One of the hardest adjustments when going gluten free is the lack of convenience foods. There are some options, but by-and-large they either are not that great or they cost a small fortune. There are nights when you just don’t feel like cooking and want to throw a frozen pizza in the oven. Or nights where you need a quick meal on the table before heading out the door again. Those nights can be tough for a gf-er. On those nights, we do a lot of eggs in my house. My almost 3-year old prefers them scrambled with cheese, please.
Even canned soups often contain gluten. Stay tuned for my secret weapon in my Chicken Wild Rice hot dish. It’s coming soon.
We do have a go-to meal that never fails to please. A meal that comes together quickly, without planning ahead. Drum roll, please… Spaghetti & meatballs. Yep, frozen, pre-made meatballs – gluten free. Taa daa! Sam’s Club sells a 6 pound bag of Daily Chef meatballs. Double check that they are gf, because they carry more than one kind. I guarantee you there is always, always a bag in my freezer.
Simmer a few (or a dozen) meatballs in spaghetti sauce, while boiling up your noodles. I love Trader Joe’s brown rice pasta noodles. They taste great and are reasonably priced. Plus, they come in a 16 oz bag. Most gf noodles come in 12 oz packages. Once the noodles are cooked al dente (literally meaning “with tooth” or having a bite still), drain the noodles. Then mix them with the sauce. The starch in brown rice noodles is different than in traditional wheat flour noodles. Brown rice noodles tend to clump together and get hard. My secret, always toss your pasta with the sauce, the noodles keep their texture better.
Spaghetti & meatballs is a fast and convenient meal that’ll please the whole family.