My Gluten Free Wedding Reception

[laurelfla]

Hi, alll!

I'm planning a gluten-free reception for my wedding in December! I know that there was a thread on here somewhere about gluten-free reception ideas, but I can't find it (although I've found stuff about cakes and whatnot) when I search. Any help with that or any ideas you all can give me would be very welcome! Here's what I have so far:

cheeses,

fruit, fruit dip (the cream cheesey sugary one) and chocolate sauce

veggies, dip (the one with dill and yogurt)

mashed potato bar (everyone goes through the line, gets mashed potatoes and then chooses toppings -- cheese, garlic sauce, etc.)

The cake is already taken care of (a friend is making it).

Thanks in advance!!

[Lisa]

Cucumber with cream cheese with smoked salmon with a sprig of fresh dill

Grill pork tenderloin with honey mustard dip

Various cheeses and fruit and pate

Marinated asparagus

Tomato topped with fresh Mozzarella cheese with balsamic dressing with fresh parsley

Strawberries dipped in chocolate

[laurelfla]

Thank you Momma Goose!

I forgot to mention above (although it's probably clear) that this is more or less a cocktail-type reception (not a sit-down dinner), happening around 4pmish.

[confused]

  laurelfla said:

Hi, alll!

I'm planning a gluten-free reception for my wedding in December! I know that there was a thread on here somewhere about gluten-free reception ideas, but I can't find it (although I've found stuff about cakes and whatnot) when I search. Any help with that or any ideas you all can give me would be very welcome! Here's what I have so far:

cheeses,

fruit, fruit dip (the cream cheesey sugary one) and chocolate sauce

veggies, dip (the one with dill and yogurt)

mashed potato bar (everyone goes through the line, gets mashed potatoes and then chooses toppings -- cheese, garlic sauce, etc.)

The cake is already taken care of (a friend is making it).

Thanks in advance!!

instead of a mashed potato bar, what about an baked potato bar.

can u get lunch meat and have leaf wrapped sandwhiches

paula

[JNBunnie1]

Hi Laurel. How about a 'salad' reception? Tuna salad, chicken salad, (rice) pasta salad, three bean salad, cole slaw, fermented veggie salad, egg salad, green salad, tomato mozz salad, potato salad, german potato salad, fruit salad, ambrosia, jello salad. The word salad is starting to look funny, isn't it? Most of this stuff is low-mess and cold to boot. I have some recipes I like for specifics on this list, just an idea!

[amybeth]

There's a sausage recipe - baked with applesauce and onion.....I may have found it on allrecipes.com -- my family calls it cider sausage.

Its very very good by itself - or on rice crackers.

We used to eat it on Wheat Thins before going gluten-free.

Easy, quick, and lots of flavor.

If you want to use it and cannot find it on allrecipes, PM me -- I just moved but I can try to track down the box with the recipes in it.

It's easy -- only those 3 ingredients.

[blueeyedmanda]

This is very interesting. It is good for me as well. I am having my wedding/reception in October.

Good Luck Laurel!

[laurelfla]

Thanks so much, everybody! i am taking note of all the suggestions. here's another question -- what would you have people dip into artichoke dip with? i'm trying to avoid anything that will be weird without gluten, plus the expense of substituting gluten-free products (trying to economize as much as possible)... so i don't know how feasible gluten-free crackers would be. there might be 200 people there... or more... should i just ax the dip? i guess it's not central to the party but i want lots of yummy foods that i am crazy about!

blueeyedmanda, good luck to you as well! keep us posted! i am having a ball.

[Lisa]

With your artichoke dip, on a small scale I would do rice crackers. Carrots and celery would be more economical.

We just had a wedding for my daughter in June for 400 of my closest and dearest friends.

Just remember that you don't have to have a great deal of food, just enough to nibble. I would also recommend that you have several food areas. People like to nibble and talk. One long buffet table would cause a congestion.

Here is what we served:

Seasoned Smoked Pork Tenderloin, with various mustard's, and wild rice

Smoked Whole Salmon served with a Caesar Salad, Crackers (you could have it on your salad or

on a cracker with cream cheese.

