Gluten-Free Spaghetti and Meatballs

Gluten-free spaghetti and meatballs are quick, easy, and reheat well! I used the meatball recipe from the 'The Gluten-Free Italian Cookbook' as a starting point. I learned early on in gluten-free cooking that a cheap way to get around needing gluten-free bread crumbs is to substitute instant potato flakes. Betty Crocker's instant potato flakes work great and are gluten-free. We use HEB brand gluten-free noodles these days because the price and taste is right, but when those are not available we always fall back to the beloved Tinkyada brand gluten-free noodles. The ingredients required for the meatballs are as follows:

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef (80/20- the more fat content the juicer the meatballs will turn out!)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup instant potato flakes
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons dried parsley (or fresh if you have it!)
1/2 cup fresh basil ( or 3 tablespoons of dried)
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 package of gluten-free noodles
1 jar of tomato sauce (HEB Tomato Basil)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a big bowl of water to bowl. Mix all of the above ingredients (minus the noodles and sauce). Form about 2" balls with the meat mixture . Place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. When the water starts to boil, add the gluten-free noodles. Once the meatballs and noodles are done place the noodles into bowls, pour some sauce on, then place the meatballs on top. I have super sized the recipe to ensure there are enough left overs to last the week. Enjoy!

King Arthur Flour- gluten free cookie mix

We have tried multiple brands of gluten-free cookie mixes and have decided King Arthur's Flour gluten free cookie mix is by far our favorite! It is a little more pricier than other brands, but is well worth it.

It is as simple as adding eggs, butter, water and your choice of add-in. As chocolate lovers, we always add in chocolate chips.

These cookies are soft, gooey, and delicious! I would recommend these to anyone with a sweet tooth that hasn't been satisfied with other gluten-free products on the market.

Enjoy when the cookies are warm with a cold glass of milk!

Gluten-Free Black Bean & Corn Salsa

One of my favorite dips to bring to a party is black bean and corn salsa. Naturally gluten-free, it is simple, easy and delicious!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
4 tsp sugar
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can shoepeg corn (drained)
1 bunch green onions (chopped)
1 package feta cheese
1 bag of tortilla chips, Tostitos Scoops

Directions:
Mix the vinegar, olive oil and sugar. Blend until the sugar is dissolved. Add the drained black beans, drained corn and chopped onions. Stir. Crumble the feta into the bowl. Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to allow for the vinegar flavor to soak into the beans and corn.

Tip: Don't start with all of the apple cider vinegar. Add the remaining at the end to taste to avoid too much vinegar.

A Gluten-Free Backyard BBQ

Everyone loves to have barbecues in the summer time and Udi's has helped make that easier for gluten-free eaters. At the beginning of this summer Udi's released their gluten-free hamburger and hot dog buns and they are delicious!!

Udi's GF Hamburger Buns

The second ingredient required is the patties. We had about 10 people over for this BBQ and I bought about 2.5 lbs of 80/20 ground beef. The beef with a higher fat content makes a much juicier burger.  I also buy an onion. In a bowel I put the meat, a chopped onion, some hamburger seasoning (make sure to read the label!), and an ample amount of Worcestershire sauce. There are many gluten-free Worcestershire sauces in our gf grocery cookbook, including Food Club Brand, French's, Hannaford Brand, Hargis House, Heinz, Kurtz, Lea & Perrins (original), Lowes Foods Brand, Meijer Brand, Safeway Brand, Spartan Brand, The Wizards (Organic CF/GF Vegan), and Winn & Lovett. The last step is to form the patties. I do this by making balls that are all about the same size, and after you have formed all of the balls and they look equal just push them down!

Homemade Patties

The last step is to throw them on to the grill. My patties are pretty thick, so I cook them for 4 minutes on each side on medium heat. When 2 minutes are left on the second side I put on the cheese.

Cheeseburgers!

Place the hot burger patties with the fixings you love; lettuce, tomato, ketchup, or mustard onto the Udi's buns and you have a wonderful gluten-free hamburger!