Two of my guests last year for Thanksgiving were vegan & vegetarian. I made acorn squash stuffed with a cranberry. pecan rice (similar to the recipe below). I also made a maple pecan pie and a dark chocolate mousse that were vegan friendly. Post Punk Kitchen is my "go to" website when they come to visit. You may also want to check out Vegetarian Times (magazine / website) for recipes. They have great recipes even for my meat & potato loving husband.

I have just have barely touched the surface of the gluten free world. Generally I look for things that don't have wheat, barley or rye.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cranberry Pecan Rice

-Think whole foods..... It helps for both vegetarians and gluten-free food options - and everyone else, too. There are so many "hidden" ingredients you can easily miss when using commercial products. Wheat and wheat by-products are put in so many things. There is wheat in Twizzlers, as an example of an unexpected source. There is wheat in Pringles, but not in Lays, potato chips in the tube cans.

-Our Wal-Mart is carrying a good selection of gluten-free items (baking mixes, cereals - hot and cold, baking ingredients, all-purpose flour and G-F Bisquick, snack foods, dressing/stuffing mix, etc., so that could help simplify some of the gluten-free items without having to purchase a lot of individual ingredients you may not need again. They also carry xanthan gum in small envelopes (like yeast come in), so you don't need to purchase a large, and expensive, amount.

-This is a really versatile recipe for cornbread that everyone can enjoy. You could use any number of egg substitutes if your vegetarians don't eat eggs. Flax-Goop (flaxseed and water mixture) is a good choice.

The recipe makes a very thin pan of cornbread, when made according to the recipe. Cut it into 2- to 3-inch square slices, split the slice with a long serrated bread knife, and you can use it for grilled sandwiches. This recipe can also be cut into small triangles and used as bases for dips and spreads. I always keep some in the freezer to use for cornbread with a meal or as a sliced bread replacement. It can be used crumbled for dressing/stuffing. I cut small rectangles and grill them until they are crispy with garlic butter on them, to serve with a G-F pasta-based meals. Cut into cubes, seasoned with Italian seasonings and baked until toasted and you've got croutons.

CRUNCHY CORNBREAD SQUARES
(source: The No-Gluten Cookbook)
Makes 15-20 squares

1 c. cornmeal
1 c. corn flour (I use Masa flour)
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cream of tartar
1 t. salt, or to taste
4 T. white or brown sugar (I use palm sugar)
1 c. GF sour cream
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
4 T. butter, melted

1. Prepare a 9x13" baking pan with GF non-stick spray and preheat oven to 425-degrees F. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in sour cream, buttermilk, and eggs. (You can add various herbs and spices to change the flavors, such as oregano and garlic powder for Italian flavor, or chili and cumin for a Mexican taste.)

2. Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20-minutes or until lightly browned.

Grilled Cheese on Toasted Cornbread Squares
(Makes 32 small squares)

1 recipe Crunchy Cornbread Squares (recipe above)
1/2 c. soft butter
1 c. cubed Monterey jack cheese
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. roasted red peppers, jarred is fine
1/2 c. chopped sweet red onion

1. Arrange the cornbread squares on a baking sheet that you have prepared with GF nonstick spray. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.

2. Whirr the rest of the ingredients in the food processor until mixed. Don't worry about making the cheese mixture smooth. Using a teaspoon, place a small mound of cheese/butter mixture on each cornbread square.

3. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10-minutes. You can vary this recipe by adding different herbs, chopped garlic, or any of your favorite flavors.

-The best commercial G-F breads that we've tried are Udi's, Rudi's and Kinnikinnick and you will find them in the freezer case. Rice bread is awful and has been since my mother used it (she had celiac disease). I think they are best toasted or grilled, if using them for a sandwich.

You might check with your guests to see if they have a brand preference. We are wheat-free, but I also avoid a lot of the high-glycemic ingredients found in these commercial breads and prefer making my own breads with coconut flour, almond flour, flaxmeal....

-When using G-F breads for French toast, allow the bread to dry-out a little, or even lightly toast the bread, to help keep it from falling apart during frying. I stick mine in the toaster oven on "warm" for 20-30 minutes, which dries the surface, but doesn't toast it.

-Corn tortillas are your friend..... Use them for sandwich-style roll-ups, quesadillas..... Another useful corn flour product is P.A.N. Flour which is a pre-cooked white maize meal used to make Arepas. Arepas are a dense corncake type bread that can be used for nearly any meal - a cross between a pita and an English Muffin, and you can find recipes and videos on-line for how to make and serve them.

-Mexican entrees are easy to make gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly with all the beans and rice choices, and there are many great Italian dishes that work for both (use gluten-free pasta). It's interesting how many of the new cookbooks are including vegetarian sections and many are now including gluten-free sections.

-Grainlady

I hosted Thanksgiving this year which meant that everything except the Turkey was vegetarian!

I can't help much with gluten-free...but beyond the stuffing, the only gluten-y thing that my dishes used was flour as a thickener and I'm sure there are alternatives for that.

Not all of the recipes were vegetarian but were easily made so by swapping out chicken broth for vegetable broth and leaving out the pancetta in the chestnut stuffing. I was the only vegetarian but everyone loved everything.

Cornbread Stuffing - Pioneer Woman
Chestnut Stuffing - Giada from Food Network
Cognac gravy - Ina Garten (I kept half vegetarian and added turkey drippings to the other half)
Green Bean Casserole - Smitten Kitchen
Candied Sweet Potatoes - Pioneer Woman
Spicy Sweet Potatoes - Bobby Flay, Food Network
Spinach Gratin - Ina Garten, Food Network
Roasted Acorn Squash - Pioneer Woman
Pureed Butternut Squash - Pioneer Woman
Roasted Asparagus
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Mashed Potatoes
Whisky-Glazed Carrots - Pioneer Woman
Cranberry Sauce - Pioneer Woman and Cranberry Jezebel from here
Green beans with herbed butter