The holidays are just around the corner, and as groups of loved ones gather, I start turning my mind toward those recipes that are just a little extra-special. At the same time, if you live with food allergies, sensitivities, or restrictions (such as celiac disease), you may feel a certain level of panic as you think about those holiday feasts. I always feel better knowing there will be one or two dishes that are safe for me to enjoy.

Last year my immediate family declared Thanksgiving a celiac-safe holiday. We feasted on only foods that were safe for me to eat, and it was wonderful! It also forced me to get a little creative, though, to come up with easy, budget-friendly gluten-free versions of our holiday favorites. This recipe is one of the dishes we created.

Recipe

Makes 9×5 loaf pan of stuffing

Cornbread:

1 cup gf cornmeal

1 cup gf flour

1/4 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

Stuffing:

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp dried sage

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

1-2 cups chicken/vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease 9×13″ pan.

Combine cornbread ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, then pour into pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Cool and cut 3/4 of pan into small cubes. Place in warm oven overnight to dry.

The following day, preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease 9×5″ loaf pan.

In a small pan, melt butter. Add onion and celery and sauté until soft, 5-7 minutes.

Add thyme, sage, salt, and pepper, and continue sautéing until fragrant.

Place bread cubes in mixing bowl. Add onion mixture; stir to combine. Add egg and mix through. Slowly add broth, just enough to moisten bread cubes. Stir in cranberries and pour into loaf pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until top is lightly browned and beginning to crisp.

Notes

For gluten free flour, use the flour mix of your choice. I typically use a simple 1:1 gf flour.

If you prefer, sugar can be substituted for an equal measurement of your sweetener of choice, including honey or unsweetened applesauce. I find that cane sugar gives the bread just a little crisp that’s hard to get with other sweeteners.

This recipe works with your preferred type of milk: dairy, almond, oat, etc.

If you cannot eat eggs, the egg in the cornbread can be substituted for 1 Tbsp of vinegar and 1 tsp of baking soda. For the stuffing, it might work better to use something with binding properties, such as flax.

Any type of oil will work for this recipe, including canola, avocado, or vegetable. If you prefer to make the recipe without oil, you can substitute unsweetened applesauce. Melted butter also works in place of oil, for a richer cornbread.

To save energy, consider buying frozen chopped onions. A food processor or slap chop can also make short work of chopping onions and celery.

Dried cranberries can be omitted if you prefer. You could also substitute for finely chopped apples or pears for a unique flavor.

This recipe works well with either chicken broth or vegetable broth.

Enjoy!