Gluten Free Quick Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. The internet is abuzz with recipes and tips for feeding a crowd. But what if you don’t have a crowd to feed? What if you don’t have all day to prepare a feast? What if there is no way on this earth you will ever use up a whole turkey, even with a zillion left-over turkey recipes?

Does this mean you have to be deprived on Thanksgiving? No! Here is a whole gluten free Thanksgiving dinner for six that is quick, easy, and stress free. It comes from the chapter Easy Entertaining in my book Simply Gluten Free Quick Meals.

A few little tricks will help you have the taste, look, and abundance of a traditional Thanksgiving feast without, you know, having to cook a whole Thanksgiving feast!

First, replace the turkey with Cornish Game Hens; they are special, adorable and everyone gets his own drumstick!

Instead of cranberry sauce and gravy, I combine the two into a Cranberry Gravy. It complements the game birds perfectly and is ready in about 10 minutes!

What would Thanksgiving be without dressing? With a little help from Kinnikinnick Panko Style bread crumbs, you have an easy Skillet Dressing that is done in minutes!

To round out the menu, there are Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Oven-roasted Balsamic Onion Green Beans, both quick and easy, both delicious.

And I haven’t forgotten about dessert. The Pumpkin Mousse Pie is super simple and there is no fussy pie crust to make; just use some graham style crumbs from Kinnikinnick or gluten free graham crackers. Whip up everything else in the mixer and let the pie set up in the fridge. You can make it the day of or the night before.

Thanksgiving is a special day and it deserves a special dinner whether you are feeding two or twenty.

The recipes follow but first, here is my quick cook strategy for getting it all on the table quickly!

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees for the pie crust. Prepare the crust and while it is in the oven, make the filling. Once the crust has baked, crank the oven up to 450 degrees.
• Get all your vegetables prepped, chopped, minced and sliced for the entire menu; this will make the flow of cooking go so much better.
• Cut up the game hens, season and brown them so they are ready to go in the oven.
• Get the sweet potatoes on the stove and cooking. If they are done before you are ready to mash them, they can wait for you off the heat in the hot water.
• The green beans and game hens can go into the oven at the same time.
• Use the same skillet you browned the game hens in to make the cranberry gravy. Just drain out the oil and wipe it clean first. Saves time with clean up later.
• The skillet dressing and cranberry gravy can be made while the hens and beans are in the oven. Start the dressing first because it takes a bit longer.

Gluten Free Quick Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes

5 from 1 vote

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Gluten Free Cornish Game Hens

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 494kcal

Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 Cornish game hens
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons kosher or fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoons gluten free poultry seasoning
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• ▢
  Remove everything from the cavity of the game hens and either discard or reserve for another use. Halve the hens by cutting along both sides of the backbone with scissors or kitchen shears. Cut along one side of the breast-bone to separate into two halves. Rinse the halves and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning and rub all over the game hen halves.
• ▢
  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add the hen halves in batches, skin side down (do not crowd the pan). Sauté until golden brown, about 4 minutes, flip and sauté the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer hens to a roasting pan, skin side up, and roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees and the juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife. Cover with foil and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Gluten Free Cornish Game Hens

Amount Per Serving

Calories 494 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 9g45%

Cholesterol 227mg76%

Sodium 719mg30%

Potassium 540mg15%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 39g78%

Vitamin A 262IU5%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 33mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

5 from 1 vote

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Gluten Free Skillet Dressing

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Condiment/Sauce

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 medium onion , finely chopped
• ▢ 2 stalks celery , finely chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons gluten free poultry seasoning
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1¼ - 1½ cups gluten-free chicken stock
• ▢ 2 cups gluten-free panko style bread crumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• ▢
  Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, poultry seasoning and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add 1¼ cups chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the bread crumbs, stir to combine, take off the heat, cover the pan and let sit for 8-10 minutes. If the dressing seems too dry, add a little more chicken stock. Taste and add salt if needed.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Gluten Free Skillet Dressing

