Costco

I found two gluten-free items at Costco that allowed me to feed a lot of people without actually cooking!

I put out tortilla chips for the dip and lettuce to make wraps with the chicken salad.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 box spiral noodles, gluten free

1/2 lb bacon

1 1lb chicken, cooked, cooled and shredded

8 mini carrots

1/2 bell pepper

2 tomatoes

4 green onions

1 cup corn

1 packet dry Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

Slice the bacon into 1 inch pieces. Fry until crispy and remove to paper towels to cool. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package says (mine said boil 8-12 minutes, I boiled for 7 minutes.)

Slice the carrots, dice the bell pepper, slice the tomato into bite size pieces and thinly slice the green onion.

When the pasta is done cooking, immediately strain and then put the pasta into a bowl of cold water, adding ice (this step is important to keep the pasta from continuing to cook and becoming mush). Let cool.

Make the dressing by mixing the ranch dressing powder with the mayo, milk, and sour cream. Let stand for a few minutes to thicken.

When all ingredients are cooled down, gently toss them all in a large bowl, folding in the dressing and being careful about the pasta. Serve immediately.

I saw a friend making pasta salad the other day and haven't stopped thinking about it, it looked sooo good. I personally have never tried making one before now. Can I tell you that this was delicious? Maybe it's because of the bacon, but I loved it, my husband loved it, my kids loved it (mostly, I mean it does have vegetables).

The ingredients complemented each other nicely, although it was just what I happened to have on hand. I'm sure most veggies would go good in here. The dressing was an experiment, and turned out well, although you could thicken or thin it to your liking.

The most important step would be to make sure your pasta stops cooking immediately, hence the ice water bath. The pasta I used was just a rice spiral and so I was worried about it being obliterated in all the prep, but it held up well. I can't vouch for leftovers though, as we had none.

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

*not my picture

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

1/4 cup butter
1 8oz box macaroni, gluten free
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1-2 tablespoons rice flour
1 13-ounce can evaporated milk
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the onion and pepper and seasonings and saute for a minute or two. Add the uncooked macaroni and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the water and bouillon cube. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the macaroni is almost done. Add the rice flour and stir well. Stir in the evaporated milk and cheese. Simmer and stir until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

This pasta is very rich and creamy, plus, simple as pie. You could easily add chicken to this for a hearty meal, or you could just serve it as a vegetarian dinner with a salad. I personally, love it as is.

My most favorite gluten free macaroni that I've found is the one pictured above, Ancient Harvest Quinoa Elbows. They retain their shape better than the rice pastas I've tried, plus I can find them at my local grocers, which is really what it's all about. Check often when you are simmering them in the water, you want your pasta to be a little undercooked before you add the milk and cheese.

I would've taken a picture of this recipe, but it's really good hot and we ate it. I blame the children. Trust me on this one, it is yummy, nothing like those boxes of mac n cheese with powdered sauce. Not that there's anything wrong with that. And leftovers will make you happy the next day, although they will not be quite as saucy.

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By the way, for all you readers you are still reading:

You Rock! We will do our best to answer emails timely, post recipes consistently, and be overall better gluten free bloggers. Because you make us happy. Celiac disease is awesome, isn't it?

Mashed Potatoes

Thank to Amy in California for this recipe!!!

Moose Mountain Mashed Potatoes

6 large potatoes, washed and unpeeled
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 oz. cream cheese
1 c sour cream
2 oz. butter
¼ to ½ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes and onion until tender. Drain, mash, then beat until smooth. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and butter. Beat well. Add milk while beating until potatoes are light and fluffy. (A little looser than you will want at the table as they will firm up when baked.) Salt and pepper to taste.

Place in an ovenproof dish and bake at 300 for 30 min.

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P.S. We has leftover Hawaiian Chicken and the chicken + (bbq/ pineapple) sauce made a sweet gravy-like topping that went perfect with these potatoes! I think it's a nice combo I will plan another week.

Gluten-Free French Fries

Can you tell we love cheese?

Cheddar Fries are gluten-free. But check your labels, not all french fries are free from gluten!

These happen to be Ore-Ida Golden Krinkles. Here is their gluten-free list of products.

Stuffing

Gluten-Free Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
This recipe my husband figured out and is a big hit with the celiac and non-celiac crowds alike! Let's start with the homemade gluten-free cornbread and below is the stuffing recipe.

Cornbread
White corn meal
Butter
Eggs
Salt
Water
Baking powder

Make the cornbread the night before. Follow the cornbread recipe on the package. No sugar. Just corn meal, eggs, water, butter, salt, baking powder. Once it comes out of the oven, slice it up all crazy and leave it uncovered overnight.

