Need easy, inexpensive gluten-free meal

[Harters2WDW]

My DD's teacher from last year just had major back surgery and I signed up to take her dinner one night. She is gluten free. Any suggestions on a meal I can take that will be easy, inexpensive, yet good? I am taking it on a Saturday, so I have the time to prepare.

TIA!

 

[clanmcculloch]

For a casserole style of dish, here's what I'd do. I'd buy a package of Tinkyada brand of pasta (it's a very common brand and can be found in the health food section of most grocery stores for between $3-$4 depending on the store) and cook it according to the package directions (I like spiral pasta but whatever shape you like the look of is fine). Take a can of Hunts original spaghetti sauce (really, the plain old stuff you get on the shelves of any grocery store for $1) and a pound of ground beef and cook up the beef and toss it in the sauce. If you want to go to a bit more trouble you can sautee up some onions and peppers and garlic use either Pam brand of cooking spray or whatever cooking oil you have on hand in the pan). I'd avoid adding more seasonings because not all spice brands are safe (I stick with McCormicks because it's shocking that some companies add flour to their spices). When they're all cooked, toss the pasta in the sauce and sauce and put in a casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake until cheese is melted.

It's not actually "cheap" but it is under $10 for a meal that'll feed a family of 4 easily and will likely result in leftovers.

 

[marmalade]

Gluten free is really actually pretty easy. Does she have a family? Maybe take over the fixings for tacos (read the taco seasoning, I think ortega is gluten free) and bring hard shells or corn tortillas.

Beef stew thickend with corn starch

Meatloaf made with GF oats instead of bread crumbs

Jambayla

Spaghetti made with GF noodles

Any meat potato veggie meal.... right now in my crockpot is pork chops, saurkraut and potatoes.

The best GF peanut butter cookie recipe is 1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup sugar (I use brown sugar sometimes) and 1 egg. Mix and let chill in the freezer for about 30 min, roll into balls add fork marks and bake at 350 for approx 10-12 minutes. Take them out before they look done, they will continue to cook and be soft and delicious.

 

[marmalade]

I also wanted to add if you are looking at labels and it says it contains "modified food starch'" don't buy it, it's another word for gluten. Most BBQ sauces contain it, and some salad dressings, and like pp said it is in some spices like prepackaged chili seasoning.

 

[scrapquitler]

My DD's teacher from last year just had major back surgery and I signed up to take her dinner one night. She is gluten free. Any suggestions on a meal I can take that will be easy, inexpensive, yet good? I am taking it on a Saturday, so I have the time to prepare.

TIA!

Roast chicken, rice (or potatoes) and veggies. Quick googling says that Rice is gluten free, so you should be okay there. I looked on Allrecipes.com and searched "gluten free" recipes, and lots came up. This chicken recipe looks easy and delicious. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/juicy-roasted-chicken/detail.aspx

 

[mjkacmom]

Baked macaroni and cheese is always good. I agree with a PP about that brand of pasta, and it comes in elbows. I can't remember if it's creamettes or muellers recipe, but I use the one calling for corn starch instead of flour. Stir up the milk, corn starch, and butter until it simmers and thickens, turn off head, add your cheese, stir, and pour into a disposable baking dish, and bake. Bring along a bag of salad, and you are good to go.

 

[crisi]

I'd avoid gf pasta and just go with a normally gf meal. My gf pasta preferences are pretty firm. Chili is another cheap easy gf meal. Baked chicken and rice and a veggie

 

[clanmcculloch]

I just want to point out that you have to be careful with ANY mixes or seasonings unless somebody who lives gluten free every day specifically vetts that brand for you. Unless you've spent the time researching products, it's pretty difficult to know which premade foods are safe and which aren't. I would highly recommend you do not use any seasoning packets or mixes unless it says in bold letters that it is gluten free (or somebody who lives gluten free identifies a brand) because it takes time to learn what brands are safe and to learn all the various hidden names for gluten. Most people don't realize that things like broth or soy sauce contain gluten (there are gluten free versions but unless you're looking specifically for them in health food sections of your store you won't find them). Keep it simple.

Also, if you're using your own butter or peanutbutter or anything like that from your own kitchen, make sure you open a fresh package/block/whatever because if you've already dipped a utensil into the package then you've likely put gluten into the package via that utensil (ex spreading butter on toast gets crumbs on the knife and then when you get more butter it puts the crumbs into the butter).

