Easter Dinner....Easy to make gluten-free!

Can you believe it is almost Easter? Didn't we just finish Christmas? My this year is flying by already. Winter is coming to a close and spring is upon us. Can you feel it? Are you ready?

Easter is different for many people, traditions vary and the food that surround those traditions can be totally different from one family to another. What is on your menu this year? Anything special? Are you worried about what to serve your gluten-free and non-gluten-free guests? No need to worry, it can be done easily and a gluten-free Easter dinner can be made to please everyone.

For many families, the traditional meal will start with a beautiful ham. Are you safe there? Most of the time you are, read the labels to be sure. The area that you may run into gluten would be in the glaze that is provided with some hams. If you find that your ham glaze contains gluten, then you can easily make your own with brown sugar, pineapple juice, honey and any desired spices like garlic or onion powder. Keep it simple, let the flavor of the ham shine.

Are you doing a leg of lamb? This is one dish that I have never tried cooking, but I am sure it is simple to do without gluten. Most are cooked with various herbs and spices, garlic and onion, chicken stock and even red wine. Just make sure that all of your ingredients are gluten-free and you will be fine.

How about a prime rib? This is one of my families favorite dishes. It sounds hard to do, but it is actually the easiest roast I have ever prepared. So tender and juicy when cooked properly and to the right temperature. It is also very easy to make gluten-free. I have always prepared mine with a crusting of kosher salt after I seasoned the roast with garlic, onion powder and fresh cracked pepper. The crust of salt on the outside keeps all of the juices in your roast and does not leave the roast with a salty flavor, surprisingly enough.

Now let's consider side dishes. One of the common sides for Easter is au-gratin potatoes. Such a delicious and simple dish to prepare and no one would guess it was missing anything, because it isn't. Another side dish made with potatoes is mashed or smashed potatoes, either way, a true winner!

For some, macaroni and cheese is a favorite side dish. This recipe is the best I've ever had, gluten-free or not! If you haven't tried it yet, I hope you do and enjoy it as much as we have.

Salads are always good for a side dish at any occasion, add some dried cherries, cranberries, feta cheese and maybe some mandarin orange segments to liven it up a bit. This salad dressing is a wonderful addition to any salad! Light and fresh tasting, perfect for a spring salad.

Now, we all know that no dinner is complete without dinner rolls. This recipe is my families favorite and one we serve at most family dinners. They are easy to make and always turn out great! Even great made a day ahead and reheated just before serving. So tasty!

Jell-o salads are always popular. Fruit salad is also a tasty option and so welcomed after a long winter. Strawberries will start to show up in local markets in the coming weeks, mixed with some grapes, melon and other seasonal fruit you will have a wonderful addition to your Easter dinner table.

Desserts are of course another part of the meal. I am one that looks as forward to the dessert as I do any other part of the meal. Light and tasty pies, cream pies, fruit pies, coconut cakes and strawberry shortcake are all wonderful options! So many options, one for any taste preference!

Pudding pies can easily be prepared from store bought gluten-free graham crackers for the crust and a box of gluten-free pudding. Use vanilla pudding and slice some bananas for a banana cream pie. Nothing could be simpler! Have fun with it, adding fresh fruit with vanilla pudding for a creamy fruit pie. If you want to make your own cookie crumb crust, try making these graham crackers a day or so in advance and then make your crust as you normally would.

As you can see, Easter dinner is so easy to prepare gluten-free. There are so many wonderful options that even your gluten-eating guests will enjoy and honestly not know that anything is missing! It's amazing how easy it can be when you have a few good recipes to make your meal exactly what you want it to be. You and your guests will not feel like you are missing a thing, isn't that always the goal. Thankfully that goal is easy to reach!

Happy spring everyone!