Stuffing

Next day:

Two packages of spicy sage sausage
Two large white onions
5 cups water
6 chicken boullion cubes
salt
pepper

- Brown the sausage and set aside. Keep the sausage grease.
- Quarter the onions and then slice. If you don't like slices, dicing is acceptable as well.
- Throw some olive oil in a fry pan and slightly brown onions.
- Add the sausage
- Prepare the chicken boullion
- Get a giant pot and put your crazy sliced up cornbread in it
- Slice up the cornbread some more
- Add sausage and onions and grease and stir like the devil
- Add a lot of sage and pepper and salt
- Pour in your chicken boullion slowly. Pour about half in, then stir. Keep adding boullion and stirring until you have your stuffing at the right consistency. I personally like mine less dry.
- Add more sage, pepper, and garlic to taste
- Stuff bird if you feel like it, but I never do

Guest Chef: Adriana Velez on Zucchini

Zucchini and Ginger Cauliflower Stir Fry

Recipe, post and photo by Adriana Velez of What I Made for Dinner.

3 zucchini

one head of cauliflower

2T vegetable oil

shallot

ginger

I heated about 2T vegetable oil on high, added some minced shallot and ginger, and then added one chopped head of cauliflower and three chopped zucchinis. I cooked it all, tossing, until the zucchini was just barely tender.

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Summer Beans

Photo, recipe, and post by Lindsey Johnson at Just Recipes.

Summer Beans

Tomatoes--can use fresh (5-6 large tomatoes) or canned (2 small cans or 1 large)

4-5 Yukon Gold potatoes (or other waxy potato), sliced into 1/4" rounds

1 bag frozen green beans (I like the Haricot Verts from Trader Joe's)

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced (whatever you like)

Salt and pepper

Drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil. Cook sliced potatoes, tomatoes, and garlic in a large pot until you can pierce the potatoes easily with the tip of a knife--so there is still some resistance, but the potatoes aren't mushy.Remove the potatoes and tomatoes to a large bowl.

Steam the green beans in the same pan you used to cook the potatoes and tomatoes. Add the cooked green beans to the bowl with the potatoes and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve:My husband likes a splash of balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce. I like a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Deviled Eggs

This is my mother's recipe. It's just not summer without deviled eggs.

Gluten-Free Deviled Eggs

6 hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/8 teaspoon salt

dash pepper

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

green olives with pimento, sliced

paprika (optional)

Mix egg yolks (discard one) with next 5 ingredients. Refill egg halves. Top with olives and paprika.

Creamed Peas

Gluten-Free Creamed Peas

This is a family recipe from my mother-in-law.

2 T margarine

2 T rice flour

1 cup milk

peas, frozen or canned

garlic salt

Melt margarine in sauce pan. Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk until a cream-like texture. Add peas and garlic salt.

I do not like peas, never have. THIS recipe had me going back for seconds! Food in photo made by my husband, the true chef of my family.

Au Gratin Potatoes

Au Gratin Potatoes

(or Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes)

2 lbs russet potatoes, about 6 medium sized

1/4 cup margarine or butter

1/4 cup dried minced onion

1 Tbsp rice flour

1 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar or cheddar jack

Prepare your potatoes by peeling them, and then slicing thin. Rinse the sliced potatoes with cold water and spread into a 9x13 pan.

In a saucepan, melt the margarine. Add the dried minced onion, flour, salt, and pepper and cook until bubbly, about 1 minute. Add the milk and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Stirring constantly, heat until boiling. Stir and boil for 1 minute.

Pour cheese sauce over potatoes. Bake in a 375 oven for 1 hour. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and bake another 10 minutes.

Seriously, this is so good. Use a food processor with a slicer attachment to slice the potatoes, and you'll save 3 hours, or at least it'll seem like that long if you slice by hand. Of course you can use fresh onion, but in a dish like this, I don't think it makes much of a difference. Plus, I really don't like dicing onions, so if I can get out of it, I will. Whatever you do, don't skimp on the cheese. Don't think, "well I'm trying to watch my weight so I'll only use half the cheese", because you'll end up with a runny mess. Trust me, I've tried it. Use all cheese as directed. And don't worry too much if it blackens a little around the edges. It will still taste good on the inside and we all know that it's what's on the inside that counts.

Baked Beans

These are awesome baked beans Melanie makes in the crock pot, she made these while she was visiting me this summer. The recipe came from her grandmother's cookbook.

