10 Recipes for a Delicious Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

You can’t have a proper Thanksgiving meal without stuffing! But, since bread plays an important role in stuffing, it isn’t ideal for the celiac lifestyle. Modifications can always be made. Replacing the bread in stuffing with your favorite gluten-free option is easy, but be on the lookout for gluten-free chicken broth—many pre-packaged broths, even vegetable-based, can contain certain yeast extracts that are made from wheat. If you make your own chicken stock, you can be assured it’ll be gluten-free. We’ve included both recipes below.

Gluten-free chicken broth
Makes about 3 quarts

You can make chicken broth either from the whole chicken, or just the bones. Here, we are going with the first option. Plus, you can throw in any vegetables you’d like. Make this just a few days before you need it.

What you’ll need:

• 1 whole 4-6 lb. chicken
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 medium celery stalks (you can leave the tops on), cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• Kosher salt
• Fresh-ground black pepper
• 4 quarts (16 cups) cool water

Put everything in a large stockpot. Make sure there is at least a few inches of room above the chicken in the pot. Pour in the water, but just enough to cover the chicken. It’s okay if you don’t use all 4 quarts.

Bring this to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Keep an eye on the surface, skimming any fat that rises to the top. Cook for 1 hour or until an internal thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the chicken breast.

Remove the chicken and let it cool for up to 30 minutes. Reserve the meat (you could use this for enchiladas, soup, or chicken salad!). Put all of the chicken bones back in the pot.

Cook for 1 more hour.

Your gluten-free chicken broth is complete! Strain it to get the vegetables out. Fresh broth will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Gluten-free stuffing

Now that you have your broth, you’re ready to make stuffing! You’ll also need the broth to make your green bean casserole.

What you’ll need:

• 1 16 oz. loaf of your favorite gluten-free bread, preferably slightly crunchy/crusty, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups gluten-free chicken broth
• 4 or 5 links sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. salt
• Fresh-ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread bread cubes out on a baking sheet (you may need 2) and toast in preheated oven, 20 minutes. Let the bread cool out of the oven. Put cooled bread in a large mixing bowl.

Grease a 3-quart or 9x13” baking dish with butter and set aside.

In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil on medium-high until it shimmers. Add the sausage, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Once cooked, remove it and set aside.

Add onions and celery into pot. Cook until they begin to soften and start to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the herbs, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft (you should be able to smell them!).

Put vegetables over the bread cubes, then add sausage. Combine so it is thoroughly mixed. Pour 1 cup of broth evenly over the bread, stirring until the bread absorbs it. Then, add the rest. Add more broth if the bread is dry.

Put this mixture into the greased baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until warm. Then, remove the foil, return the dish to oven, and bake until the top is golden brown, 5-7 minutes.