Church Dinner - Gluten Free, Vegetarian & Kid Friendly - Help!

Updated on January 07, 2012
H.G. asks from Mount Joy, PA
10 answers

So I volunteered (I know) to prepare a special dinner for a visiting missionary. The dinner will be on a Saturday night and will be served to a total of 17 people including the missionary, Pastor and his family and the Deacons and their families. The group includes 7 children ranging from age 7-17 (this is the least of my worries). There is also a vegetarian who DOES eat dairy (thank goodness) and eggs and one completely Gluten free person who is sensitive to cross-contamination of any and all wheat products. The vegetarian has offered to bring a side dish (she is Indian and makes delicious fried veggie things). Someone will bring a salad, so that's covered. The wife of the Gluten free person will bring a dessert. Someone else will make a few other desserts (I'm not a good baker).

So my question is - what do I serve for the main meal? I'd like it to be something that doesn't have to be timed perfectly as the missionary is flying in and could possibly be delayed. I was thinking I'd make a side dish of broccoli cheese quiche without a crust - that should cover the vegetarian & gluten free person somewhat. What should I make for the main dinner? I can cook just about anything so that's not a problem. I'm just stumped as to what would keep well and would please most of the guests. Any ideas?

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

L.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I'd cook a roast of some sort or a roast chicken. The vegetarian will be happy with the Indian food, the salad, the quiche, and the broccoli. You need to stay away from lasagna and baked ziti, which keep well, but are not gluten free. You can make a pulled pork and use Baby Ray's Original which is gluten free... that's yummy, keeps in the crockpot, and goes really fast!
You cannot sweat all of these food issues. It is the responsibility of those with allergies and issues to either bring their own food or make due with what is there. I have friends with allergies and others with gluten free kids who bring something they can eat, take their servings out first, and do just fine.
LBC

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.C.

answers from Des Moines on

Vegetarian Chilli -- double check the ingredients but it should be naturally gluten free, it's hearty and filling AND easy!

You can make it a bar and offer baked potatoes and hot dogs for those who want something besides plain chilli and offer toppings like cheese and onions and corn chips.
Corn bread to go with would be easy and depending on the recipe is naturally gluten free (http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2011/01/green-chili... is a fancy gluten free corn bread)

5 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.W.

answers from Eugene on

How about making something that can be served buffet style so each person can pick and choose what toppings they'd like. For example, a burrito bar with a choice of flour or corn (gluten free) tortillas and other ingredients in separate bowls: beans, cubed chicken, ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, salsa.... Or you could cook a big pot of rice with bowls of toppings like teriyaki chicken, mexican chili, stir fried vegetables.

3 moms found this helpful

J.✰.

answers from San Antonio on

I was going to say something similar to Sarah - a vegetarian chili or bean soup. (All recipes has a lot of them!) It can stay hot in the crock pot. Have crackers on the side and cheese on the side for those who want to add it. This one has great reviews and looks easy enough (you can decide to nix the 'vegetarian burger crumbles' or leave it in and let the vegetarian know what's inside). http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-vegetarian-chili-in...

Good luck. And Kudos for trying to make everyone happy!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.W.

answers from New York on

You can turn any one of your vegetarian pasta recipes gluten free by using gluten free corn noodles. Just make sure that the sauce is GF if you are buying it. There are also a lot of soup options that you could make that would be GF just stop at the store and get a loaf of GF bread to go along. Hope this helps!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from Huntsville on

Wow, you certainly have a challenge! Wish I could ask my mom & sister for ideas - Mom is allergic to dairy, sister to gluten!

Would the cheese in your broccoli cheese quiche not count as a dairy the vegetarian won't eat?

I started to say potato soup with shredded cheese and bacon bits on the side (for those who desired), but I'm not sure if you can make the soup non-dairy??? lol

I think I'm too tired to think! Hopefully someone will have some great ideas!

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

Quinoa "spaghetti" and sauce would do the trick and make the kids happy!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.C.

answers from Madison on

Thank you for being so considerate of those of us with food allergies and intolerances! It's nice that others think about those of us who can't eat "normal" food like everyone else. Like the one poster stated, those of us with food issues should just find something or eat beforehand--that completely defeats the entire purpose of getting together for the meal, which is that everyone is supposed to be eating TOGETHER!

My daughter is in pre-confirmation at church and we have to get together the first Weds of the month for supper and fellowship after. It is very, very seldom that anyone thinks of those of us with food issues and makes us something we can eat. If my daughter and I didn't eat our own supper ahead of time (again, defeating the purpose of everyone eating together, communing, and breaking fast), at the last meeting all I would have had to subsist on for supper was one cup of lettece salad (and very weak/cheap salad at that) and two pieces of pineapple. We were feeding about 40-50 people, so it's not like I can load up with a plateful of lettuce and fruit just for me!!

And to top it off, our pastor is a vegetarian.

Next month, the mom of a boy with Celiac disease and I got together (my daughter and I have gluten intolerance) and we're going to make sure that three-fourths of the supper--if not the entire supper--can safely be eaten by everyone there. I'm making a wild rice/bacon/mushroom combo and some gluten-free choc chip cookies from scratch as my contribution. (Sorry, but the pastor will have to pick out the bacon if he doesn't want to eat it.)

So I understand where you're coming from totally!

Go to the Web site Livingwithout.com and check out their receipes. They have lots of gluten and dairy free ideas, and many times, you can also find lots of receipes that will also work as vegetarian. And they will give you substution ideas.

Making gluten-free spaghetti/noodles and gluten-free pasta would help cover everyone nicely, along with a nice lettuce salad. Then you could make ground hamburger or ground chicken separately, and whoever wants meat on their spaghetti can do so. You could buy the Chebe mix that is gluten-free (made out of cassava) and make small buns for everyone. I usually put sheep cheese in the mix, but you can make them plain/without, and I use rice or almond or coconut milk in place of cow dairy. And if you make a gluten-free desert, like some cookies, then everyone can eat it. My family LOVES Pamela's chocolate choc. chip cookie mix. I make them with goat butter, but you can probably also make them with palm oil spread.

Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.K.

answers from Wichita on

I will try to think of some suggestions but wanted to say that I'm so happy that you are making an effort to try to accommodate everyone attending. We have multiple food allergies in my family between 3 of my children and myself and some of my close family members won't take the time to try to make sure we have safe options. It always makes me feel good when I read that others do take the time out to try and make safe items for other people. Thank you for doing this, I'm sure that those in attendance will be extremely appreciative of your effort.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.Y.

answers from New York on

Rice dishes are gluten-free, so perhaps you could make a meat-free risotto (just make sure all the other ingredients are gluten free). You could add cheese to the risotto to make it a little more hearty. Bean chili could also work.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions