Thanksgiving Trimmings

Tonight's meal was almost like a Thanksgiving preview. We did not have turkey, but rotisserie chicken does the trick. Especially when served with sides of mashed potatoes, cranberry cornbread dressing, and green beans with caramelized shallots. Now what to do with the leftovers? I think I will save sides in the freezer until next week as my contribution to my Mom's dinner she plans to help with. The chicken I am saving for Friday night's dinner.

Consider this your double recipe bonus for the holidays and both recipes will meet the criteria for any gluten-free company you may be serving. In the stuffing, I've taken homemade crumbled corn bread and dressed it up with dried cranberries, sage, poultry seasoning, sauteed onions, celery, and carrot. And, who needs green bean casserole when you can have perfectly sauteed green beans with caramelized shallots? Besides making the cornbread for the stuffing and chopping a few vegetables, both side dishes are an elegant snap to put together.

Gluten Free Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing
Cornbread inspired by Gluten Free Mommy

For the cornbread:

1 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup corn meal
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 beaten eggs
1 cup buttermilk

For the rest of the stuffing:

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
1/4 cup carrots, finely diced
1 pan, of gluten-free cornbread (ingredients above), crumbled.
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
2 cups chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste

To bake the cornbread: Spray a 9' x 9' baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the brown rice flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, and buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until moistened. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Let cool before cutting or serving.

To make the stuffing: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes. Arrange on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cornbread begins to brown along the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool before crumbling. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent. Add the carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables begin to soften (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat. In a large bowl, add the cornbread, vegetables, spices, and cranberries. Toss to combine. Pour the chicken broth over the dressing and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions
inspired by Weight Watchers

1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, finely sliced
1 12 oz. bag green beans

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Melt the butter. Add the shallot and cook stirring every so often until the shallot begins to brown and caramelize. Meanwhile, in a large microwave safe dish or in a steam safe bag, steam the green beans for 3-4 minutes. Add the green beans to the shallots. Raise the heat to medium. Sautee the beans for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.