Anyone who has celiac disease knows that parties are a tricky thing. You want to go, you want to see family and friends, but do you dare eat anything? Is eating worth the risk of being sick later?
Those are questions that go through my mind every time our family attends a party. Three of my six kids have celiac disease. I have IBS and am gluten intolerant. When one of my kids get contaminated, he typically has no outward symptoms. The other two just “feel awful” the next day. So that means missed school. And so I weigh this every time. Do I let them eat food others have made when they say it’s “gluten free”? Do they really understand how many ways they can contaminate food?
So, I usually end up bringing a bunch of options, so my kids are safe, and my stress level is lower. Because hanging out with family and friends is something that I love and need. And for me, making food that is yummy makes me happy. And I especially love when my gf food is delicious to non-gluten free people! That is my goal.
So without further wordiness, here are my gluten free snack ideas. Some are my recipes, some are other’s recipes, and some are just things I buy. I hope you will find something that helps you prepare to attend your next party.
Hearty Snacks
I hate going to parties where there is just dessert type snacks. So I like to bring at least one “hearty” snack.
Leftovers Taco Bake is by far a favorite at parties when I bring this. You often have just a little taco meat or shredded chicken left over. You can easily put that to use with a can of organic refried beans, some fresh lime juice and my Homemade Taco Seasoning. Top with diced bell peppers and some cheddar cheese and you are good to go.
You can also top it with salsa or queso dip too. We like On the Border Brand best and it’s usually the cheapest at Walmart in the city where I live. Serve this taco bake with tortilla chips. This will be gone in no time. You can always double this recipe and use a larger dish for serving too.
Another more filling snack is my Cheesy Garlic and Bacon Potato Bites. I like to make these in a silicone mini-muffin tin because it gives you the perfect bite-sized portion. I have also made them in regular size muffin tins with silicone muffin liners and the instructions for that are in the linked blog post. This recipe can also help you use up left over mashed potatoes – BONUS!
Another great option is to bring frozen gluten free pizza. We love Costco’s options- Kirkland cauliflower crust and the Sabatasso’s brand. Just bring some parchment paper, and you should be good to bake in their oven. Place the parchment paper on the oven racks and then place the gf pizza on it. Typically the pizza’s bake at 425 or 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Super easy. No prep.
Dessert Ideas
Brownies are always a hit. My favorite brand of box brownies is Krusteaz. My gf and non-gluten free family members like these the best. To save money, buy them in bulk on Amazon. They are about 13 cents cheaper per box when you buy an 8 pack, and friends, every penny counts.
I substitute refined coconut oil for the oil called for in the box recipe and they taste amazing! To make them fun for Super Bowl parties, just order a football shaped cookie cutter and it’s instantly more fun! The amazon link for the cookie cutters is one I wish I could have found before I ordered the one I did. The one I ordered only had one size, this link has multiple sizes, so you can use up as much of the brownies as possible before devouring the scraps.:)
Popcorn is a staple in most gluten free homes. And one of my favorite recipes is my Popcorn Party Mix. I have been making this mix for a long time. And so it was super easy to change it to gluten free by just substituting the pretzels. We like Snyder’s better than Glutino, but everyone has their preference. I purchase these pretzels at my local grocery store because my local Walmart doesn’t carry them. I linked to the Snyder’s pretzels on Amazon, but it is NOT your best price.
This popcorn mix is so fun for kids. And if you have friends with peanut allergies, just leave them out.
Another popcorn recipe that I have fallen in love with is by Wyse Guide. It is his Cinnamon and Cayenne Pepper Popcorn. You literally make this in the microwave! You only need a microwave safe dish and a brown paper bag. This is a unique and addicting recipe. So make sure to take it to the party and not just sit and eat it all at your house.:)
I adjusted his recipe slightly. I used 2 bags of microwave popcorn and halved the “syrup” part of the recipe. That was plenty for my tastes, but you might like more. That’s one great thing about recipes. We can create and adapt them to our own needs and tastes.
So go check out his recipe! You will be glad you did.
Fruit & Veggies
At most parties I attend, someone always brings fruit and veggies. And I usually feel pretty safe eating them. I don’t always use the dip though. Sometimes, you can even bring your own dip. Bring a little container with your favorite dressing for the veggies and the problem is solved. Fruit dip is a little trickier to bring your own if you don’t want to also make that too–because we already have enough to make.
I hope these tips and recipes will help easy some of the worry of what to bring to your next Super Bowl party or any other get together. I believe simple is the best. We don’t need to make things fancy to be wonderful. Save your time and energy for socializing and relaxing.
Now let’s PARTY!
Emma
