Gluten-Free Recipes

Favorite Things September 17, 2021

one of my favorite things are the piles of fall pumpkins in all different sizes at stores and farmer's markets

This a collection of things I'm loving right now. I've included recipes that are perfect for this season and some of my favorite things. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and scroll through all the stuff I've enjoyed this week.

Shein Fall Home Decor

I didn't even realize Shein had home decor. I was looking at all the pretty fall sweaters and realized they have a lot of fall home decor that is really inexpensive. Here are a few of the things I found and thought were lovely.

Recipe Ideas for the Week

Gluten Free Butter Pecan Cookies

Gluten Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Gluten Free Plum Cornmeal Cake

Stuff I Love

What I'm Watching - We just devoured the first few episodes for Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu. I loved this book and the show is really good so far. I can't wait to watch the last couple of episodes when they come out in the next few weeks.

What I'm Listening To - Leon Bridges new album Gold Diggers Sound. I've been a huge fan of Leon Bridges for years. You've likely heard something by him on a favorite tv show. This album is so good!

What I'm Reading - I'm almost done with Women, Food and Hormones: A 4-Week Plan to Achieve Hormonal Balance, Lose Weight, and Feel Like Yourself Again. Honestly, I didn't realize it was a book about eating Keto. I've tried Keto a few times and with my Hashimoto's it's not a good fit for me. I wish it would because I've heard other people have great success following a plan like this.

What I'm Loving - I ordered these olive green ladies joggers and I'm loving them. I didn't know if I would like that they aren't stretchy, but I love how they fit and their a nice light weight for fall.

What I Want to Get - I've got this faux eucalyptus garland in my cart right now. I think it would be perfect to use for my Thanksgiving and Christmas table decorations.

Favorite Kitchen Items for Fall Baking

Favorites From Around The Web

I can't help but start to look at Halloween decor. These pumpkin shaped string lights are so cute! They would be perfect along railing or above a fireplace.

I love my houseplants even more as I head inside for fall and winter. I've been looking at these braided hanging baskets to try to fit a few more plants into my small space.

I've been loving all the layered necklaces I'm seeing for fall. This pretty necklace in gold is inexpensive and would be perfect for this season.

One of my favorite fall and winter clothing items is flannel pajama pants. I love to wear them around the house on cold days. This pair has serious 90s vibes with this plaid print.

Speaking of plaid, all the oversized plaid flannel shirts this season are amazing. I've always loved a flannel shirt layered over a graphic t-shirt with comfy jeans.

I'm loving the dark nail polish for fall. I can't decide if this polish is green, gold or a bit black, but I love it. It's in my cart right now and might just be what I wear all season long.

I love a comfy pair of mules to wear with jeans. This pair at Target is really cute and would be perfect all season.

I also found this faux leather fanny pack that I really want. I think you are either team fanny pack or you hate them. I think they are super convenient and this one is really nice looking.

This belted cardigan in cream is so pretty! It would be perfect to wear with the flannel pajama pants above or with a dress. I love pieces like this that are warm and versatile to go from fall to winter.

Favorite Things September 10, 2021

Some of my favorite things are fresh garden vegetables. These zucchini, cucumbers, kale, green beans, green tomatoes on the vine and basil are all from my garden.

Fall Favorites for Your Home

I'm a huge fan of fall colors! I love the rusts, cream, dark brown, mustard yellows mixed with gold. This season's colors for home items is full of these lovely shades. I also love that there are so many pumpkin items. A simple pillow, ceramic pumpkin on a shelf or table runner instantly makes my home feel like fall has arrived (even if it's still 85 outside).

Recipe Ideas for the Week

Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

Gluten Free Plum Cake

Baked Kale and Zucchini Pilaf

Stuff I Love

What I'm Watching - I'm loving Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy on HBO! It is so well done and now I'm dreaming of going back to Italy and eating all the food.

What I'm Listening To - The Armchair Expert Umbrella Podcast episode 22 with Reese Witherspoon and Kristen Bell was so good! Two of my favorites chatting was worth the listen.

What I'm Reading - I can't wait to read The Book of Magic (Practical Magic #2) by Alice Hoffman. I have a copy coming and I think it will be the perfect book for October!

