November arrived, and just like that, I found myself racing to get ready for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Is anyone else feeling the same way? Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays, but this year feels especially big because we are hosting Thanksgiving for the first time. I host most other holidays, birthdays, and family celebrations, but Thanksgiving has always belonged to my mom. Now that the tradition is moving to our house, we are fully in planning mode. I thought it would be fun, helpful, and very real to share the process with you, starting with week one, our early gluten-free Thanksgiving menu, and all the planning that goes into a family holiday meal.
Background
I have said this before, but it is worth repeating: Thanksgiving has always been my mom’s holiday.
Aside from a few years when my brother and I spent Thanksgiving with our in-laws, our family has always gathered at my parents’ house. It is the only Thanksgiving tradition my kids and their cousins have ever known, so there is a lot of emotion tied to the location, the meal, and the memories.
Over the years, we have taken over hosting Christmas, Easter, birthdays, and many other large family events. Every year we offered to host Thanksgiving, and we always knew that one day it would probably become ours. Still, when that moment suddenly arrives, it feels like a major change.
And I truly love Thanksgiving.
It has always been a joyful, relaxed, food-filled holiday in our family.
Our gathering usually includes a core group: my parents, my brother’s family, my aunt, uncle, cousins, and a rotating mix of loved ones and friends. Some years my mother-in-law joined us, sometimes my brother’s mother-in-law came, and in the past my grandparents were there too. My mom also always opened the door to friends, especially when we were in college, who were not able to go home for the holiday.
One of my favorite things about my mom’s Thanksgiving is how she made every person feel included. If someone new joined the table, she would ask about their favorite Thanksgiving dish and add it to the menu.
Over time, some of those dishes became part of our own family tradition. Hello, pecan pie!
The day has always been casual, welcoming, and centered around lots of food.
Some dishes are made ahead, and many people bring something to share.
Other recipes are prepared fresh on Thanksgiving Day.
Because several family members drive an hour or two to get there, people usually arrive in the morning. There are always appetizers to snack on while the kitchen is in full swing, with many cooks working together to create a memorable holiday feast.
Thanksgiving 2019 3 Weeks and Counting
It was only last Friday, November 1, that we fully accepted and embraced the fact that we are hosting Thanksgiving this year.
We needed a little time to process the emotions of not celebrating at my parents’ house, but now we are all in and deep into planning.
First, I have to admit that one reason we hesitated is that hosting always means cleaning.
You know those random piles that quietly grow in corners, closets, counters, and spare rooms? We were not exactly ready for company. But last weekend we started tackling projects around the house, and now we are officially on a mission.
We also mapped out our preliminary Thanksgiving menu.
The menu will continue to change as we talk with family, confirm who is bringing what, and decide which dishes need to be made ahead.
We wrote down everything that has traditionally appeared on my mom’s Thanksgiving table, and honestly, it is a lot.
The list includes everyone’s favorites, even dishes tied to people who are no longer part of our annual gathering. So please do not judge the size of this menu as you read through it.
This is also why there have always been so many cooks in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day.
At any given moment, the kitchen might include my mom, my aunt, my cousin, me, and several others cooking, stirring, chopping, reheating, and cleaning up as we go.
But that is one of the things I love most about Thanksgiving. Preparing a big family meal together is part of the celebration.
And it’s 99% gluten-free!
Another wonderful part of our Thanksgiving is that it is almost entirely gluten-free.
Over the years, family members have adjusted recipes, swapped in gluten-free flour where needed, and learned how to make holiday favorites safe and delicious for everyone at the table.
In the past, my mom stuffed the turkey with traditional stuffing, so the turkey itself was not gluten-free. That is why we usually made a roast chicken as well.
This year, however, we are frying a turkey, and it will be gluten-free.
My mom is making the regular stuffing separately and bringing it to our house to be heated before dinner.
Preliminary Menu (updated Week 2)
Here is the early version of our gluten-free Thanksgiving menu:
Appetizers
Cheeseboard (I will make)
Shrimp cocktail platter (my mother will bring)
Some kind of dip or Hummus and Veggies (my aunt will bring)
Gluten-Free Crab Quiche (my mother makes this, and somehow it has become a tradition)
Smoked bluefish (my aunt brings it from a local fish shop in Rhode Island)
New to the menu: Spinach Artichoke Dip
Dinner
Fried turkey (new this year, and the frying kit has arrived)
Roast chicken
Bean casserole (my sister-in-law brings this, using a recipe from Smitten Kitchen)
Mashed potatoes (we will make these on Thanksgiving Day)
Sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble (my sister-in-law will bring)
The BEST gluten-free stuffing (made ahead and reheated on Thanksgiving Day)
Regular stuffing (my mom is bringing this; it will be heated separately, not inside the turkey)
Cranberry sauce (my mom will make it ahead)
Creamed onions (my aunt will bring)
Peas
Corn
Roasted vegetables (made ahead and reheated on Thanksgiving Day)
Salad, possibly this Radicchio and Arugula Salad with Dried Figs and Walnuts
Olives
Fennel
Cranberry bread
Pumpkin bread
Desserts
Fruit and nuts, which we always put out before dessert
Pies are still to be determined, but the dessert table will probably include:
- Apple
- Pumpkin pie (or pumpkin sheet cake with cream cheese frosting)
- Pecan pie, which has been replaced this year by pecan bars
- Chocolate cream pie
This week and weekend, we will talk with everyone about what they plan to bring and update the menu as needed. The goal is to keep the meal organized, make as much as possible ahead of time, and create a Thanksgiving table that feels familiar, festive, and safe for our gluten-free family.
More Tips on Enjoying the Holidays Gluten-Free
For more ideas on Enjoying the Holidays Gluten-Free, I have a blog post from several years ago that may be helpful. I recently changed the title from “Surviving the Holidays Gluten-Free” to “Enjoying the Holidays Gluten-Free” because my message has evolved.
I have always believed that living gluten-free should not be only about surviving, even though there are certainly moments when safe choices feel limited.
Instead, it should be about living well and enjoying food with confidence.
That includes the holiday season.
Food can and should be shared, celebrated, and enjoyed. Following a gluten-free diet should not take away from the joy of gathering around the table with people you love.
If you would like more practical tips, you can read the post here.
Stay tuned for next week’s update and lots of recipes!
Leave a comment below and tell me about your Thanksgiving. Are you hosting this year, bringing food to someone else’s celebration, or keeping things simple? Do you have favorite Thanksgiving traditions? How do you stay gluten-free during the holidays, and how is your planning going?