Various cheeses, pates and fruit on large marble slabs

Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella with balsamic dressing.

Strawberries dipped in chocolate

Grooms Cake (a southern thing)

Wedding Cake

We had three food stations, with small luncheon plates and every food station could create an entire meal. The wedding was at 5:30 so we needed to have some hearty food.

Best of luck to the two of you

Oh, instead of a mash potato bar, you can boil or roast some baby red potatoes and season with Mrs. Dash and olive oil and use toothpicks to eat..

[Q1821]

I got married last June, it was a really small wedding but we served lots of veggies and fruit, also some cheese, meat and crackers. It wasn't totally gluten-free and I'm kinda glad, because I was so excited, that all I ate was gluten-free cake (which turned out amazing). It will all come together, best of luck!

[mandigirl1]

I'm getting married in 3 months and need to find out how I should get a gluten-free cake? I always said that at my own wedding, I will have a cake I can eat and enjoy. Who wants to miss out on wedding cake!!! LOL

If anyone has ideas........

thanks!!!!!!

[Generic]

It depends on where you live. There are many bakeries out there now that are gluten-free.

[TrillumHunter]

  laurelfla said:

-- what would you have people dip into artichoke dip with?

We dip corn tortilla chips into artichoke dip--yummy! You could serve some salsa fresca to eat with them as well.

Congratulations!

Monica

[janelyb]

what about a mexican theme???? Beans,Rice and enchaladas or tacos....I went to 1 wedding that had mexican and it was yummy.

whoops just saw it's not sit down dinner...well then taquitos go well with any occassion.....

[janelyb]

  laurelfla said:

Thanks so much, everybody! i am taking note of all the suggestions. here's another question -- what would you have people dip into artichoke dip with? i'm trying to avoid anything that will be weird without gluten, plus the expense of substituting gluten-free products (trying to economize as much as possible)... so i don't know how feasible gluten-free crackers would be. there might be 200 people there... or more... should i just ax the dip? i guess it's not central to the party but i want lots of yummy foods that i am crazy about!

blueeyedmanda, good luck to you as well! keep us posted! i am having a ball.

corn tortilla chips would go well with artichoke dip

[chocolatelover]

Here are a few more to add to your collection:

Cocktail Meatballs

2 lbs ground beef

1 cup gluten-free corn flake crumbs

2 Tbs soy sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

2 large eggs

3 Tablespoons dried parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/3 cup ketchup

2 Tbs instant onion flakes

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

1 12 oz bottle chili sauce

2 Tbs firmly packed brown sugar

1 Tbs bottled lemon juice

In large bowl, combine beef, cornflakes, parsley, eggs, soy sauce, pepper, garlic powder, ketchup and minced onion. Blend well. Form into small balls the size of walnuts. Arrange on a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2" pan.

In medium saucepan, combine cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is smooth and cranberry sauce has melted. Pour over meatballs and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 60 meatballs.

**I did mine in a large roasting pan. Can be done ahead of time and simply reheated. A favorite!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hummus

2 cloves garlic

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained

1/3 cup tahini

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup water

3 TBS olive oil

1/4 tsp cayenne

salt

Drop garlic into a blender or food processor with the motor running; whirl to mince. Add garbanzos, tahini, lemon juice, water, 2 TBS oil, and cayenne; whirl smooth. Scrape into a bowl; drizzle with remaining oil. Serve, or chill airtight up to 1 day, then bring to room temperature. Add salt to taste. Makes about 3 cups. Can be served with chips, crackers, or vegees for dipping.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lemon Flank Steak Skewers

2/3 cup olive oil

4 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons salt

4 pounds flank steak

Lemon Dipping Sauce

16 ounces light sour cream

1 Tablespoon horseradish

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients in a ziploc bag and add flank steak cut into 1/4" slices diagonally. Chill 8 hours or overnight.