What I'm Loving - These new ultra soft black leggings I got at Target. They are $18 and the perfect weight for going from summer into fall. I'm not giving up my uniform of leggings with everything any time soon! I ordered black and now I want a couple more colors.

What I Want to Get - This button up utility shirt in dusty green is in my cart right now. It would be perfect to wear over the leggings I mentioned above!

New Women's Arrivals at H&M

Favorites From Around the Web

I'm loving all the 90s things coming back in style! I had a favorite blackberry colored lipgloss from Clinique that went on the perfect color for fall! I just found this lip shine from e.l.f. in a similar color that I want to try.

I also used to love the super dark red nail polish and I found this new shade from Essie that I can't wait to try for this fall.

Have you seen all the cute shackets? They're a jacket and shirt combination that is the perfect warm layer. I love this plaid version from Shein that's only $25!

I have to confess that I've already been looking at the Halloween stuff. I'm loving this cute glass food storage container with pumpkins, these treat bags with a jack-o-lantern face and these fun cookie cutters!

Target has a new houseware collaboration with Opalhous and Jungalow. More is coming out Sunday and then again later this month. So far I'm loving these short tumbler glasses, this black and gold flatware set and this scallop edge serving bowl.

I use my dutch oven all winter long. It is old and a little beat up, but that's the beauty of a dutch oven they last for years. I love this pretty cream Hearth and Hand dutch oven at Target. I really love that it's $50. I've never thought that you need a dutch oven that costs hundreds of dollars to cook a yummy soup or slow roast anything.

One of the reasons I love fall is that boots come back into season. I love a good pair of boots to keep my feet dry and toasty. This maroon pair is in my cart, I also looked at this army green pair and these classic riding boots in cognac. They're all so pretty!

I love a wood cutting board. This wood cutting board at Target is a lovely color and perfect for chopping up all the veggies for soups and stews this fall and winter.

As the nights start to get cooler it's officially becoming sweatshirt season. This tie dye women's sweatshirt is so fun! I'm always a fan of a full zip sweatshirt as a layer. I love the thick neck band, arm bands and waist band on this sweatshirt. And this three quarter zip sweatshirt in cream or cocoa are both perfect!

I recently got a couple of new serving spoons. I'm not sure what happens to serving spoons, but around here they are kind of like socks without mates. No one seems to know what happened to them. I love the size and weight of these spoons. They are perfect for all the side dishes and the holiday season.

Baked Kale and Zucchini Pilaf

This easy recipe for gluten free baked kale and zucchini pilaf is made with jasmine rice and lots of green veggies. It's a perfect side dish with steak, chicken or on it's own for a light meal. This rice casserole has cream cheese and spices for a delicious, creamy flavor.

I'm always looking for ways to use all of the kale and zucchini I grow in our garden. It's my favorite to have savory recipes that aren't the typical baked goods. Don't get me wrong, I love a good gluten free zucchini bread or cookie, but adding more greens to a meal is always a win.

If you are looking for more zucchini recipes try my Gluten Free Zucchini Squash and Corn Casserole, my Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini Squash, my Gluten Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies, or my Easy Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies.

You can find all of my side dishes here: Gluten Free Side Dish Recipes

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Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In an ovenproof, covered dutch oven or pot on medium heat saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add zucchini, thyme, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes to soften the zucchini.

Turn off the heat. Add the jasmine rice and vegetable stock to the pot. Stir to combine ingredients.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with the lid on the pot.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Then add the cream cheese and kale. Stir the kale into the mixture and bury the cream cheese in the middle.

Place the dutch oven back in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes or until the cream cheese is softened and the kale is wilted.

Remove from oven and stir the cream cheese into the mixture to create a creamy sauce. Serve immediately while still warm.

Supplies

Frequently Asked Questions

What is pilaf?

Pilaf is a rice dish that is usually cooked in stock or broth. It includes spices, vegetables and sometimes meat. The idea of pilaf is cooking the rice along with all the other ingredients. I love that pilaf makes for an easy side dish that can be cooking in the oven while I finish the rest of the meal.

How do you keep kale and squash pilaf from getting watery?

It's really important not to skip the step of cooking the zucchini on the stovetop before adding the rest of the ingredients and baking. Cooking down the vegetables will evaporate off some of the moisture.

