Gluten-free Thanksgiving options

Gluten-free dishes that everyone will love (and noone would guess they’re gluten-free)

Nov. 24, 2020

For the gluten-free, there are two primary concerns at Thanksgiving: stuffing and dessert. Fresh poultry is a non-issue, and many classic side dishes don’t call for flour or other ingredients that may have gluten by another name lurking in them (such as “natural flavors”). But let’s face it, stuffing is one of the highlights of the Thanksgiving meal, and dessert is, well, dessert.

With stuffing, your best bet is to choose a base that is not bread. Gluten-free breads just don’t cut it in the stuffing world. Ray Garcia’s Masa Stuffing doesn’t even acknowledge that a wheat-based product could be an option. Yet it is savory and toothsome and soft in the middle and crispy around the edges, just like stuffing should be. Or avoid any flour completely and go for rice — perhaps Wild Rice Stuffing, either this simple, classic preparation or a jazzed up Wild Rice ‘Stuffing’ With Butternut Squash, Toasted Hazelnuts and Pomegranate Seeds. Both are flavorful from herbs and aromatics, and wild rice has such a unique texture.

Come the end of the meal, a Date-Apple Tart or Gracias Madre’s Key Lime Pie are sure to entice even gluten eaters. And you can never go wrong with brownies — either with tahini or fudgy — chocolate chip cookies as a little extra something (and they’re vegan too). With all the hoops you have to jump through to keep it gluten-free, a few little extras will be a welcome treat.

As for the rest of the meal, some suggestions are included below but, with stuffing and dessert covered, does it really matter?