Amount Per Serving

Calories 326 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 6g30%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 355mg15%

Potassium 168mg5%

Carbohydrates 47g16%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 310IU6%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 22mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

5 from 1 vote

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Cranberry Gravy

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Condiment/Sauce

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 109kcal

Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

• ▢ 12 ounces (about 3 cups) fresh or frozen whole cranberries
• ▢ 1 cup orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
• ▢ 1½ cups gluten-free chicken stock
• ▢ 1/3 cup sugar
• ▢ Salt & pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• ▢
  Combine cranberries, orange juice, chicken stock and sugar in a large skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by half and the berries pop, about 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Gravy

Amount Per Serving

Calories 109 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 87mg4%

Potassium 194mg6%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 118IU2%

Vitamin C 28mg34%

Calcium 11mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

5 from 1 vote

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Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 279kcal

Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 pounds sweet potatoes , peeled and chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• ▢ 4-6 tablespoons cream, half-and-half or milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• ▢
  Put the cut-up sweet potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water. Cover the pan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes and return to the hot pot. Put back on the stove over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute to remove extra moisture. Mash the sweet potatoes coarsely in the pot with the salt and pepper. Add the butter and maple syrup and mash to combine. Add the cream, half and half or milk, a little at a time and mash until you reach the desired consistency.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 279 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 4g20%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 16mg5%

Sodium 518mg22%

Potassium 804mg23%

Carbohydrates 53g18%

Fiber 7g28%

Sugar 16g18%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 32368IU647%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 93mg9%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

5 from 1 vote

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Oven Roasted Balsamic Onion Green Beans

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 96kcal

Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

• ▢ 1½ pounds green beans, stem ends snapped off
• ▢ 1 medium red onion , peeled, halved and each half cut into 6 wedges
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons honey

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the green beans and onion wedges in the prepared baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread into an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes.
• ▢
  Combine the balsamic vinegar with the honey in a small bowl. When the beans and onions have roasted for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, pour the vinegar/honey mixture over the beans and onions and toss with tongs to coat. Return to oven and continue to roast for 12-15 minutes or until the onions and beans are dark golden brown in spots and the beans are starting to shrivel. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Oven Roasted Balsamic Onion Green Beans

Amount Per Serving

Calories 96 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 397mg17%

Potassium 276mg8%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 784IU16%

Vitamin C 15mg18%

Calcium 49mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

5 from 1 vote

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Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time8 mins

Chill time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 48 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 642kcal

Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 (8-ounce) package gluten-free graham crackers (or 1 ½ cups gluten-free graham style crumbs, firmly packed)
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
• ▢ 4 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
• ▢ 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• ▢ 2 teaspoons whiskey (optional)
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ Pinch ground cloves
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 2½ cups heavy cream
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons English Toffee Bits

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• ▢
  Break crackers up and place in food processor fitted with a steel blade and grind into crumbs. Or place the crackers in a plastic food bag and crush with a rolling pin. Combine the crushed crumbs with granulated sugar, melted butter and salt. Mix well. Press the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate, pressing down firmly. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 5 minutes then put in the freezer for 10 minutes to finish cooling and firm up.
• ▢
  With a hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, whiskey (if using), vanilla (if not using whiskey, use 2 teaspoons, otherwise use 1 teaspoon), cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg until smooth and creamy.
• ▢
  In a clean bowl with clean beaters, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Mix a little of the cream into the pumpkin mixture, then fold in the rest. Smooth the mixture into the cooled pie crust and refrigerate until serving. Just before serving, garnish the top of the pie with the English Toffee Bits.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Amount Per Serving

Calories 642 Calories from Fat 441

% Daily Value*

Fat 49g75%

Saturated Fat 29g145%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 160mg53%

Sodium 254mg11%

Potassium 209mg6%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 31g34%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 9862IU197%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 108mg11%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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