluten-free desserts (my three faves are Gluten Free Pantry's chocolate truffle brownies, Namaste brownies and Namaste Blondies with choc chips). Then let her see which dessert they eat!

[Lisa]

Great ideas already!

We celebrate Christmas with a large group of people. Someone else does the turkey and it's usually stuffed.

So, last year I popped a cornish hen in the oven while we were opening gifts and it was ready for lunch.

It was a big hit. I had my own personal "mini-me" bird. I can cook a turkey for myself and family anytime.

[CeliacAlli]

Hummingbird,

I agree with mtndog, if you are really dreading bringing your own food etc., then have thanksgiving with your immediate family and just go for a part of the day to their house, however if this is not an option I would bring my own food and some gluten free dishes. In my family we have a gourmet cook(my uncle) and he cooks for me at thanksgiving, but from the sounds of things your family is not to cooperative . If you want any recipes for thanksgiving message me.

I hope things work out for you!

Best of luck!

[dandelionmom]

My family switched to a mostly gluten-free Thanksgiving and hardly noticed. I made cornbread stuffing (using Bob Red Mills gluten-free cornbread mix) and we made the gravy with cornstarch instead of flour. Most of the side dishes my family eats are veggies without gluten anyway and we just modified the green bean casserole. I brought my own pie and didn't eat any of the rolls. It was great. Just prearrange stuff with your sister and no one even has to know that they're eating gluten-free!

[*lee-lee*]

thank you so much for starting this thread. this is also my first Thanksgiving since being diagnosed and i'm not looking forward to it. i tend to get very anxious at the holidays and always feel like nothing i do is good enough. throw "fussy eater" status on top of that and i'm pulling my hair out by mid-day!

i'm really looking forward to reading everyone's coping strategies - and trying a few ideas out for myself.

[dksart]

Oy! I really feel for you.

I just kind of "took over" Thanksgiving. I cook everything and it's at my house. Everyone offered to bring food, but I assigned them other things like bringing a game for everyone to play, flowers or a nice bottle of wine.

If you must go somewhere else, bring a few sides and eat those. I think the Cornish hen idea is great. A baby turkey for one! My niece and nephew would get a kick out of that.

[happygirl]

Here are some recipe threads (mainly from last year) that may come in handy:

Open Original Shared Link

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[purple]

Here are some recipe threads (mainly from last year) that may come in handy:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

I am so glad you posted these threads. This is my first holiday to cook gluten-free for my dd and I hope I don't mess anything up. I hope I can find a good homemade roll recipe, the rest I think I will be able to switch. We like yams with marshmallows and rice krispies with the other gooey stuff on it, that should be easy. Pie crust...I am going for cookie crumb crusts this year. Stuffing...my dd doesn't like it anyway nor does she like gravy.

I thought we might do something different for Christmas...like lasagna or Chinese or Mexican food. Different is ok with me. I like to make Christmas dinner the day before so I can enjoy the day without spending time in the kitchen. One year I was having a bad ear/tooth/who knows what problem. I cooked Christmas dinner the day before. The doc gave me a prescription for Zithromax. Christmas morning I didn't recognize my face...it was swollen and all I could do was sit in the chair...I found out I was allergic to it. I was SO GLAD I cooked the day before!

Back to topic posted. I would take your favorite gluten-free dessert to be shared and some kind of casserole/vegetable and take along "my own" turkey meat, already cooked. Even a fruit or veggie tray would be safe. Be sure to leave some samples at home so you can have those "leftovers" that are not cc. Mini pie, mini sweet potato casserole, mini fruit/veggie tray, sliced turkey, etc. You will have something to look forward to that way...everybody else does!

[BelievinMiracles]

Oh my...I didn't even think about Thanksgiving!! It'll be my first too! I'm going to miss stuffing! Maybe I'll bring my cornish hen or maybe grandma will make a separate one just for me...

[elonwy]

When having it at other peoples houses, I make my own cornish game hen and sides, and just bring my own food. Fussy eater, weirdo or whatever, I'm not going to suffer just because someone else can't deal with my diet. If you're sister is cool, talk to her about it, but if they don't get it, even if they try to make food gluten-free for you the chances of them screwing up are pretty high. It takes a lot for us to get used to what is good or bad and not accidentally gluten ourselves, having someone who's completely unfamiliar with it and not entirely invested trying to cope with changing a huge meal that's already a stress to cook.... arg. Here's the good news. Thanksgiving is about family, and coming together and sharing lives. Its BECOME about food, but its kind of lost its point. Be happy, bring what you want to eat, and give everybody and extra big hug, especially the annoying ones that think you're "fussy".

As for alternate Christmas foods, my mom has pizza for christmas every year. Its become a family tradition. She's gluten-free too, and makes the most interesting homemade christmas pizza's. Its awesome.

