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Your Guide to Gluten Free Grocery Shopping

Living in a rural part of the country can make access to gluten free products a challenge. I often have to travel 1-2 hours to reach stores with a decent selection. Having four growing children with celiac disease, it didn’t take me long to discover my favorite stores.

The following stores serve the Midwest region and I have been delighted with the gluten free options they have to offer: Hy-Vee, Festival Foods, Woodman's, and Fareway. I have also been extremely pleased with Walmart. They have considerably expanded their gluten free section and their Great Value brand has some wonderful certified gluten free items - many items made our favorite products list! Check it out!

I order a number of products online at places like Amazon, Costco, and Sam's Club. Items in bulk are not a problem for our big family. Instacart has not yet reached our area. In this day and age, you just can’t beat the convenience - and online ordering offers a safe option during the pandemic. Your local grocer may have the option to order online and pick up without stepping foot in the store. Just a warning - if the item you selected is not available, the shopper may select an alternative product, so you have to be a bit flexible.

There is a midwest convenience store that greatly deserves a round of applause and its name is KWIK TRIP (also known as KWIK STAR in Iowa and Illinois). There must be someone overseeing the operation who is affected by celiac disease because they have an amazing selection of convenient, healthy gluten free options for our family. The options offered at Kwik Trip deserve a post of their own - stay tuned!

Here are my go-to places to find products when we are at home or on the road . . .

Nationwide Chains:

Kroger
Publix
Hy-Vee
Trader Joes
ALDI
Whole Foods Market
Walmart
Costco
Sam's Club

Midwest Chains:

Fareway
Festival Foods
Woodman's Market

And as you swing through the midwest, don't forget to stop at Kwik Trip to grab some favorite gluten free snacks.

Lastly, you can check for a local food co-op where you will find fresh, locally grown produce and quality GF products.

Happy Shopping,

The Best Gluten Free Grilled Sandwiches

I will start by saying these sandwiches are awesome! Better yet, they are easy! Gluten free bread does not have a super great texture, but certain companies have developed recipes that are pretty darn good. Our favorite is the Canyon Bakehouse 7-grain bread. If you prefer white, many people like Udi’s delicious soft white bread or Schar Artisan Baker white bread. Here is something you didn't know . . . when it comes to toasting or grilling, gluten free bread is the winner! There is something about toasted gluten free bread that is crispier and tastier than regular bread . . . try it for yourself! Also, if you don't have a griddle, I highly recommend this Presto non-stick griddle. We use this thing all the time to make our pancakes, french toast, bacon, and grilled sandwiches!

Special instructions:

Butter 2 slices of gluten free bread. Top with gluten free sliced sandwich meat and your favorite cheese. We use Hormel Natural Choice honey ham or Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh meats. It is best to use meats that have a gluten free statement on the label. Our family loves colby jack, provolone, and swiss cheese. Grill both sides until nice and crispy and the cheese is melted. I often lay the meat slices directly on the griddle for a minute to warm them up before placing them on the bread. Once the grilling is complete, you can top it off by adding lettuce, onion, pepper, pickles, mayo. . . any of your favorite toppings . . . CRISPY and DELICIOUS!

Have a Beautiful Day,

THE BEST Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars

Amazing Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars (You will NEVER know they are GF!)

Jenny Stegen

A family favorite, these bars are the perfect treat for the fall and winter seasons. I have tried many different recipes for pumpkin bars - look no further - these are THE BEST. The original recipe was found on the Lexi Michelle Blog. I modified it using my favorite gluten free flour. No one will ever know they are gluten free! ENJOY

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Course Dessert

Equipment

jelly roll pan

Ingredients

4 eggs
1⅔ cup sugar
1 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
1 15 oz can pumpkin
2 cups Domata gluten free flour (or your favoirte GF flour)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Frosting

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 pkg powdered sugar (about ½ of a 2 lb bag)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well with a fork to combine.
Gradually add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture.
Lightly coat jelly roll pan with cooking spray and pour mixture into pan.
Bake for 25-30 mins.
Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

Beat softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth. You can add a tablespoon of milk if needed. Once your bars are cool, spread frosting evenly over the top.

