Planning a gluten-free Thanksgiving meal? Here’s a day-by-day prep guide. This planner makes a classic Thanksgiving menu that no one would guess is gluten-free. (a printable guide is included at the bottom of this post!)
Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu
(click on the recipe name for the full recipe.)
Nibbles
Gluten-Free Crackers, Cheese, Olives, Raw Vegetables, and Dip.
Appetizer
Main Course
Turkey
Gluten-Free Stuffing
Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish
Mixed Green Salad with Figs and Walnuts
Gluten-Free Cheddar Biscuits
Dessert
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie OR Sweet Potato Pie
Saturday
- Do your shopping. (Wait until Tuesday or Wednesday to buy salad greens.)
- Make the gluten-free pie dough. Pie dough freezes really well; so even if you plan on using a gluten-free pie dough mix, make the dough today. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and freeze.
- Make and freeze the gluten-free gravy. You can add the turkey drippings on Thanksgiving day for a flavorful gravy.
- Prep the flour for the Cheddar Biscuits. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Place in a ziplock bag and label.
Sunday
- Bake a loaf (or two!) of gluten-free sandwich bread for stuffing. Don’t worry about it getting stale. You’re going to dry it out so that you’ll have the best tasting gluten-free stuffing on Thanksgiving.
- Start thawing the turkey. Place it in a pan on the bottom rack of your refrigerator to thaw.
Monday
- Cube the gluten-free bread and dry it in the oven. (see recipe for details)
Tuesday
- Buy salad greens.
- Make the cranberry sauce. It stores very well in the refrigerator and making it early allows the flavors to deepen.
- Make salad dressing.
- Make the sweet potato soup.
- Remove the pie dough from the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Wednesday
- Prepare the green bean casserole. Leave the topping off until you heat on Thanksgiving day.
- Chop the vegetables for the stuffing. Place in a ziplock bag and store in the refrigerator.
- Bake pie(s) and other desserts. (If you prefer to bake your pies on Thanksgiving morning, roll out the pie crust and place it into the pie pan. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the crust and chill overnight in the refrigerator. )
- Remove the gravy from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. (If you didn’t make the gravy over the weekend, make a batch tonight.)
- Peel and prep the potatoes. Place the peeled potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover. Refrigerate.
Thanksgiving Day
5 Hours Before Thanksgiving Dinner
- Prepare and bake the Cheddar biscuits.
4 Hours Before Thanksgiving Dinner
- Roast the Turkey: You need about three hours of roasting time for a 15-pound turkey (start roasting earlier if your turkey is larger.) Starting the turkey four hours before you plan on serving allows the turkey to rest before you carve it and frees up oven space for casseroles.
- Prepare the stuffing.
3 Hours Before Thanksgiving Dinner
- Cook and Mash the Potatoes. Transfer them to a slow cooker to keep warm. If you don’t have a slow cooker, hold off on cooking the mashed potatoes until about an hour before you plan to eat.
- Put together the cheese plates or any appetizers you’re serving.
2 Hours Before Thanksgiving Dinner
- Whip the heavy cream and pop it into the refrigerator. You can re-whip a little before serving.
- Remove the cranberry sauce from the refrigerator. It tastes better at room temperature.
- Make the salad. Place a lightly damp paper towel over the salad greens and refrigerate to keep them from wilting before dinner.
1 Hour Before Thanksgiving Dinner
- Place the gravy into the saucepan. Add pan drippings for flavor. (Skip the drippings if they burnt.)
- Heat the stuffing, green bean casserole and any other side dishes.
Right Before Thanksgiving Dinner
- Heat the gravy over low heat. Whisk as it heats to prevent it from burning.
- Carve the turkey.
After Thanksgiving Dinner
- Put your feet up and encourage your loved ones to do the dishes. 🙂
Download a printable version of the gluten-free Thanksgiving planner.
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