Gluten Free Pigs in a Blanket

These wonderful dogs taste fantastic any time. Made with my homemade gluten free crescent dough,  people of any age will love these. Dip them in ketchup or mustard, which ever your pleasure!

Gluten Free Cheeseburger Crescent Ring

After a friend lamented missing “crescent ring meals,” I created this delicious alternative to cheeseburger sliders. Needing to restrict your carb intake? Try this Keto, Low Carb Taco Ring from My Table of Three.

Grain Free Cheeseburger Muffin Cups

Of all my favorite gluten free appetizers, these grain free cheeseburger muffin cups work great in a lunch box, too. Enjoy them with these grain free deep fried onion rings from The Savoy Celiac.

Grain Free Enchilada Muffins Cups

Who needs to spend time rolling tortillas when you can enjoy these handheld gluten free snacks instead? Stuffed with beef and beans, they’re rather filling. Enjoy them with Veggie Balance’s Seven Layer Bean Dip and chips!

Grain Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Technically a meal and not a gluten free appetizer, this grain free cauliflower crust pizza makes mouths (and hands) happy! Looking for more low carb options? Try these 10 Cauliflower Recipes from Iowa Girl Eats.

Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

While not an appetizer, these sandwiches come together easily with beef made in the instant pot. (Therefore freeing up time to make other snacks!) Not a fan of beef? Try these Simple Gluten Free Lobster Rolls from Eat at Our Table.

Gluten Free Soft Pretzel Bites

I think my husband ranks these as his favorite among gluten free appetizers. When I made them for his birthday last year, he was beyond excited! Cutting carbs? Make these Low Carb Keto Soft Pretzel Bites from Kirbie’s Cravings.

Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

I’ve tried premade gluten free cheese sticks from the stores. Gotta say, I enjoy these so much more. Made with string cheese, they’re as fun to make as they are to eat. Running short on time? Make this Cheese Fondue from Fearless Dining, instead.

Gluten Free Meatballs

My dad started making this signature recipe when I was in middle school. I’ve been eating them every year at gatherings, and I can never get enough. You could also use my sauce recipe on these Air Fryer Chicken Wings from Air Fryer Eats.

Grain Free Cranberry Brie Bites

These Grain Free Cranberry Brie bites were a huge hit at a 2019 New Year’s Eve party. Even amongst those who don’t have to eat gluten free! Want a carb free version? Try this Baked Brie Cranberry Dip from Mama Gourmand.

Gluten Free Falafel

I usually stay away from deep frying, but these deep fried falafel are 100% worth it. Use them as a gluten free appetizer, or as part of a meal. Either way, try them, and these other 5 Ways to Use Chickpeas.

Find more recipes on This Mess is Ours 100 Gluten Free Appetizer Recipes post. Looking for recipes that make a main meal? Check out Create Kids Club’s list of Gluten Free New Year’s Eve Crockpot Recipes.

What are your favorite gluten free appetizers? What recipes do you “miss” that you’d love to see recreated, gluten free? Leave me a note in the comments below! 

The post Gluten Free Appetizers & Handheld Eats appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Gluten Free Crescent Dough

This gluten free cheeseburger crescent ring starts with my base recipe for gluten free crescent rolls. Quite a few recipes on my site begin with this dough. It all started with my Easter Resurrection rolls. Recently I used them to make apple dumplings, and then pigs in a blanket. Working on a recipe for turning them into cinnamon rolls, too!

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, this dough works best with Cup 4 Cup flour. This brand of flour contains milk powder. Need a gluten free and dairy free recipe? Please try Petite Allergy Eats recipe for Gluten Free Vegan Garlic Crescent Rolls. (Minus the garlic, obvs.)

Recreating Pillsbury Recipes for a Gluten Free Diet

I recently contacted Pillsbury about the dimensions of their wheat based crescent rolls. The incredibly helpful staff stated that their 8 oz tube of dough, unrolled, measures 7.5 x 10.5 inches. (This equals an area of 78.75 total inches.) Therefore, I drew an 8 x 10 inch rectangle on the underside of my parchment as a guide. (If you use Reynolds Parchment Paper, grid lines are already printed on the paper.)

A side note that my finished gluten free crescent dough weighs 1 lb and 1 oz. This equates to one more ounce of dough than Pillsbury. Therefore, these crescent triangles will be just a smidge thicker. I marked my paper off in four 2 in. sections. Then I cut each of those 2 inch sections on a diagonal, to achieve 8 triangles of dough.