Notes

You can find Domata flour online here.

Happy Fall ♥

Gluten Free Spices, Sauces, and Seasonings

A common question I hear from the gluten free community is "What spices and seasonings are safe?" In fact, this inquiry just came up in my Facebook group. I feel this topic is very worthy of a post!

This is a great question. It is not uncommon for spices and spice blends to contain wheat which is used as an anti-caking agent. In sauces, gluten is often used as a stabilizer or thickener. If it is intentionally added for this purpose, wheat will be reported in the list of ingredients.

Gluten (most often in the form of wheat) can also be added to these products unintentionally through the manufacturing process. This is known as the dreaded cross-contamination. If wheat is unintentionally added to spices or sauces, its presence does not have to be disclosed on the label. The FDA does not require the disclosure of possible cross-contamination. Crazy, right?!? There's a lot of work to be done to improve labeling standards and regulations. Thankfully, there are some great advocates working on this.

Our family's favorite spices are McCormick spices and seasonings. This company will disclose any presence of gluten clearly on the label (including sources of cross-contamination). Also noteworthy is the fact that although most of their spices are gluten free, you will not see a gluten free statement on the label. As long as there are no sources of gluten listed in the ingredients, you can be assured it is gluten free.

Need to learn how to look for gluten on a label? Read this post for tips.

My spice cabinet is full of McCormick single spices and also some spice blends. We love the following blends: Italian Seasoning, Poultry Seasoning, and Lawry's Seasoned salt.

We also frequently use the following spice packets that are certified gluten free: chili seasoning, taco seasoning, and gravy mix.

In addition, McCormick makes vanilla extract and food coloring which are staples in my kitchen!

A bonus is that McCormick products are always easy to find in grocery stores near you.

Pioneer Brand is another company that makes great certified gluten free packets. I find these at Hy-Vee stores. Give them a try!

For soups and stew, we use Herb-ox gluten free chicken and beef bouillon granules. Great flavor!

These great companies also make a variety of gluten free seasonings and spices:

Flavor God - Offer many great gluten free seasoning blends that get awesome reviews. Check them out.
Magic Seasonings - According to the company, all the blends are considered gluten-free to 20 parts per million except for Breading Magic and Gumbo Gravy Magic.
Spicely Organic - This company makes a variety of spices that are certified organic and certified gluten free.

In addition to the above seasonings, these are some of our very favorite gluten free sauces:

Favorite Soy Sauce - Kikkoman Gluten Free Soy Sauce (certified gluten free)
Favorite Worcestershire Sauce - Lea & Perrins
Favorite Barbecue Sauce - Stubb's Sticky Sweet (certified gluten free) and Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Barbecue Sauce.
Favorite Marinara Sauce - Prego - always gluten free!
Favorite Salad Dressing - Hidden Valley Original Ranch and Ken's Steakhouse Country French. I've not tried their products yet, but have heard amazing things about Primal Kitchen products. They make a number of salad dressing and sauces, many of which are certified gluten free. Try them out!

I hope these ideas add some flavor and happiness to your gluten free meals.

"Season's" Greetings!

Gluten Free Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole is so quick and easy and out of this world. Top with crispy gluten free french fried onions. If you don't have these available, fry up some bacon until it's nice and crisp and crumble bits of bacon on top. DELICIOUS!

Green bean casserol with gluten free french fried onions

Gluten Free Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Course Side Dish

Servings 12

Ingredients

4 cans Del Monte french style green beans drained
1 can Great Value gluten free cream of chicken soup
3/4 c milk
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can Full Circle Market french fried onions

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. In small bowl mix together soup, milk, and seasonings. Dump drained beans into 9 x 13 pan. Add soup mixture to beans and stir well. Add shredded cheese and stir well. Top with french fried onions. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

Hope you love it!