Then you will add the rest of your ingredients and bake covered for 30 minutes. It's very important that you use a dutch oven or other dish with a tight fitting cover. This will allow the rice to absorb the vegetable stock and the excess moisture from the zucchini.

More Recipes You Might Enjoy

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Baked Kale and Zucchini Pilaf

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Author: Elaine VanVleck
Total Time: 52 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 small Yellow Onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 cup Jasmine Rice
2 cups Vegetable Broth
2 ounces Cream Cheese
1 tsp. Dried Thyme
½ tsp. Dried Tarragon
½ tsp. Sea Salt
½ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 small Zucchini, seeds removed and diced into ½ inch chunks
1 cup Kale, stem removed and chopped

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Turn off the heat. Add the jasmine rice and vegetable stock to the pot. Stir to combine ingredients.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with the lid on the pot.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Then add the cream cheese and kale. Stir the kale into the mixture and bury the cream cheese in the middle.

Place the dutch oven back in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes or until the cream cheese is softened and the kale is wilted.

Remove from oven and stir the cream cheese into the mixture to create a creamy sauce. Serve immediately while still warm.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Gluten Free

Cheesy Gluten Free Summer Squash Casserole

This Gluten Free Summer Squash Casserole is one of those recipes that I look forward to making every single summer when the garden is overflowing with zucchini and yellow squash and I need a delicious way to use it all up. It is rich, creamy, and packed with sharp cheddar cheese in the most comforting and satisfying baked side dish that disappears fast at any dinner table or potluck.

The combination of sour cream, mayonnaise, eggs, and cheese creates the most incredibly creamy filling and the gluten free bread crumb topping gets beautifully golden and crunchy under the broiler for the perfect finish.

a cast iron skillet of gluten free summer squash casserole with some served onto a white plate

The most important thing to know about this recipe is that you need to saute the squash and zucchini on the stovetop before baking. This step cooks out a lot of the moisture from the vegetables which is what keeps your casserole from getting watery. Do not skip it.

After that the rest of the recipe comes together quickly and the oven does all the work. This is genuinely one of my favorite summer side dishes and I think once you make it you are going to feel the same way.

If you are looking for more zucchini recipes try my Gluten Free Zucchini Squash and Corn Casserole, my Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini Squash, my Baked Kale and Zucchini Pilaf or my Easy Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies.

You can find all of my side dish recipes here: Gluten Free Side Dish Recipes

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Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In an oven safe pan or cast iron skillet on medium heat add butter and allow to melt. Add the diced onions and cook until they're almost translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more.

Add the diced yellow squash and zucchini to the onion mixture. Saute on medium heat until the squash starts to soften and the onions are completely translucent.

Add the eggs to the skillet and mix around until they are creamy and mixed into the vegetables. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and 1 cup of gluten free bread crumbs. Stir thoroughly until everything is mixed together.

This mixture will be very thick and almost paste like. This will allow for the squash to continue to cook down in the oven and release water.

Top the mixture with the other ½ cup of cheddar cheese and ½ cup of gluten free bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. The edges will be bubbling, the cheese will be melted and the top will be slightly browned when the casserole is done.

At this point, I like to turn my broiler on high and broil the casserole for 1-2 minutes. This will brown the top and give it a bit of crunch. Watch the casserole very closely as the browning will happen quickly.

Supplies

Storage

After the casserole has cooled completely store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you thicken summer squash casserole?

This recipe has gluten free bread crumbs or rice crumbs in it for a thickener. After cooking the squash on the stovetop there is still a lot of liquid that hasn't evaporated you can add a bit more bread crumbs, but remember, that more moisture will evaporate as you bake this dish.

How do you keep squash casserole from getting watery?

It's really important not to skip the step of cooking the squash and zucchini on the stovetop before adding the rest of the ingredients and baking. Cooking down the vegetables will evaporate off some of the moisture.

Then you will add the cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, eggs, seasoning and bread crumbs. After adding these the casserole will be almost paste like and very thick. This is perfect because as the squash and zucchini continue to cook down and release water in the oven you will be left with a super creamy hot dish.

How do I tell if this casserole is done?

The edges will be bubbling and then cheese will be completely melted on top. The top will just be starting to brown a bit. I like to turn the broiler on high and finish browning the top of the casserole to give this dish a bit of crunch on top at this point.

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