It's common for people with dietary restrictions to worry about the holidays, especially if the meal is going to be at the house of a family member or friend who doesn't get it.  Here are some recipes for making your gluten free Thanksgiving as stress-free as possible (note:  Ingredients/brands mentioned below were gluten free at the time of this publication.  Always check labels, as formulas can change):

Appetizer:  How about roasting some pumpkin seeds?  Or try making this Curried Pumpkin-Apple Soup.

Gravy:  Use the drippings from the bird as you normally would and add cornstarch to thicken it rather than wheat flour.  No one will notice!

Stuffing:  Remember that cross-contamination can occur if the bird is stuffed w/ stuffing containing gluten.  Substitute any gluten free bread in your favorite recipe, or try the one below:
6 C GF bread, cubed
2 C chopped and peeled apples
1 C diced carrots
¾ C diced onions
½ C diced celery
½ C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
½ t ground nutmeg
2 t salt
1 t pepper
½ C butter or oil
1 C GF chicken stock

Preheat oven to 300. Spread bread cubes on a cookie sheet and bake 10 – 15 min or until dry. In a skillet, place the butter or oil along with the carrots, onions, and celery. Cook until beginning to turn translucent. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Turn off heat. In a large bowl, combine the bread, veggies, apples and nuts. Pour mixture into a baking pan and pour chicken stock all over. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Side Dishes:  Try this Spaghetti Squash recipe as a side dish.  For that traditional Green Bean Casserole, sliced onions thinly and soak them in milk, then dredge them in cornstarch and fried until crispy. Drain on paper towels and salt while hot.  Healthy Valley Cream of Mushroom Soup is gluten free.

Pumpkin Bread: For a short cut, try Little Bay Baking Co’s pumpkin bread mix or use an all purpose gluten free flour mix in your favorite recipe, or try the one below:
2 eggs
½ C oil
½ C apple sauce
¾ C sugar or honey
1 ½ C pumpkin puree
2 ½ C GF all purpose flour
2 t Xatham gum
2 ½ t baking powder
½ t salt
1 t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg
¼ t cloves
¼ C chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the eggs, oil, apple sauce, and sweetener. Blend well. Stir in the pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Grease a loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out dry.

Apple Crisp
7-8 large apples, peeled and cubed
1 cup gluten-free flour (you can use a mix or a good quality superfine brown rice flour will work)
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 stick butter, melted

Mix together dry ingredients and add melted butter; mix well. Peel and slice apples and put in a 9 x 9 buttered pan or 2 quart baking dish. Spread flour mixture evenly over apples and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Increase heat to 375 and bake until bubbly.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!