Building a Gluten Free Crescent Ring

The first time I made a dish like this, I made the Pillsbury Taco Crescent Ring. I don’t know about you, but I’m a visual learner. Therefore, I was glad that post also had a video. I 100% confess that I watched it more than once, and stopped it so I could understand how the pieces laid down on top of each other.

Basically, the wider parts of your triangle will overlap, in the center of the ring. Personally, after laying them in a circle, I pressed down on the inner triangles to seal them together. From there, you simply place your filling in a ring along that edge. (See picture below.)

Other Gluten Free Crescent Ring Filling Options

This gluten free cheeseburger crescent ring is filled with beef, onions and sauce. I used ketchup and mustard as the sauce. However, you could substitute various other fillings to achieve other taste sensations.

• Seasoned Taco Meat
• Shredded chicken and Barbecue Sauce
• Italian Sausage and Pizza Sauce
• Tangy Lentil Sloppy Joe filling for a vegetarian option
• Bacon, Egg and Cheese
• and any other combinations you can think of!

Remember that my batch of dough equals two tubes of Pillsbury dough. Looking for a grain free version? Try this Taco Roll from My Table of Three.

Sesame Seeds – The Ninth Allergen

Some suggest coating this gluten free cheeseburger crescent ring with sesame seeds. I chose to do so. However, please be aware that sesame allergy is a very real thing. So real in fact, that last year Congress passed the FASTER Act which names sesame as a food allergen. It is already required labeling in the UK and Canada.

Whether you choose to add them or not, I suggest brushing the top of your cheeseburger crescent ring with either oil or melted butter. Each time I’ve made this the top of the crescent rings gets pretty toasty. While I haven’t tried it, you may want to consider covering the top of the ring with foil after 15 minutes of baking. Only to prevent over browning.

How to Top Your Gluten Free Cheeseburger Crescent Ring

Once your gluten free cheeseburger crescent ring is done baking, now comes the fun part. Eating! That center hole in the middle is perfect for all sorts of dips for your crescent ring. I think this Homemade Thousand Island Dressing from Simpy Whisked would pair with it perfectly.

Want to take it up a notch? Make a batch of this Homemade Buffalo Sauce from Veggie Balance. Even though we don’t eat pork, this Easy Skillet Bacon Jam from the Tablespoon website would be A. MA. ZING. Of course, simple pickle relish would be good. I’d definitely keep extra ketchup and mustard on hand for a quick drizzle, too.

What to Serve with a Cheeseburger Crescent Ring

To be honest, this is where I struggle. When considering the food groups, this meal covers grains, meat and dairy all in one go. Therefore, I suggest serving it with vegetables and fruit. These Easy and Tasty Roasted Carrot Fries from The Pretty Bee are a perfect lower carb version to French Fries!

Make a simple salad, or this fancy Caramelized Brussels Sprout Salad from Half Baked Harvest. Add some fruit, and the Best Fruit Dip Ever from Allergylicious. (Dairy free and nut free, too!) Of course, cookies always pair perfectly with any handheld meal. My Gluten Free Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies go great with everything!

Other Gluten Free Appetizers

As I write this, it’s December 23rd, 2019. New Year’s and the Super Bowl are just around the corner. This gluten free cheeseburger crescent ring would be fantastic served at either gathering. If you’re looking for more hand held eats, check out this post of 45 Gluten Free Super Bowl Party Appetizers from Celiac Mama.

Looking to wash this down with a cold beer? Check out the gluten free beer review on my site.

Print

Gluten Free Cheeseburger Crescent Ring

Equipment

• Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour, 3 Pounds, Certified Gluten Free Flour, 1:1 All Purpose Flour Substitution, Non-GMO, Kosher, Made in the USA
• Fleischmann’s Yeast, Active, Dry, 0.75-Ounce Packet (Pack of 9)
• Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper Roll, 60 Square Feet

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1 pkg active yeast
• 6 tbsp warm water 105-110 degrees
• 4 tbsp sugar divided
• 1 3/4 cup Gluten Free Flour I used 210 grams of Cup 4 Cup brand
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 c. butter softened, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the filling