For mac & cheese, to make it even easier you can use a big block of velveeta and just melt it (not necessarily healthy but it is easy and yummy). Be careful with corn starch because some brands have cross contamination from the factory. I don't know how sensitive this teacher is so I would err on the side of caution. For instance, I don't trust anything by Quaker as pretty much every product of theirs has gluten due to cross contamination. mjkacmom, which brand of corn starch do you use? I order mine from the same company I order other gluten free flours but that's not necessary for OP if there are everyday brands that are gluten free.

I would highly recommend you do NOT use any kind of oats. Unless you're using the really expensive clearly labelled gluten free oats from a health food store, there will be gluten in them. Also, you don't know if she can handle even gluten free oats or not. Many people with celiac also can't tollerate even gluten free oats. Again, I'd err on the side of caution, plus gluten free oats are insanely expensive so they certainly don't fit in with the idea of budget.

I'm not trying be negative here. Honest. I'm just saying that simple fresh ingredients will be safest and check with people who do know regarding brands if you need to buy a mix/sauce/packet/soup/boullion/whatever unless it clearly states gluten free. What you're doing really is a wonderful thing including reaching out for ideas. I would just hate to see this amazing gesture as well as all of your effort result in her getting sick. Again, keep it simple.

 

[Harters2WDW]

So many helpful ideas!! I appreciate it. I'm always at a blank to make my own family, with no dietary restrictions. So this really helps me out! And any red flags that were raised were grat. I definitely don't want to cause any problems.

 

[kkandaj]

I'm not trying be negative here. Honest. I'm just saying that simple fresh ingredients will be safest and check with people who do know regarding brands if you need to buy a mix/sauce/packet/soup/boullion/whatever unless it clearly states gluten free. What you're doing really is a wonderful thing including reaching out for ideas. I would just hate to see this amazing gesture as well as all of your effort result in her getting sick. Again, keep it simple.

Totally agree! From a parent of a child with life threatening allergies to multiple foods, the above paragraph is right on. Unless you live it everyday, it is extremely difficult to really decipher what is in prepackaged food. I would stick to simple foods, too. Meat, potatoes, fruit and veggies in their pure forms. And watch cross contamination. There is so much to think about when it comes to food and people don't even realize it.

You are doing a great thing! Good luck with your meal preparation.

 

[minnierocks]

For dessert make gluten-free apple crisp. Peel/slice apples and put them into a baking pan. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Take a stick of (softened) butter, a cup of sugar, and one cup of rice flour (can be found in any store) and mix them together in a bowl...it will be a crumbly mixture. Cover the apples with the mixture and lightly sprinkle the topping with more cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour..or until apples are tender and the top is lightly browned. It is delicious and we couldn't even tell that it was not my regular recipe!

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I'd avoid a pasta meal, especially cooked ahead of time. GF pasta will not hold up as well as regular pasta.

Personally I'd do a roast of some kind. Turkey, pork, roast a chicken etc. Then make up some mashed potatos, gravy thickened only with corn starch, add some vegetables can do roasted brussel sprouts or fresh asparagus they can grill up and give them the fixings for a salad. You can even make a homemade dressing that will be GF and be nice.

Watch for cross contamination whatever you do. If you do bake a crisp like somebody suggested you definitely want to get a new bag of sugar to make 100% sure it has not been contaminated. Also watch out for cutting boards and your mixer as "residue" can stick to them.

 

[MineMail]

Actually, I use rice pasta for salads and baked dishes. It holds up very well but takes longer to cook.

For pot lucks, I've taken grilled veggies, shish-ka-bobs (chicken/beef) and Mission-brand corn tortillas with cheese and carmelized onions. Always a hit, but the chicken goes twice as fast as the beef, so I double that amount.

I second the "look for the gluten-free label" suggestion. Some soy sauce and vanilla flavoring are made with wheat, which means gluten, but "wheat" won't be listed on the ingredients.

 

[tcmsu]

We like to make Chicken Pot Pie. The top crust is made from Gluten Free Bisquick. Cooked chicken, bag of frozen mixed vegetables, and a quick gravy like sauce (broth, gluten free flour, butter?). Can't remember the exact recipe but I think we found it on the Bisquick box.