A Gluten Free Holiday Menu that will Rock Your World

I heard Christmas music on the radio for the first time since last year - you know what that means . . . the Holidays are coming! We love the holiday season. The pandemic may change the way we celebrate in 2020, but good food always brings joy.

As a child, my grandmother was right next door and she taught me the importance of delicious food! That's what grandma's do - they show their love and nurture you through feeding you. She fed everyone who walked through her door - and if you weren't hungry - too bad - you were going to sit down and eat!

It will take many more years of practice to master Grandma's level of cooking. I do work at it regularly and really enjoy cooking for my four children with celiac disease. We have always enjoyed hosting company and it's a bit of a science learning how to cook gluten free food that tastes good to an entire crowd. Grandma never had to cook without wheat flour. This would have been a challenge for her - but I have no doubt she would have mastered that too.

I have managed to find some wonderful gluten free recipes that are consistent winners. I want to share my holiday menu with you in hopes you will try some things that you, too, will enjoy with your loved ones. These recipes are great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

I will disclose that these recipes are not my own original works. They have been shared over the years by friends or family, or discovered on the internet. I have modified many of them to make them gluten free. You will notice I am a little heavy on dessert options, and I have Grandma to thank for the sweet tooth!

I am so happy to finally share some favorite recipes with you. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

We celebrate Thanksgiving with one of my very best friends who I met in graduate school. Joyce is a true blessing and I will never forget when my kids were diagnosed with celiac disease she sent two wonderful cookbooks in the mail. They came at a time when I was feeling pretty lost and frustrated about gluten free cooking. Thank God for good friends!

Joyce is a wonderful cook and she created her own recipe for homemade gluten free stuffing - just for my kids! I know what you're thinking - everyone needs a friend like Joyce! You are right! Not only do my gluten free kids love this stuffing - we all scarf this stuff down like noone's business! So happy to share it with you.

Click here for the recipe

I credit this recipe to the Lexi Michelle blog. All I did to modify it was use Domata gluten free flour in place of wheat flour. These are super duper mouth-watering and delicious - enough said.

In any recipe that includes flour I highly recommend you use the spoon and sweep method for measuring flour. If you just dunk the cup into the bag of flour and level it off you get more than you need. The spoon and sweep method gives you just the right amount of flour for your recipes.

Learn more about this correct measuring method at cuisineatthehome.com

Find the recipe for these amazing bars here

Mandarin Orange Almond Lettuce Salad

You may think caramelizing almonds sounds tricky but it's so easy and the outcome is amazing! You do have to be patient as it takes several minutes for the sugar to melt and bind to the almonds. I use Blue Diamond almonds which are gluten free. These candied almonds are the perfect complement to the sweet and tangy homemade vinaigrette.

You can totally customize this salad to add what you like - I love to add the scallions, celery, and mandarins. You can add cherry tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, or crispy chicken chunks to make it a meal of its own.

Unsure how to cut scallions? Check out this helpful video from Blue Apron.

It is best to make the vinaigrette the night before so it can refrigerate overnight. In a pinch, you can get by refrigerating it for at least 4 hours. Don't use too much dressing or you will get a soggy salad. Less is more with this one.

Mandarin Orange Almond Lettuce Salad

Mixed greens tossed with a sweet and tangy homemade vinagertte. Topped with candied onions and mandarins, this salad is a winner.

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Prep Time 25

Course Salad

Servings 8

Equipment

1 pint mason jar
Small skillet
Medium sized salad bowl
Cutting board

Ingredients

Dressing

2 T distilled white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 T sugar
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley flakes

Caramelized Almonds

1/4 c almonds
2 T sugar

Salad

1/2 head iceberg lettuce chopped
1 bag mixed greens of your choice
1 c chopped celery
2 green onions (scallions) chopped
1 T chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 11 oz can mandarin oranges

Instructions

Dressing

In pint-size mason jar combine vinegar, salt, sugar, oil, pepper, parsley. Screw lid on tight and shake vigorously to mix contents. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight is ideal).