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion diced
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tbsp mustard
• 1/2 – 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• melted butter or oil for brushing dough
• sesame seeds for garnish optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. (We are warming the oven to create an environment for proofing the dough. You will turn it off prior to putting the dough ball in the oven.) 
• To begin, proof your yeast. I use a glass 2 cup measuring cup to do this. Mix the yeast and 1 tbsp sugar together. To that, add your warm water and allow to proof for 5-10 minutes. It should easily double in size, if not more. 
• Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, combine the flour and chunks of softened butter. Using the paddle attachment, mix the flour and butter together. Do so until it all the butter is incorporated without large chunks. Transfer to a large glass bowl and set aside. 
• In the stand mixer, combine the egg, salt, 3 tbsp sugar and proofed yeast. Turn stand mixer on low, and allow to run until all ingredients are mixed together. 
• Slowly add the flour + butter mixture until a soft dough forms. Use a rubber scraper to make sure all bits of flour are incorporated. 
• TURN OVEN OFF. 
• Transfer ball of dough to the large glass bowl you previously used for the flour. Cover and place in warm, but turned off, oven. Allow to rest and rise for 60 minutes. 
• While dough is proofing, dice onion and saute in an oiled skillet for 5 minutes until almost transparent. Add one pound of ground beef. Cook until no red remains. Once meat is cooked, add in ketchup, mustard, and salt. Stir and set aside.  
• After the dough has risen, remove dough from oven and place on lightly floured parchment paper. (I find it helpful to draw an 8 x 10 rectangle on the underside of the parchment to use as a guide. Mark off 2 inch guide lines along the top and bottom of the rectangle.)
• Separate ball of dough into two equal 8.5 oz sections. Roll one portion of dough into an 8 x 10 rectangle. Cut into 4 equal sections, from top to bottom. Then, cut the 2 inch rectangles into triangles, by cutting along the diagonal. Then, repeat with the second portion of dough. (See photos above.) 
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Line a cookie sheet with a new piece of parchment paper. Arrange dough triangles in a circle, with the wide end of the triangle facing inwards. (See photo above.) 
• Spoon meat mixture around the inner edge of the circle created by the overlapping dough. Sprinkle shredded cheese (I recommend cheddar) on top of meat mixture. 
• To form the final ring, take the outer points of the crescent dough and pull over the meat mixture. Tuck the outer tip of the triangle underneath the bottom crescent base. (Watch the video for the taco crescent ring, linked in the top of my post, for a better visual. It's kind of hard to explain in words.) Repeat with all the triangle points until all the meat mixture is covered with dough.
• Brush melted butter or olive oil over dough, and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. (After I garnished mine, I gently pushed the crescent ring into a smaller and tighter circle.) 
• Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, turning the cookie sheet 180 degrees halfway through baking. You may want to place tinfoil over the top of the crescent ring halfway through baking, to prevent over browning of the dough.

**This post is not sponsored by any brand. All thoughts and opinions are my own. However, this post does contain affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**

First published December 2019

The post Gluten Free Cheeseburger Crescent Ring appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Best Apples for Baking

I first made apple dumplings years ago when I used to serve at the homeless shelter. However, they were made with Pillsbury crescent dough. Living with Celiac Disease, I wasn’t able to try them. Since then, I vowed that some day, I would make them. Today is that day!

Usually, I bake with whatever apples I have on hand. Usually Galas. However, I wanted to impress you all, so I chose Honeycrisp. However, I found that after these gluten free apple dumplings baked, the apple still seemed firm. Next time I will try something else. For recommendations, see What the Fork’s post on the best apples for baking.

Versatile Gluten Free Crescent Dough

These gluten free apple dumplings use my recipe for homemade gluten free crescent dough. Many people in Facebook groups ask about refrigerated, store bought dough. However, mine really isn’t hard to make.  If you’re searching for a crescent dough without eggs or dairy, try this vegan crescent roll recipe from Petite Allergy Treats.

I’ve used this dough to make many things. Of course, I’ve used it to make gluten free crescent rolls. However, it works great for these Easter themed Resurrection rolls and gluten free pigs in a blanket. You could also use  it to make this gluten free veggie pizza. It worked phenomenally well in this Pillsbury taco crescent ring recipe, too!

Mountain Dew? Can I Use Diet?

I always scratch my head over the debate over soda vs. pop. I live in Michigan, and people here say we’re supposed to call it pop. When I was a child, I called it pop. However, now I call it soda. Maybe because my husband’s grandmother worked at a “soda fountain” when she was in college. Who knows. I say call it whatever you want.

