Butternut squash is one of those rare vegetables that is in season during the dark days of winter. It makes for a sunny puddle in your soup bowl and warms you all the way through. There are so many different directions to go with this soup and so many substitutions and additions based on your mood and how your kitchen is currently stocked. I keep it fairly simple, and try to keep the ingredient list short. Certainly you can substitute other winter squash varieties with a similar texture such as baby sugar pumpkins, acorn squash, etc. You can even take the opportunity to highlight a favorite exotic spice. This soup is a blank palette awaiting your creativity.

Butternut Squash Recipe

1. Melt butter in large sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, until softened and translucent. Add chopped squash, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and chicken broth (add additional water if necessary to come up to cover your squash completely). Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes. 

2. Use stick blender (or batch process in a regular blender) or use potato masher to blend the squash into a smooth soup.

3. Stir in cream and brown sugar and continue heating over low heat until hot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole

(10-12 servings)

Heat oven to 350°. In 2 quart casserole dish mix soup, soy sauce, pepper, bread crumbs, and green beans. Spread top with crushed chips if desired.

Bake 30-40 minutes…until hot and bubbly.

For me there are certain must haves for the dinner table that include Turkey (make mine brined please), mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, and a dinner roll of some sort off to the side (gluten free of course).

Those are the essentials in my opinion…now we typically also have sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, and at least two different stuffings (corn bread and white bread — Southerners and Northerners are welcome) on the table as well. However if forced to be absolutely minimal I could live happily with the aforementioned short list. Notice that stuffing is not on my short list. I must confess that I am not stuffing’s biggest fan…I eat it…but I could live without it. However since I am guessing that I might be in the minority, I am going to give you a leg up with hints and techniques for transforming your favorite stuffing recipe into a gluten free version for the holidays.

I hesitate to wade in on the stuffing debate. I know that all the various kinds have their enthusiastic proponents. Bread versus cornbread versus rice versus potato versus pumpkin stuffing and all the other minor variations that abound. I will focus these tips on those recipes that call for bread…many of the other versions such as cornbread or rice stuffing are already gluten free or easily convert to gluten free with minor tweaks.

Here are the guidelines:

• When using gluten free breads cut the bread smaller than you would normally. Gluten free breads tend to be denser than typical wheat breads so you will need the extra surface area gained by chopping or crumbling the bread finely to achieve the correct finished texture.
• Be ready to add more stock/broth to moisten than your recipe calls for with gluten bread (if necessary).
• Use stale, dry bread. For a fresh loaf, bake your sliced bread in a low oven (200°) until dry so that it will thirstily soak up the liquid components of your recipe.
• Consider changing the proportion of ingredients to lean more on the vegetable components of the dish. For example, add more onions, celery, carrots, etc. than the recipe originally calls for. Again working toward keeping the final texture moist and delicious.
• Consider making the stuffing the day before and allowing it to soak or rest in the refrigerator overnight. Gluten free flours can often be “harder” than wheat and need extra time to take on moisture. Added benefit is less prep work on the day of.
• Choose your bread well…Ensure that you use a bread that you and your family enjoy in its “natural” state. You might consider Udi’s bread if you have access locally or online (we love the multigrain variety).
• Make careful notes of your changes/tweeks! Trust me you will not remember a year from now or even a month from now. Make notes on what went well and suggestions for the next time you make the stuffing. Remember, you are crafting a legacy recipe that will eventually be a fail safe foundation for future holidays.
• Be fearless. Even if you do not consider yourself completely comfortable with changing a family recipe, consider the possible benefits of having a beloved favorite you and your family can enjoy without gluten.

Here are some helpful links to gluten free stuffing recipe versions:

Perfect Gluten Free Stuffing

 Mirliton (Chayote) Stuffing