Thanksgiving Recipes

Top Tips for a Coeliac-Safe Thanksgiving

If you’re hosting for a gluten free guest who has coeliac (celiac) disease, here are a few things you’ll need to remember to avoid cross contamination when preparing the food, as well as using gluten free recipes:

• Always prepare gluten free dishes separately, using clean pans and utensils. For example, never cook any gluten-containing foods in the same trays as gluten free ones, and always use separate spoons for stirring dishes.
• Serve gluten free food separately, in their own dishes with separate serving spoons – buying some handy food labels can help to make it clear which dishes are safe. And no double dipping!
• If you’re serving your Thanksgiving meal buffet-style, I recommend letting the gluten free guest go first serving up, in case anyone accidentally dips the wrong spoon into a dish, or splashes a gluten-containing gravy over everything.
• Always clean down work surfaces before preparing gluten free food and use separate boards for cutting non-gluten-free breads. Be careful of crumbs! Just a tiny crumb can make someone with coeliac disease unwell.
• The easiest thing to do? Try making the whole meal gluten free! A lot of the dishes below can be made for everyone to enjoy and nobody would ever know they are gluten free. This certainly avoids any cross contamination worries.