Gluten-Free Barbecue: Tips & Buffalo Chicken Dip
When you hear the 4th of July you probably think fireworks, cold drinks, good company, and… food.
Holidays tend to be breeding grounds for food anxiety (or feeling left out) when you have celiac disease, or any restrictive diet. You may feel left out, or even reminiscent of a time when you didn’t have to worry about what you could put in your mouth and how it was made.
As we approach the 4th, allow yourself to remove any anxiety associated with holidays. They are a time to relax and enjoy yourself, not a time to stress yourself out over food. I’ve put together a comprehensive guide to the 4th, take a deep breath and enjoy your day off!
Your Guide to a Gluten-Free Barbecue
To share:
Buffalo chicken dip is always a crowd-pleaser, and it’s typically gluten-free! Bringing something to share that everyone will enjoy will ease your anxieties over eating different, gluten-free food than everyone else, and tastes so good (I would be fine with only buffalo chicken dip…). If you’re anything like me, nothing is spicy enough. Every buffalo chicken dip I eat lacks the level of spice I’m expecting. My recipe is very hot, but it’s seriously the best one I’ve ever tried. Make sure you bring gluten-free chips with you, and eat first before it’s contaminated by unsafe crackers/chips. My favorites are Siete chips!
Buffalo Chicken Dip
½ cup hot sauce (I use Frank’s Xtra Hot)
8 oz cream cheese
¾ cup shredded mozzarella
2.5 cups shredded chicken
Optional: add ranch or blue cheese to make it less hot!
Mix everything together, and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
To bring:
Gluten-free buns, and tinfoil
Why? Most of the time, meat being grilled is gluten-free, given that no sauces or marinades have been added yet. Hand whoever is grilling a burger/hot dog/chicken wrapped in tinfoil, to protect your food from contamination on the grill from sauces, buns, etc.
You won’t get sick, and you’ll feel better knowing you get to eat the same foods as everyone else!
To drink:
- White Claws or Trulys
- Lydon’s Lemonade or Iced Tea
- Glutenberg beers
- Angry Orchards
If none of these ideas sound good, I have an entire blog post on gluten-free alcohol!
I hope everyone has a great 4th of July, free of food anxiety or being glutened!
Tag me in your pictures on Instagram, I’d love to see what you’re up to :)
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