Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

[Booghead]

This will be my first gluten free thanksgiving. Are you guys saying I can't eat turkey if they have made stuffing in it? And what about the top part of pumpkin pie, I know the crust isn't gluten free but I don't like the crust anyway. Any other heads up I should know about before heading to thanksgiving thinking I can eat certain things?

[psawyer]

You will have to make your own personal decisions about the level of risk you are willing to accept.

In both of the examples you mentioned, I would say no.

In the case of the pie, it may have been stirred up in the shell, causing cross contact. Even if that was not the case, the tips of your fork may make contact with the shell as you try to cleanly scoop out the filling.

The stuffing got into the bird's belly somehow. Did it touch the meat? Did the contaminated hands touch the outside of the turkey after putting in the stuffing?

I am not a super-sensitive celiac, but I would not take either of those chances.

[Roda]

I agree with Peter on that. I wouldn't touch either of those things with a 10' pole. I personally would make up a safe gluten free meal for myself and take it with me. You could warm it up when you get there and what you have left at home will make great leftovers. You could roast a small chicken, make gluten free stuffing, a crustless pumpkin pie (I've made it in small custard dishes), and versions of whatever else will be served. This way you know how it was handled and you won't have the cross contamination issue with someone else preparing the meal. I'ts hard enough at first for us to grasp everything let alone someone who doesn't know about such things. You can always volunteer to make a safe dish and bring it to share with everyone. Just make sure you get what you want out first, since it will probably get cross contaminated after it's served.

If this idea doesn't appeal to you then, as Peter mentioned, it is all about what level of risk you are willing to take.

[Roda]

I just realized that I posted in another topic you had and that you are 17 years old. If you are eating Thanksgiving at home could mom possibly make the turkey gluten free and just have the stuffing on the side? Maybe have majority of the meal safe for you to eat? If not then the suggestions in my previous post would help.

[RacerX35]

At our first Thanksgiving gluten free. My wife toasted some gluten free bread and we made a home made stuffing. Of course with the size of our family coming over, we usually have 2 turkeys and 1 ham. One turkey was "normal" ( you have to remember as well that when the turkey is being basted, there is gluten from the stuffing just soaking in the turkey juices) and the other was gluten free. Everybody that tried the gluten free one said that they didn't really taste a difference. I had a niece that made a gluten free cake and my wife and I found some gluten free crusts for a pumkin pie and an apple pie. If you get the support, then Thanksgiving is just as fun as it always has been.

Good luck!

Ray