Caramelized Almonds

Place 2 T. sugar and almonds in small skillet. Cook over medium-low heat until sugar melts and almonds are brown. Stir constantly and watch carefully to prevent burning. This takes several minutes. Remove from heat and cool at room temp.

Salad

Toss together the chopped lettuce, mixed greens, celery, green onions, and fresh parsley. Just before serving, toss with dressing and top with almonds and mandarin oranges. It is best to go light on the dressing otherwise your salad will be too wet and soggy. It has robust flavor and in this case, less is more. I always have extra dressing that I store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

The Best Ever Gluten Free Apple Crisp

This apple crisp is always a hit in my house. The kids love it right out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Any apples will work, but tart apples like Granny Smith, Cortland, Jonagold are the best. I seriously cannot get by without my thin apple slicer. This slices apples into 16 thin slices. The kids love this size for snacking and they are great for recipes.

For the yummy oatmeal crumble, I most often use Bob's Red Mill gluten free oats. If you are extra gluten sensitive then Bakery on Main rolled oats are a great choice as they are certified gluten free.

The Best Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Warm apples with cinnamon and sugar topped with crunchy goodness

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Servings 15

Equipment

Potato peeler
Thin apple slicer
9 X 13 pan

Ingredients

6 medium to large apples thinly sliced Granny Smith or Jonagold are my favorite for baking but any variety will work
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 c white sugar

Crumble topping

1 c brown sugar
1 c gluten free oatmeal
1 c gluten free flour Domata is my favorite but any cup for cup GF flour will work
3/4 c melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Place thinly sliced apples, sugar, and cinnamon in 9 x 13 pan and mix well to coat apples.

Crumble topping

In medium mixing bowl stir together brown sugar, oatmeal, flour, and butter. Crumble this mixture on top apples. Bake 30-40 minutes at 350°.

You just cannot beat the apple cinnamon aroma this produces in the kitchen as it bakes. And it tastes even better than it smells! Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chocolate Ice Cream Pudding Dessert

Do you love chocolate? How about ice cream? Cool Whip? A crispy graham cracker crust? Put all of these things together and you have an all-time favorite dessert. Your family will be asking for this one frequently (whether they are gluten free or not!) This is one you have to try . . .

Chocolate Ice Cream Pudding Dessert

A crispy gluten free graham cracker crust covered with a fluffy layer of chocolatey goodness. Top it off with cool whip for a delicious dessert you're gonna love.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 5

Course Dessert

Servings 20

Equipment

Ninja blender or food processor
KitchenAid mixer with flat beater attachment
9 X 13 pan
potato peeler (used for making optional curly chocolate sprinkles)

Ingredients

Crust

1 box Schar gluten free graham crackers yields about 1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs
6 T melted butter
1/4 c sugar

Filling

2 pkgs (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding
2 c milk
4 c softened vanilla ice cream

Topping

8 oz Cool Whip
3 squares Hershey's chocolate (optional)

Instructions

Crust

Preheat oven to 350°. Use Ninja to crush crackers into tiny crumbs.
Add melted butter and sugar to Ninja and blend with crumbs. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Press crust firmly into bottom of pan. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350°. It will be light brown and bubbly in appearance. Watch closely to prevent burning.

Filling

Allow ice cream to sit out at room temperature for about 20-25 minutes until slightly soft. Do not allow excessive melting to occur. Combine ice cream, milk, and pudding in KitchenAid mixing bowl. Before beating with mixer, stir partially with wooden spoon to prevent splashing of ingredients. Allow to sit and thicken for 5 minutes. Using flat beater attachment, beat mixture on low speed until smooth and well combined.
Pour pudding mixture evenly over cooled crust.
Refrigerate for an hour then top with cool whip. I use the potato peeler and a Hershey bar to make cute little curly chocolate chunks for the top. Store in refrigerator. Keeps very well in fridge for 3 days.

The Ninja blender and KitchenAid mixer are 2 staple appliances in my kitchen. If you have a loved one who is currently living without these magical kitchen tools - you must consider these for a Christmas gift. Click here to learn more about my Ninja. . . And here to learn more about my KitchenAid.

