s/ Thanksgiving tips for hosting, gluten free, vegan and vegetarian guests

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a regular guest (extended family) with Celiac, so we always have GF options and are careful about cross-contamination. But we're well set up for it because it is a regular guest - we have a set of GF cutting boards, etc.

GF is not hard to accommodate. We use a GF flour blend for thickening gravy as we like the texture better than cornstarch (I honestly can't tell the difference between it and gravy thickened with regular flour). We have a mix of regular pie crusts and GF pies / other desserts that are naturally GF. GF person just skips the dressing and rolls, we don't make special versions (GF person doesn't really like them anyway).

Vegetarian wouldn't be too hard (put bacon bits on the side, not mixed into the green beans, and have something other than turkey for a main ... although TBH most vegetarians I've known - and many meat-eaters! - are perfectly happy just skipping turkey and making a meal out of the sides).

Vegan is harder. I wouldn't skip butter/milk in mashed potatoes and everything else for the entire group, or prepare two separate bowls of potatoes / etc. I would invite the vegan to bring their own dish or pull a portion of each item before I finish it off with butter and milk. But I'm not making an entire bowl of olive oil potatoes alongside the regular bowl of milk/butter potatoes, sorry.

Please recommend your GF flour

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, if I am hosting, you can find something to eat or offer to bring something gluten free.

Hosting is understanding what your guests will enjoy and making that available.

Preparing food you yourself want to prepare, and inviting people who may or may not want to eat it, is not hosting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We host a large crowd.

GF - be mindful that some Turkeys are injected with solutions that contain gluten. High quality organic birds are usually safe but check first. Thicken gravy with cornstarch or arrowroot not flour. Serve two stuffings -one traditional with bread and one with rice/grains. Have a GF dessert. If the people are bring dishes ask the GF people to bring their favorite dessert. Make your own salad dressings or buy the GF ones.

Vegan/Vegetarians- try to make vegetarian dishes vegan so it serves both types. Mashed potatoes made with olive oil and roasted garlic are amazing. Roasted butternut squash, and pumpkin are great. Do not mash them. Grilled and charred sweet potatoes are great. Carmelized onions and green beans or roasted brussel sprouts are great. Have a few desserts that are vegan.

We lay things out buffet style and have a toppings section that we call the fixins. This is where the boomers get their butter and bacon bits. I also put out Gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries, chives, sour cream, different nuts etc.

I get label each dish so people know if it’s gf, vegan or both.

Wow. I eat butter and bacon bits and I'm not a boomer. I don't want to go to your party filled with vegan and gluten-free youngsters.

Okay? Enjoy the Thanksgiving buffet at Cracker Barrel with extra bacon.

The rest of us like having all the cousins, college students, aunts and uncles come visit at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For olive oil mashed potatoes, use Yukon gold. They have a creamy texture and golden color. Roast the garlic and use high quality olive oil or olive oil infused with herbs. I use a potato ricer never a food processor or electric mixer. I have one aunt who is convinced they have butter and does this stupid wink wink thing.

Thanks for the tips (and the laugh!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We host a large crowd.

GF - be mindful that some Turkeys are injected with solutions that contain gluten. High quality organic birds are usually safe but check first. Thicken gravy with cornstarch or arrowroot not flour. Serve two stuffings -one traditional with bread and one with rice/grains. Have a GF dessert. If the people are bring dishes ask the GF people to bring their favorite dessert. Make your own salad dressings or buy the GF ones.

Vegan/Vegetarians- try to make vegetarian dishes vegan so it serves both types. Mashed potatoes made with olive oil and roasted garlic are amazing. Roasted butternut squash, and pumpkin are great. Do not mash them. Grilled and charred sweet potatoes are great. Carmelized onions and green beans or roasted brussel sprouts are great. Have a few desserts that are vegan.

We lay things out buffet style and have a toppings section that we call the fixins. This is where the boomers get their butter and bacon bits. I also put out Gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries, chives, sour cream, different nuts etc.

I get label each dish so people know if it’s gf, vegan or both.

Picky eaters should bring their own side dishes, particularly the high maintenance vegan crew.

This is totally different for people with real allergies, who deserve compassion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We host a large crowd.

GF - be mindful that some Turkeys are injected with solutions that contain gluten. High quality organic birds are usually safe but check first. Thicken gravy with cornstarch or arrowroot not flour. Serve two stuffings -one traditional with bread and one with rice/grains. Have a GF dessert. If the people are bring dishes ask the GF people to bring their favorite dessert. Make your own salad dressings or buy the GF ones.

Vegan/Vegetarians- try to make vegetarian dishes vegan so it serves both types. Mashed potatoes made with olive oil and roasted garlic are amazing. Roasted butternut squash, and pumpkin are great. Do not mash them. Grilled and charred sweet potatoes are great. Carmelized onions and green beans or roasted brussel sprouts are great. Have a few desserts that are vegan.

We lay things out buffet style and have a toppings section that we call the fixins. This is where the boomers get their butter and bacon bits. I also put out Gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries, chives, sour cream, different nuts etc.