Place wooden skewers in water to cover and soak 30 minutes. Thread steak onto skewers. Grill over med/high heat about 5 minutes on each side with lid closed.

(For dipping sauce, simply combine ingredients and chill).

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Mexican Cheesecake Appetizer

Crust

1 1/2 cups tortilla chips finely crushed

1/4 cup butter melted (maybe more)

Baked Center

19 ounces cream cheese softened

2 large eggs

2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese with

jalapeno peppers

4 1/2 ounces chopped green chilies -- drained

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

Topping

1 cup sour cream -- (8 oz.)

1/2 cup red bell pepper -- finely chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper -- finely chopped

1/2 cup yellow bell pepper -- finely chopped

1/2 cup green onion -- chopped

1 medium tomato -- chopped

2 Tablespoons finely chopped olive

1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley chopped

(optional)

1. For the crust, crush tortilla chips into fine pieces (like a crushed graham cracker crust) and mix with melted butter. Press into a 9" spring form pan and bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. May want to line the base of the pan with parchment paper.

2. For the baked center, mix all baked center ingredients and pour over crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

3. Let the cheesecake cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so. Use a knife to cut around the edges of the pan and remove the outside of the spring form pan. Cool completely on wire rack, or in refrigerator.

4. Cover cheesecake with sour cream, cover and refrigerate long enough to set the cheesecake and sour cream layer.

5. When ready to serve put the chopped toppings on and serve with tortilla chips.

This makes a beautiful presentation and can be done ahead of time. Don't put toppings on until ready to serve or they will get watery.

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Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear

16 thin slices pancetta

16 teaspoons soft fresh goat cheese (from 5-ounce log)

2 ripe small pears -- halved, cored, cut

into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 450

[tabasco32]

Food Network.

google food network on your computer.

They have tons of recipes and Ideas for food and many with no gluten.

lots of desert and drink recipes also.

[laurelfla]

thank you so much to everyone, for your ideas and especially the recipes! i hadn't been able to check this before my first meeting with the caterer yesterday, but i'll be sure to mention these the next time I see her.

it went really well! the first thing she asked me was how many people had to eat gluten free. when i said really just me and my sister, i could tell she was about to try to talk me into just having a couple of gluten-free items, but by George it's my day and i am a healthy eater! i know everyone says the bride never eats but i am determined to be the exception. plus i get really insanely grouchy when i am hungry. anyway, so i explained to her that this diet is something i have to worry about on a daily basis, and on a day with so much contact with other people (handshakes, kisses on the cheek, etc) the last thing i want to worry about is crumbs. (i know several of you here on the board don't agree but it's no more expensive to do a gluten-free reception and no less practical; the only big thing is the cake and my best friend's mom had already offered to make it, as long as i give her the ingredients and the recipe.)

so now she is fully on board and i was able to write down the brands she uses and even read some ingredients right there on the spot. she also made some suggestions. i feel really good about it and really excited. we met in the church and it was so thrilling to walk around the sanctuary and discuss the details! it still feels so far away but i guess 7 months might fly by.

Thank you all again and if you have more ideas, keep 'em coming! We are planning on around 200 to feed, so suggestions on the more economical side are best.

[steveindenver]

If you want to hold down on expenses, depending on what you are doing for flowers, Costco is the way to go. We spent $300 for roses at Costco and it was amazing - we got over 40 dozen roses and arranged them all in simple glass vases. You can pre-order in advance the colors you want, and they'll do their best to get them for you (the floral area is a 3rd party at Costcos).

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa86/si...ilor/roses4.webp

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa86/si...ilor/roses3.webp

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa86/si...ilor/roses2.webp

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa86/silktailor/roses.webp

As for food - you've got the cake taken care of (yeah! VERY important!). Other ideas for a cocktail party are bruschetta (Bette Hageman's French Bread recipe makes great crostinis!), marinated mushrooms, stuffed mushrooms (yum!) or even shrimp cocktail!

And yes, it's your day so if you want to do it all gluten-free, DO IT! You're paying the caterer, so they should follow your requests!

Have fun!