I hope you enjoy this chocolate dessert!

Ham Balls with Brown Sugar Glaze

Tired of turkey for Thanksgiving? I highly suggest you add these ham balls to your menu! This is a favorite at my house on Thanksgiving. My kids beg me to make these year-round, but I save them for a holiday treat.

These slightly sweet, juicy, tangy ham balls are sure to please your entire family and your guests. I thank my good friend, Becky, who gave me this recipe years ago after she brought them to my home. We were hosting a dinner party to recruit a new physician to our clinic. He ended up taking a job with our organization - I'm pretty sure the ham balls sold him!

There is no sacrifice in flavor whatsoever when using gluten free bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs. In fact, the gluten free version may be better!

Your expert behind the meat counter can help you with the ground pork and ham. Our local grocery store, Fareway, carries a 50/50 mix of ground pork and ground ham called ham loaf. It works perfectly for this recipe.

I double the recipe and use a large disposable aluminum pan.

Tip - use your blender or food processor to grind your bread into crumbs. My Ninja works like a charm. None of us care to eat the crust pieces from a loaf of bread. We save them up in the freezer and pull them out when we are ready to make ham balls. Throw them in the Ninja and you've got beautiful bread crumbs in seconds!

Ham Balls with Brown Sugar Glaze

A favorite main dish for the Holidays or any time of year

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 2 30

Course Main Course

Servings 10 people

Equipment

large disposable tin pan or large deep baking dish

Ingredients

1 lb ground ham
1½ lb ground pork
2 c gluten free bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 c milk

Glaze

1½ c brown sugar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 c water
1/2 c vinegar white distilled

Instructions

Using Ninja or food processor to grind gluten free bread into small crumbs.
In large bowl mix ground meat, bread crumbs, eggs, milk. Mix well with hands and form into balls. Spray large baking pan with cooking spray and arrage balls in single layer in pan.
In medium size bowl, stir together brown sugar, mustard, water, and vinegar. There will be tiny lumps of mustard in your mixture. Pour this glaze over hamballs. You can place them in fridge and allow them to marinaide overnight, or bake right away.
Bake uncovered at 275° for 2½ hours if room temp. If cold, bake for 3 to 3½ hours.

Your Guide to Gluten Free Grocery Shopping

Article Categories

Latest Articles

The Best Gluten Free Grilled Sandwiches

Article Categories

Latest Articles

THE BEST Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars

Amazing Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars (You will NEVER know they are GF!)

Equipment

Ingredients

Frosting

Instructions

Frosting

Notes

Article Categories

Latest Articles

Gluten Free Spices, Sauces, and Seasonings

McCormick spices fill my spice cabinet

Article Categories

Latest Articles

Gluten Free Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

Gluten Free Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

Instructions

Article Categories

Latest Articles

A Gluten Free Holiday Menu that will Rock Your World

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Feast 2019 at the Stegens

Enjoying the Thanksgiving Feast

Mandarin Orange Almond Lettuce Salad

Ham Balls with Brown Sugar Glaze

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

Homemade Gluten Free Stuffing

Chocolate Ice Cream Pudding Dessert

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars

Article Categories

Latest Articles

Mandarin Orange Almond Lettuce Salad

Mandarin Orange Almond Lettuce Salad

Equipment

Ingredients

Dressing

Caramelized Almonds

Salad

Instructions

Dressing

Caramelized Almonds

Salad

Article Categories

Latest Articles

The Best Ever Gluten Free Apple Crisp

The Best Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Equipment

Ingredients

Crumble topping

Instructions

Crumble topping

Article Categories

Latest Articles

Gluten Free Chocolate Ice Cream Pudding Dessert

Chocolate Ice Cream Pudding Dessert

Equipment

Ingredients

Crust

Filling

Topping

Instructions

Crust

Filling

Article Categories

Latest Articles

Ham Balls with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ham Balls with Brown Sugar Glaze

Equipment

Ingredients

Glaze

Instructions

Article Categories

Latest Articles