I get label each dish so people know if it’s gf, vegan or both.

Fyi, Vegan fake "chease" and other vegan products are made with nuts. They are a hidden ingredient that can be fatal for people with real allergies.

If you must cook vegan, give a heads up to any guests with allergies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My tip is don’t. Don’t bend over backwards. The allergen people can and should bring their own sides.

Vegans are in a different category from people with allergies.

Vegan is a lifestyle choice.

No one chooses an allergy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not that hard. Specially the gluten free. There are gluten free stuffing and most common deserts are pumpkin and pecan pies. Gluten free pie crust and gravy are straight forward.

Not making two type of stuffing, deserts, gravy, mac&cheesy, turkey, salad dressing, etc when no one can tell the difference.

Nah, people can tell the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child has allergies that basically means we end up eating vegan food with a side of meat. (He’s allergic to milk and eggs.)

Personally, I wouldn’t trust any prepared food at someone’s house because I don’t want to end up in the hospital when a harried host forgets and accidentally sautés the onions in butter. It’s just not worth the stress.

My advice is to cook the dishes that work for you and don’t get upset if people bring their own dishes. And always be honest about the ingredients in a dish.

I agree.

And don't work around the social vegans for goodness sakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My tip is don’t. Don’t bend over backwards. The allergen people can and should bring their own sides.

I don't understand why people like you would even want to host. I understand not feeling comfortable with cooking for a celiac for fear of cross contamination, but vegetarians or nut allergies are pretty basic...

+1 Don’t host.

When I host I’m not hosting for myself; I’m hosting for my guests. If I don’t want to prepare for my guests, I don’t offer to host.


[/sake.

Yeah, but vegans are difficult, not due to an allergy or health condition.

They are the issue, not the host who wants a traditional Thanksgiving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m not making two kinds of mashed potatoes, I’m only making the olive oil ones. I’m not making gravy with flour and gravy with cornstarch. I’m just making the cornstarch ones. My point is that it’s actually really really easy to not cook with butter, flour, lard and chicken stock for every dish. Adding the fixings table lets the bacon butter eaters be satisfied. Putting nuts, stronger cheeses, dried cranberries etc etc make the topping table popular with everyone.

I stopped looking at it as making a special different dish.

Nah, vegans are a pain in the rear.

Real mashed potatoes with butter and cream

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My tip is don’t. Don’t bend over backwards. The allergen people can and should bring their own sides.

Vegans are in a different category from people with allergies.

Vegan is a lifestyle choice.

No one chooses an allergy

I am not vegan but am grateful to people who are- it's much gentler on the environment. I am happy to accommodate vegans with options we can all enjoy, along with the turkey and cheese board. Do you people even like your guests?

[Anonymous]

If a guest is having a meal at my house they are going to have options that they can eat. It’s really not hard to find cooking space for a small field roast or stuffed squash, add hummus and veggies to your appetizer spread, or use earth balance instead of butter in a couple of dishes.

Wegmans sells GF flour in a shaker - perfect for making gravy. Bob’s Red Mill also has a great GF option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m not making two kinds of mashed potatoes, I’m only making the olive oil ones. I’m not making gravy with flour and gravy with cornstarch. I’m just making the cornstarch ones. My point is that it’s actually really really easy to not cook with butter, flour, lard and chicken stock for every dish. Adding the fixings table lets the bacon butter eaters be satisfied. Putting nuts, stronger cheeses, dried cranberries etc etc make the topping table popular with everyone.

I stopped looking at it as making a special different dish.

Nah, vegans are a pain in the rear.

Real mashed potatoes with butter and cream

Ha! My kids actually like the vegan mashed potatoes better!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m not making two kinds of mashed potatoes, I’m only making the olive oil ones. I’m not making gravy with flour and gravy with cornstarch. I’m just making the cornstarch ones. My point is that it’s actually really really easy to not cook with butter, flour, lard and chicken stock for every dish. Adding the fixings table lets the bacon butter eaters be satisfied. Putting nuts, stronger cheeses, dried cranberries etc etc make the topping table popular with everyone.

I stopped looking at it as making a special different dish.

Nah, vegans are a pain in the rear.

Real mashed potatoes with butter and cream

Not hard to do both. Boil all the potatoes, then when done, split them up and do one half (or third or whatever) vegan and the other half with butter and cream. It’s one of the easier sides to make two versions. Thanksgiving is one of those meals where several people can be sous chefs. Plus, local people can bring an extra masher and bowl if needed.

I also usually do a butternut squash soup that can easily be vegan. I usually do it that way on Thanksgiving, because I don’t think every dish needs cream- mainly I have to remember to use vegetable broth and not chicken broth. Easiest soup - can be made the day before.

Plus, it’s not hard to do a lentil or bean salad, almost everyone likes those. They are quick and easy to make - and can be done the day before (I add avocado right before). Trader Joe’s sells premade lentils that make it super easy.

I can’t think of how cranberry sauce wouldn’t be vegetarian. It’s basically flavored sugar.

Some sort of mushroom dish would also be easily done veggie or vegan.