But it’s not hope.
(Well. I’m always looking for that. But that’s not what this post is about.)
This time . . . I’m looking for recipe advice. And I’m hoping you all can help me!
Maybe you remember last month when I wrote about finding hope at a lemonade stand? Well. That same family – our lovely across-the-driveway neighbors – have just welcomed Baby #4 into their family. I want to make a dinner or two to take over as part of a welcome-baby gift. And I need suggestions!
I’m looking for . . . gluten-free, easy to heat-and-eat, kid-friendly options – preferably freezer-friendly. The family eats meat of all types — but no fish (the kids are not terribly picky, but they don’t care for fish). I have a lot of options for this type of meal in my repertoire . . . but they are NOT gluten-free options. (In fact, I have zero experience making gluten-free anything.) So I really need to hear from those of you with tried-and-true gluten-free suggestions.
Thanks in advance for your help and advice.
Have a great weekend!
(PS – If you leave a link to an online recipe or site, you will get a warning that your comment will require “approval.” No worries! Please leave the comment and the link. I’ll see your comment. I’ll approve your comment. This is just a way to minimize spam/bot comments. Thanks for understanding.)
Danielle Walker and Iowa Girl Eats are good sources. GF lasagna with Barilla noodles is my favorite. Enchiladas with corn tortillas are a good option. Just read the sauce labels. It is a lot easier to change a favorite recipe to GF these days. Pasta can be tricky but I like the Barilla products.
GF pasta has come a long way, but we get around some pasta dishes (not all) by subbing rice. I have a bunch of recipes… but there are some on the blog, too.
We serve these Pork Keftedes without the bread as often as with… there’s a little bit of bread crumbs in the meatball mixture (GF panko is $$), but I don’t think it’s crucial. https://knitorious.life/2024/01/11/pork-keftedes-with-greek-salad-homemade-flatbread/
And we have only ever served Zucchini, Carrot & Turkey Burgers with the bun when it came with the meal kit. They’re so good! https://knitorious.life/2024/01/11/pork-keftedes-with-greek-salad-homemade-flatbread/
I used to make a couple of quiches and take to new parents. One to eat, one to freeze. Most people like eggs and cheese and whatever else you put in a quiche, even kids. I always received lots of thanks for having a frozen quiche to take out of the freezer on a hellish night with a new baby. You can buy gluten free crusts to put them in. Also, I have just encountered the recipe that makes the best chicken I have ever eaten. I have already made it twice in 2 weeks, just for me, so you know I like it if I am cooking it just for the widow who lives here. hehe But, it is heavy on the mushrooms, so there’s that. Some kids don’t like mushrooms. Here is the link, and I highly recommend her recipes. I have not made one that was not very good. And they are generally very easy to make. https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-breast-in-creamy-mushroom-sauce/ It’s nice enough to fix for company, IMHO. If these don’t work out, maybe they will shake something loose in your brain. 🙂
Make a “mexican lasagna” and use corn tortillas
I’m afraid I can’t help with gluten free in particular but I will say that the chicken & rice casserole at Add A Pinch is a great family meal and it can be frozen and reheated. There are no canned cream soups and I think it’s gluten free as is. You’re so kind to do this for them, what a great neighbor!
A favorite in my house (and with my picky eater) is taco stuffed peppers. I halve sweet bell peppers and put them in a baking pan with a bit of water and put them in the oven for 10-15 minutes so they can soften a little. Then fill them with cooked, seasoned taco meat (I usually use ground turkey, but beef will work just fine) and top with Mexican blend cheese. They go back into the oven just until the cheese melts. If you want to make them more filling, you can put rice in the bottom of the peppers, under the taco meat, or serve with rice on the side. I don’t know how freezer friendly this would be — perhaps leave the cheese off and don’t cook the peppers at all ahead of time if freezing.
Had this on Sunday and really liked it. You will need to skip the soy sauce which is not gluten free (I don’t know if there’s a sub for that..something umami?)
https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/276817/honey-garlic-chicken-thighs-with-carrots-broccoli
We had it with brown basmati rice…rice is gluten free. Also, might want to tone down the garlic if Mom is breast feeding.
What about a cottage pie (or a shepherd’s pie if you want to use lamb?). I make it by cooking up some ground beef with mushrooms and onions, adding in some beef broth and frozen vegetables, with a little cornstarch to thicken it (just googled, cornstarch is gluten free). Top with mashed potatoes and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or so. Not sure how freezable it is but my guess is that one nice casserole dish would feed the family for one meal.
Here’s a go-to for all occasions at my house and I have brought it to people post baby, surgery, vacation, etc. Use store-bought tzatziki (I personally think Trader Joe’s has the most authentic) and skip the pita. We eat this as a giant salad at my house. Leftovers are great – sometimes I heat up the chicken, sometimes not. https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/05/chicken-gyro-salad/
Oh boy, I have no gluten-free tried and true recipes either. But I do enjoy chicken enchiladas (in corn tortillas) It is a great use of leftover rotisserie chicken! Enchiladas freeze well (I don’t add the cheese on top until I bake it) Add some Mexican rice (and Mexican rice is super easy to make and it re-heats well!) And maybe the perfect dessert would be some browned butter rice crispy treats! (My favorite recipe for these is Smitten Kitchen’s version!)
We always like the “Easy” meatloaf from Allrecipes.com. Easy to prepare and well balanced ingredients. When I started lightly saute-ing the chopped onions and substituting Panko rather than regular breadcrumbs we liked it even better. To make them gluten-free “The Kitchen Whisperer” says to buy and process Gluten-free Rice Chex cereal in the amount of the recipe. I would taste-test first, though.