First Time: Making Dinner For Family W/ Celiac's Disease. Help!

[CarsonAndStella]

Moms from my daughter's preschool are making dinners for a preschool family. Sad Sad story.

The dad has celiac's disease. There are 3 small boys and the parents. This is my first time trying to make a gluten-free dinner. I take dinner to them on thursday.

ANY IDEAS on kid-friendly meals? I'd like to make one meat/main dish, two side dishes and a dessert.

Please -- any ideas on what to make would be helpful. I'm guessing i can make something that the boys/mom can eat but the dad cant'; but want to be respectful . . . any hints appreciated as well.

thanks

carsonandstella in the midwest

[MaryJones2]

The gluten-free diet is pretty hard to master - especially if you don't keep a gluten-free kitchen and aren't familiar with it. If the others in the family don't have celiac I'd suggest focusing on them and taking dad a store bought frozen gluten-free meal and dessert or something (Amys Kitchen, Whole Foods Bakehouse, etc.). I don't know the exact circumstances here but can tell you most of us would love and appreciate you but would be rather uncomfortable eating the food because a microscopic amount will make us sick.

[hannahp57]

I would suggest preparing something that is naturally gluten free. like a pot roast with just carrots and potatoes. if you have a crock pot clean it thoroughly and stick to natural seasonings. salt, pepper, etc. check the labels for wheat ingredients of course. maybe even look up what seasoning brands are gluten free on their websites. you can make mashed potatoes with just butter, milk and salt and pepper and as long as your materials are clean you should be okay. as far as dessert, the easier the better because gluten free baked goods take a much longer time to master. maybe something simple like a chex treat (recipes on the rice chex website) some yummy ones out there like my newest fave :

Open Original Shared Link

That will be a hit with the kids i promise. other than that my best tips are:

before you start wash all your counters.

use only metal pans that don't have that nonstick surface.

avoid wood utensils and boards.

with meats check the labels if it is not fresh meat. chicken may have broth added (however i haven't seen a fresh pot roast with anything added)

i avoid MSG also but i don't know if he has to.

Any others questions feel free to ask. I know how to cook both gluten free and normally and have learned to convert many things. Good luck and thank you for being so understanding!

[purple]

Just some ideas to add to everyones replies...of course cc is scarey in a non-gluten-free kitchen as others said...

easy to be gluten-free:

fruit salad

jello with fruit

fruit tray

veggie tray

spaghetti..be sure all ingredients are gluten-free (store bought meatballs may have wheat)

tossed salad

deviled eggs

ice cream...not cookie dough of course...

nachos/tacos

enchiladas

rice

rice and beans

corn

taco toppings

potatoes-baked, fried, bbqed, jojos...

pudding...no cookies in it

refried beans

...just be positive each and every ingredient is checked, you can call the manufacturers

ask the board to help if you are not sure

soy sauce can have wheat in it and is easily over looked

the easier the meal the less chance of gluten and of going crazy

I am sure they will appreciate your support

[Takala]

Any real meat without added ingredients will be gluten free, such as a whole beef roast or a whole chicken or fish.

On other things, you can use google and the phrase gluten free (name of item) and search to see if it is gluten free or not. When in doubt, call the number on the package.

Roasted meat and vegetables are the easiest thing to do gluten free. You can also stir fry veggies in a little olive oil.

Raw vegetables are gluten free. As is fresh fruit. Plain Cool Whip is gluten free. Fruit, cool whip, package of store bought gluten free cookies from health food aisle such as those bagged MiDel gingersnaps... they can do what they want with it for dessert.

Potatoes are gluten free and easy to bake. You could bake 2 chickens and then they would have leftovers. Add in some asparagus and that's a easy meal to make gluten free.

One of the easiest things to do is to cook up some plain hamburger meat, and then some plain, well drained canned beans smashed in a little olive oil, salt, and smoked Tabasco, and serve as put it together yourself tacos on plain corn tortillas (mission) with grated cheese, avocado, tomato, lettuce, plain gluten free yogurt or sour cream. You can have rice (plain or spanish, to spanish, just add some canned diced tomatoes and green chiles) and salad or a vegetable on the side.

Or.... Meatloaf. Just used cooked instant rice for the bread in it. Use plain tomato sauce (read labels). Salt, pepper, hamburger, egg, rice, tomato sauce, finely diced red onion, garlic (optional). This is hard to screw up. Bake it in the disposable pan.

"Flan" for dessert, baked egg custard with cinnamon. Eggs, non dairy milk such as half coconut and half gluten free almond or rice milk, sugar, cinnamon on top.

I make easy fast mac and cheese by cooking rice pasta, draining it, rinse, add olive oil and salting it, then adding plain gluten-free yogurt and grated hard cheese to it, right back in the pan, stirring over low heat. It can be thickened with some cooked potato or instant potato flakes, or gluten-free flour but I don't bother.

Get some disposable aluminum pans or pie plates and use those to bake/cook things in your oven. Disposable heavy chinette paperware can be used in the microwave, also.

You may want to feed the rest of the family gluten free anyway so there is less of a chance of cross contaminating the father.

Main thing is to wipe down and then cover your own work surface in paper towels, and to use hard metal or disposable new pots and utensils and a clean new cutting board. No plastic spoons, spatulas, bowls, wood, melamine, used tupperware.... don't use your toaster for anything, either.

[OptimisticMom42]

Wow, lots of great advice! I would agree with the posters who said........

Cook gluten free for the whole family - just meat, potato or plain rice and a veg

kid friendly - we have a butcher here that makes fresh brats that are gluten free! So brats, oven fries and green beans would be fine. OK and my kids would want ketchup and koolaid!

Or spag with rice noodles, hamburger and sauce that doesn't contain grains. There are alot of them on the market.

We don't really do desert but we do an after school snack and a bedtime snack. Usually ice cream or cereal (rice chex, fruity pebbles, cocoa pebbles).

I know this sounds like taking the easy way out but think about what your kids actually like to eat. My kids would vote for scrambled eggs, sausage and applesauce!

Best wishes,

OptimisticMom42