The signature ingredient in these gluten free apple dumplings is Mountain Dew. However, I researched other recipes that stated one can use Sprite. Some recipes state you can use Diet Mountain Dew if you want a reduced calorie option. You do you. I’ve actually made this with fresh apple cider, and it works just as well.

What Spices Do You Use In This Dessert?

The original Pillsbury recipe calls for adding cinnamon to the glaze for these gluten free apple dumplings glaze. However, I chose to step it up a notch and use A Saucy Kitchen’s recipe for DIY Apple Pie Spice. I made a half batch of her recipe, and still had plenty left over.

Of course, you can make the full batch and use it in all sorts of recipes. For instance, these Gluten Free Apple Pie Spice Snickerdoodles from Eat at our Table sound amazing! Or use it in these dairy free, Gluten Free Apple Muffins from Gluten Free Palate. Of course, you could simply sprinkle it on hot cereal or yogurt, too!

Print

Gluten Free Apple Dumplings

Equipment

• Dreamfarm Flapple | Fold-Flat Apple Corer
• Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour, 3 Pounds
• Organic Brown Sugar (3lb) –

Ingredients

For the gluten free crescent dough

• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 6 tbsp warm water 105*-110*
• 4 tbsp sugar divided
• 1 3/4 c. "Cup4Cup" brand Multipurpose flour 210 grams
• 1/4 c softened butter unsalted
• 1 egg room temperature
• 1/2 tsp salt
• add’l flour for rolling

For the dumplings

• 2 apples
• 3/4 c butter unsalted
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp apple pie spice see recipe below
• 1 c. Mountain Dew or Sprite

Apple Pie Spice (from A Saucy Kitchen) (YOU WILL NOT USE ALL IN RECIPE)

• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp allspice
• 3/4 tsp ginger

Instructions

• Start by pulling out your egg and butter from the fridge to allow them to come to room temperature. 15 minutes should be sufficient. Turn on the oven to 200 degrees. We are warming it only to create the ideal place to proof the dough. Once it comes to temperature, turn it off. 
• In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, combine 1 tbsp sugar and 6 tbsp warm water. (Ideal temperature is 105-110 degrees. Not warm enough and the yeast won’t react. Too hot and you’ll kill it. I use a thermometer to check mine.) Once the sugar is dissolved, add the yeast, give it a quick stir, and let it proof for 5-10 minutes. 
• While the yeast is activating, combine the flour and butter. I prefer to do this in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can also do this in a food processor or by hand with pastry cutter. 
• Transfer the flour to a large, glass bowl for later. Meanwhile, combine one room temperature egg, the remaining 3 tbsp of sugar, and the 1/2 tsp of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then add the proofed yeast and mix in the stand mixer on low. 
• Slowly add the flour + butter mixture until a dough forms. Transfer the dough ball back to the large glass bowl, and cover with a towel. 
• Place covered dough ball in TURNED OFF OVEN and allow the dough to rise for 90 minutes. 
• While that is rising, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger for the homemade apple pie spice in a small, sealable container. Set aside. 
• After dough has risen, remove from proofing area and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Split dough into two 8 oz dough balls. Roll each dough ball into separate 10 inch circles. Then, cut each circle into 8 wedges. 
• Peel and cut 2 medium apples, each into 8 slices. (I used honeycrisp apples for this recipe, which were huge. I cut each quarter into 3 slice, for a total of 12 slices per apple.) 
• Wrap each apple slice in one wedge of crescent dough. Do so by placing the apple slice near the large outside edge, and roll forward. 
• Transfer raw apple dumplings to a greased 9 x 13 pan. They will end up touching each other. 
• Place butter in a medium bowl and microwave for 30 seconds until melted. (This can also be done in a pot on the stove top if you prefer.) To that bowl, add the brown sugar, vanilla, and apple pie spice. (Do NOT add Mountain Dew yet.)  Stir to combine. 
• Pour the butter and brown sugar mixture over the raw apple dumplings. Then, pour the Mountain Dew (or Sprite) into the baking dish, but NOT over the dumplings themselves. 
• Place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm, with ice cream or whip cream on top. 

**This post is not sponsored. This post does contain affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Plus it keeps those annoying pop up ads off my site. Thank you for your continued support!**

Originally Published September 2019

The post Gluten Free Apple Dumplings appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.