Thanksgiving Recipes: Gluten-Free Dishes That Fit For Everyone

Thanksgiving recipes for gluten-free friends and family may seem like a chore, but this year the internet is buzzing with possibilities for a delicious and allergy-free meal.

There are about 3 million Americans with Celiac disease, and experts think there could be millions more with some level of gluten allergy that they don’t even know about. When it came time for Thanksgiving, many of these individuals were forced to turn down the delicious side dishes and desserts that were filled with glutens, but this year may be different.

A number of food blogs have dedicated space this year to gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes. At Chicagoist, they published a list of seven gluten-free Thanksgiving dishes, which includes:

“Dressing: The base of this dish is bread. King Gluten. But, by the time you cover it in herbs, stock, maybe sausage, and whatever else your family recipe calls for, the texture of the bread is long gone. If you want to make your gluten-free guest really happy, pick up another loaf of gluten-free bread from Rose’s for the dressing.”

They also have your gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes covered for after the main meal, suggesting you skip the work in the kitchen and check out a specialty bakery for gluten-free pies.

“Or if you’re bound and determined to make something from scratch, we love a pumpkin cheesecake with a gluten-free gingersnap crust or an apple crumble,” the blog noted.

You can check out the rest of the recipes here.

The blog Gluten Free Goddess also has some handy suggestions for gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes, including some handy substitutes for common dishes.

“For a non-dairy sub in pumpkin, squash and sweet potato recipes try using coconut milk- it’s creamy and delicious (full fat tastes best). If you can’t do coconut milk, soy milk or almond milk works beautifully. {Rice milk is rather thin. Hemp milk is an acquired taste and may be too grassy for the uninitiated.}”

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers more tips for making gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes that work well for everyone. The academy notes that it’s not enough to plan dishes that are gluten-free — you also have to put some extra thought into their purchase and preparation.

The academy suggests:

— Learn which ingredients are problematic and read ingredient labels on foods.

— Keep problematic foods in plastic bags or in a second cart, and separate them at the checkout and in the car on the way home.

— Avoid foods from bulk bins, hot/cold salad bars and the deli counter, where there is the possibly for cross-contact.

— Once you’re home, label the allergen or gluten-free foods, so they don’t get mixed in with others.

— When cooking, use a separate set of utensils for gluten-free foods and prepare these foods first, so there is no cross-contact.

— If possible, create a “gluten-free area” to cook your favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

People who need more help finding gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes can turn to Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and AllRecipes, all of which compiled extensive lists of great recipes.