Gluten-Free Baked Beans

1 lb. bacon, cut in 1/2 inch wide strips
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups BBQ sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 T chili powder
1/4 cup worchestershire
1 family size can of pork and beans
1 T mustard
optional: 1lb pork sausage or 1 lb diced pork roast

Combine and simmer at least 4 hours.

corn on the cob

Corn on the cob is always gluten free!

Boil on stove-top for 10 minutes, adding sugar to the water (but not salt as it toughens the kernels). Place on heated grill until slightly browned. Smother in butter and salt and serve.

Lipton Onion Potatoes

1 envelope of dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix

4 medium size potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chop potatoes into large chunks. Put in a bowl and stir with soup mix and oil. Pour into 9x13 baking pan, bake for 35 minutes.

German Potato Salad

Gluten-Free German Potato Salad

9 large potatoes (peeled, boiled, and roughly chopped)
1 can of black olives, sliced
5 dill pickles, chopped into small chunks
7 eggs, boiled and chopped
1 ham steak, cooked and cut into small cubes
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon mayo
pepper
salt

Mix potatoes, olives, pickles, eggs, ham, and cheese together in a large bowl. Stir and season with pepper and salt. Add two heaping tablespoons spoons of sour cream and stir. Add one spoonful of mayo and stir. Add additional sour cream and mayo to preferred taste. Add more pepper and salt to taste. Mix it again and chill for at least one hour before serving.



This is my mother-in-law's recipe we have slightly adapted.

Spanish Rice

Gluten-Free Spanish Rice

1 large white onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tlb. olive oil

2 cups rice

4 cups water

5 chicken boullion cubes

1 can of green chiles

1 can of sliced black olives

2 16 ounce cans of stewed tomatoes

1 can of red beans

salt

pepper

garlic powder

Heat skillet with 4 to 6 tablespoons of olive oil. On the stove, boil 4 cups of water, add 5 chicken boullion cubes - once cubes are dissolved, set aside. When oil is hot, put in chopped onion and minced garlic over medium heat (325). Once onions and garlic are slightly brown add 2 cups rice and brown for 5 minutes. Drain red beans and add, drain sliced olives and add, add can of green chiles, add two cans of tomatoes. Stir and make sure rice isn't sticking, cook for two minutes. Add water/chicken boullion, bring to a boil. Lower heat to 300 and cover, stirring periodically to ensure rice isn't sticking/burning. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste. Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until liquid is gone.

Veggies and Cheese

This is a summer staple at our home as a snack or a side dish next to a burger or grilled chicken. Top with your favorite gluten-free dressing.

sliced cucumber

sliced cheese

sliced tomato

dressing

Fruit Salad

Naked fruit is always gluten free!

grapes

kiwi

mango

pineapple

watermelon

cantaloupe

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Twice-Baked Potatoes

4 medium sized baking potatoes

1/4 cup chive cream cheese spread

3 Tbsp butter or margarine

2 chives or green onions, chopped

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup hot already made instant mashed potatoes

Coarse salt, like sea salt or kosher salt

Ground pepper

Pierce potatoes with fork. Place them on a large cookie sheet. Rub with 1 Tbsp butter and sprinkle them with coarse salt. Bake in a 350 oven for an hour, or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Using a hot pad, split each potato in half, being careful not to tear the skins. Using a hot pad(because they will be HOT), hold a potato half and scoop out most but not all of the insides, placing the innards into a bowl and the almost empty skin back onto the baking sheet.

Once you have done this with all the potatoes, add to the bowl the cream cheese, butter, onions, and cheddar cheese. Stir well. Add the already made instant mashed potatoes, salt and pepper, and stir some more. Scoop the filling back into the potato skins. Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and bake at 350 until cheese melts, about 5-10 minutes.

My dear mother-in-law makes these often, and they are worth the extra work. Add more or less of any of the items to the filling to get the consistency and taste you like. I add the extra instant potatoes because I like my skins to be extra full, but you don't have to. The chive cream cheese is yummy too, but again not necessary. That's just how I like to make them.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This is a recipe that needs to be doubled if used for a main dish. I think it would be a perfect side dish to the PB Noodles I posted or Pad Thai I will post next week.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (thinly chopped and cooked)

1 T ginger root (I think optional, we never add this)

2 T oil

2 T rice vinegar

2 T terriyaki sauce*

1 T honey

1 & 1/2 C shredded carrot

1/2 C green onion

1/3 C sliced almonds

Lettuce

Directions:Add all ingredients except chicken and lettuce into a bowl and stir until combined. Then put mixture into pan with cooked chicken and simmer for 8 minutes. Serve hot with prepared lettuce leaves. Fill leaves with mix and enjoy.

*To make GF terriyaki sauce out of the GF soy sauce: stir in sugar, honey, and ginger to taste.