Gluten Free Christmas Dinner

Christmas is coming! Gluten free Christmas dinner is coming too….. If this is your first time cooking Christmas dinner gluten free, you might not be feeling warm and cozy inside right now. Don’t worry, help is only a “read” away.

I remember my first gluten free Christmas dinner 18 plus years ago. There wasn’t really much help in the grocery store. Ask someone back then for the gluten free isle and they would have been dumbfounded. Didn’t take long to realize I was on my own. Fast forward to today, and there are many more products, cookbooks, and recipes not only in the stores but also on the internet. Today your problem might look more like “what do I NOT make?” Quite the opposite of me 18 years ago saying to myself “what DO I make?”

Grain Free Mama’s has crepe mixes and pizza crust mix that can add t your delectable holiday season.

Here are 6 categories of foods, along with suggestions, to bring sanity to you:

• Appetizers – These can be as simple as meat, cheese (or cheese alternative), and crackers to antipasto salads, bacon wrapped shrimp, crab cakes, bacon wrapped dates, and whatever else sounds good.
• Protein choice – Turkey, Beef, Seafood, Vegetarian (beans, sweet potato, and quinoa are a few choices). Ham is great tasting (I love it), but is an inflammation producer. For those who are wanting more fancy options…duck or veal.
• Main Side dish – Sweet potatoes, mashed cauliflower “potatoes”, potatoes (not paleo friendly, if you are trying to be paleo as well), or even riced-cauliflower or riced-broccoli.
• Secondary Side dish – Green beans (my kid’s favorite), broccoli, collard greens, salad, brussel sprouts, and spinach (steamed with butter is great) are a few good choices. They are green and so will look good and are really good for you. ‘Gotta love your greens”.
• Biscuits, savory scones or flatbreads – If you are grain free, look for recipes or pre-made with coconut, tapioca, and flaxseed flours. Almond flour makes really good scones with coconut flour, as well, if you are able to eat nuts. In my house we are nut free. Brazilian cheese bread is non-grain. Flaxseed meal and flaxseed make a great flatbread – there are good recipes out there. I will be putting recipes on my website as time permits.
• Dessert – There are a lot of gluten free desserts in most stores nowadays, but if you are looking to cook these yourself, here are some suggestions; Pies (Cassava flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour recipes cook up well. Then fill with your choice of fillings.), Cookies, and cakes (Coconut flour/Almond flour cakes are moist and tasty!). I made a pumpkin custard crepe at Thanksgiving that was sugar free too, and it was simply divine!! We ate it up really fast. For Christmas I am making a double batch. Yummy!

Add your favorite beverages to these foods and kaboom! A gluten free Christmas dinner feast to savor and remember! ( Without the after dinner comas and stomach aches!) The main thing to remember is that YOU CAN DO THIS! There is no need for your table to be beautifully decorated and yet empty of great food, like my picture. I plan on having a feast! I love my family and friends, and gluten free Christmas dinner is not just a “have to” for me, it is a “want to.” I want to celebrate! We can do this!

I would love to get your feedback and ideas on what you love to prepare and eat on Christmas! Please share your comments. As always, I invite you to visit our Grain Free Mama’s website; www.gfmamas.com.

Happy planning and an early Merry Christmas!