[torontosue]

I'm going to bring my own turkey breast and stuffing. I always do the cranberries anyway, and this year i've said I'll bring dessert, so I'm making a pumpkin swirl cheesecake.

I figure there will be veggies to eat that are safe.

I plan on bringing it straight to the kitchen and not even mentioning to anyone else that I'm doing it, my mum knows of course, but she's rather grateful after the Canada day fiasco where she bought all boxed meats and I couldn't have any of it so ended up going home rather hungry on nothing but lettuce and potato chips.

I figure it's about the visiting, not the food. And I plan to enjoy myself.

[ek327]

you can make a nice crock-pot stuffing using chebe onion breadsitcks as the bread--then use all other ingredients as normal. the flavor and texture are very nice. I feed it to my gluteny friends and family, and they love it.

[CarlaB]

I stuffed the turkey with rice bread stuffing and no one even noticed that it was different. I'm no longer gluten-free (I don't have celiac and the gluten intolerance was a symptom of another disease, so it's resolved) .... but I still made my stuffing with the rice bread last year. In fact, aside from the green bean casserole, everything was naturally gluten-free.

[ang1e0251]

I would definately bring my own food. You can't enjoy the day if you're reacting or afraid of it. Anyone who makes "fussy" comments just give them a HUGE hug and say, "I love you, you're so funny!!" People are usually flabbergasted by an off the wall comment. They can't think of a comeback, blush then think twice about doing it again!

[dksart]

I hope I can find a good homemade roll recipe, the rest I think I will be able to switch.

I can't remember where I got this recipe, it may have been here. These are delicious and pretty darn easy (this coming from a devout non-baker!)

Pillsbury style crescent rolls

1/2 stick butter room temperature (unsalted butter)

1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 tsp cider vinegar

1 cup gluten-free flour mix (I used my mix - below)

1 tsp xanthan gum

[purple]

I can't remember where I got this recipe, it may have been here. These are delicious and pretty darn easy (this coming from a devout non-baker!)

Pillsbury style crescent rolls

1/2 stick butter room temperature (unsalted butter)

1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 tsp cider vinegar

1 cup gluten-free flour mix (I used my mix - below)

1 tsp xanthan gum

[purple]

I would definately bring my own food. You can't enjoy the day if you're reacting or afraid of it. Anyone who makes "fussy" comments just give them a HUGE hug and say, "I love you, you're so funny!!" People are usually flabbergasted by an off the wall comment. They can't think of a comeback, blush then think twice about doing it again!

I have heard my friend say that and it works!!!

[kbtoyssni]

Oh my...I didn't even think about Thanksgiving!! It'll be my first too! I'm going to miss stuffing! Maybe I'll bring my cornish hen or maybe grandma will make a separate one just for me...

Stuffing is a perfect way to use up all that yucky tasting bread and failed home-baked bread so many of us have! I keep it in my freezer all year just for this occasion.

[knitaddict]

This is going to be my first holiday season gluten free, too! I'm pretty lucky...I've figured out that the ONLY thing that I'm going to have the change is the dressing. (I'll use gluten free cornbread.) That, and I just won't make rolls....or maybe I'll see if I can find a good recipe for gluten free rolls...we'll see. I'm just grateful that it's going to be a relatively stress free holiday!

[msmini14]

It is my first gluten-free holiday as well, I am so sad no more of my moms good stuffing! ohhh makes me sad. I am going to make my own stuffing and pumpkin pie. Is the carnation condensed milk gluten-free? I really need to know lol.

My mom is going to make her turkey and then we are making mine all gluten-free lol. I just explained to her that if anyone wants to try my gluten-free food I would be more than happy to serve it so I dont have to worry about cc. My mom and bro are used to me but my grandma isnt.

lol my brother will eat gluten and than poke me in the arm and tease me saying... I am glutenizing you lol. (I ca I love my brother, he lets me smell his food =P hehehehe

[Hummingbird4]

THANK YOU!

Okay, I'm done having fun with fonts now. Thanks for all of the suggestions. I think I will bring my own little "turkey" (Cornish game hen) and bring along a couple of dishes to share (and will serve myself first). That way I will have yummy food to eat and not think twice about cross-contamination.

You're the best!

[Mtndog]

THANK YOU!

Okay, I'm done having fun with fonts now. Thanks for all of the suggestions. I think I will bring my own little "turkey" (Cornish game hen) and bring along a couple of dishes to share (and will serve myself first). That way I will have yummy food to eat and not think twice about cross-contamination.

You're the best!

There you go!!!!!!!!!!!! And make them DROOL over it!!!!!!

[ShayFL]

Did you guys know that there is no such thing as a "Cornish" hen? Those little birds are just chickens that are not fully grown yet. Kinda like veal (baby cows). That is why they are so very succulent.

I am challenging "Corn" as we speak. If all goes well, I will make cornbread stuffing for TG. If not, it is sweet potato casserole.