Tacos are also simple to take, make spanish rice (not a box mix though), and plenty enough for everyone.

Also, with new food labeling laws, anything that has modified food starch, coloring, thickeners, etc must say on the label that the product contains WHEAT.

Good Luck.

 

[kkandaj]

Also, with new food labeling laws, anything that has modified food starch, coloring, thickeners, etc must say on the label that the product contains WHEAT.

Many people think that this covers gluten, but it doesn't. Gluten is in other grains (i.e, rye and barley) that are NOT covered under the labeling laws. So just because something says it doesn't contain wheat, DOES NOT mean it doesn't contain gluten. The only foods covered under the labeling laws are the Top 8 (milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, wheat, egg).

 

[monana]

I've never made anything gluten free, but on this blog that I follow, this mom has easy quick recipes, plus gluten free versions of the recipe as well.

http://afewshortcuts.com/

 

[Svhadden]

Totally agree with PPs on the need for caution. Without knowing her specific dietary needs, you really need to make sure that ANY ingredients you use are clearly labeled "Gluten Free" and not just wheat free. For that reason, I'd go as simple as possible with the meal. Also, I'd recommend using utensils straight out of the dishwasher, and that you clean any food preparation surfaces very well. Believe it or not, even small amounts of cross-contamination can be dangerous for some.

We're a gluten-free, casein-free family, and it's actually quite easy once you learn your way. However, for someone who is just volunteering a meal (very kind of you, by the way!), it's still easy, just requires a little extra vigilance.

My family loves a roast chicken on Sundays. We eat VERY little meat, so the Sunday roast chicken is a treat lol. I buy a whole roaster, wash it well, and sprinkle with fresh grated sea salt/pepper. I cut up an onion and a lemon and stuff them into the cavity along with a fresh rosemary sprig. Also, I like to put a couple of rosemary sprigs under the chicken as well. I them wash and slice up 2-3 apples (no need to peel) and place them in the pan around the chicken. I mix 1/4c balsamic vinegar with 1/4c grapeseed oil (can use olive oil), and pour that over the apples and chicken. Roast at 350 for 90 minutes or until the chicken is nicely browned. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should read 165 degrees in the thickest part of the bird.

We love this meal because it's very easy to prepare, and makes yummy leftovers, which can be used shredded over a green salad, in soup, etc.

Love the peanut butter cookie suggestion! That's one of my favorite recipes (1 c peanut butter, 1 c sugar, 1 egg is the recipe I've always used). Easy, and delish!

Good luck!

 

[SDSorority]

My DD's teacher from last year just had major back surgery and I signed up to take her dinner one night. She is gluten free. Any suggestions on a meal I can take that will be easy, inexpensive, yet good? I am taking it on a Saturday, so I have the time to prepare.

TIA!

We make Black Beans and Rice all the time.

2 C Cooked Brown Rice
1 can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
1 C Salsa
Frank's Red Hot Sauce, to taste
1/2 c Cheese (we get a block and shred it ourselves)

Mix the brown rice with the black beans, salsa, and Franks Red Hot sauce. Pour into a small casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese melts (5ish minutes?)

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be careful about cross-contamination. Think of wheat as raw meat juice- you would be sure to wash raw meat juice off of counters/knives/cutting boards before you use them for anything else, right??? With wheat/rye/barley/oats, it's the exact same concept. Those of us that are gluten-free can get REALLY sick because of cross-contamination. Please wash your pots, pans, utensils, etc before you start making any type of gluten-free dish for someone that is gluten intolerant. The teacher will thank you!!

 

[HeatherC]

How about a roast turkey, mashed potatoes and a veggie. It should make enoguh so that they can leftovers for another night. Send a loaf of gluten free bread or roll so they can make sandwiches.

Or a big crockpot of soup like minestrone or sausage soup. Very hardy and tons of leftovers.

 

[Sagginit]

as a celiac i would go with something very basic. potatoes are safe, as is rice (plain not seasoned, then it gets dicey). i love veggie chili and its budget friendly. just check your seasonings, i actually don't really use spice packets. i buy them individually and season myself. to be really safe i would just roast a chicken, some potatoes and add a veggie.

keep in mind cross contamination is a huge risk here. cook the meal with all clean dishes/utensils/pots and don't cook anything else at the same time. also make sure you don't bake that day. i just found out this year that studies show flour can stay in the air for hours