[pinit] When I post gluten free Thanksgiving recipes, we all get excited! And then sometimes you say sweetly and expectantly, ‘I can’t wait to see what else you have in store for Thanksgiving!’ And then … I get nervous. To say I don’t want to let you down is a giNORmous understatement. I want you to make The Thanksgiving To Remember. We’ve moved beyond “good, for gluten free,” to just plain “Good.” And now, that’s old news. Now, we’re on to BETTER than that. And I’m not just talking about gluten free bread. I’m talking about everything on that holiday table. And since no holiday table is complete without casseroles—like the ever-present GBC—we need more. Like light and fluffy gluten free spoonbread.
Like most dishes made with perfectly ordinary, simple ingredients, and not too many of them, spoonbread can go terribly wrong without the proper recipe. The ingredient proportions must be right, and the method must be spot-on. This spoonbread hits all the right notes. Plus the grated carrots add a bit of texture, plenty of nutrition and lots of color.
Not to spoil the recipe for or anything, but there are two secrets to the success of this particular spoonbread recipe. First, let the cornmeal and milk mixture cool before you add the egg yolks, fercryingoutloud! Otherwise, you’ll scramble the egg yolks, and ew. Just ew. Second, beat the egg whites with a wee bit of cream of tartar. It helps stabilize the beaten egg whites so they hold their shape and do their thing even after being folded into the rest of the batter. Because everybody knows that no matter how many times a recipe says “gently” and “carefully” when it comes to folding beaten egg whites into something much heavier, like a cornmeal mixture, those egg whites are going to deflate at least a bit. Give ’em a fighting chance with some cream of tartar, and a light and fluffy spoonbread will grace your holiday table. And … go ahead and say it: can’t wait to see what we make next! (me either!)
HELLO! I’m Nicole! I make gluten-free food enjoyable & affordable. If they can make it with gluten, we can make it without. That’s a promise!
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Any suggestions for making this ahead. If I do it tonight, will it be good for Thursday & should I cook it or complete batter & refrigerate til cooking time? Feedback much appreciated as gluten-free cooking is very new to me :) I bought the kindle book & look forward to reading it soon.
Hi, Amy, it’s really tough to make spoonbread ahead of time, I’m afraid. That’s not a gluten free issue (it’s naturally gluten free). That’s just a soufflé issue. The beaten egg whites won’t hold their shape if you make the batter ahead of time, so that’s definitely out. If you want to make the finished dish ahead of time, it will fall but if you keep it tightly wrapped it should still taste good. Hope that helps!
Really different and unique adding carrots corn pudding!
I never knew cream of tartar was used to hold stiff egg whites, I only ever use it to make my own baking soda when it runs out and i can’t get to the store. Something new to learn from you everyday, I’ll have to apply this knowledge to other recipes. Thank you!
Maybe I’m losing my mind (a real possibility!), but I don’t see when you add the carrots?
Anneke! It’s me who is losing her mind (of course). I just revised the recipe. It’s right after the egg yolks that the grated carrots go in. Thank you for pointing that out! *mwah*
Thank you, I will definitely be making this and it needed its carrots! :)
Good job, Anneke. You passed Nicole’s test to see who actually reads and makes the recipes! You’re one step closer to a star on the GFOAS Walk of Fame! I aspire to that one day. ;)
Ooooohh!! A star!!
Okay, I must have lived a sheltered life because I never heard of spoon bread before! Oh, I must try this dish! Organic Corn Meal added to the shopping list. Nicole, for apple pie, which crust recipe should I use? I have BB, so do I need to make your hack for cup for cup? I am attempting first ever GF apple pie this weekend and going in the freezer for T-Day!
Mare I answered your pie question on the other post, but I’ll also be posting a pie recipe today that you can use as a guide. :)
Ok – since I am totally a “can’t wait to see what will be next” offender, I’ll just say…. Yum – this spoon bread looks awesome and may have to be a new tradition for us. I can’t say I’ve even ever had this type of dish before but I love stuff like this. It might just have to show up on a Tuesday night. I’m going to put this on my menu for next week!
Can I sub Ghee for the butter?
shouldn’t be a problem. give it a whirl!
Yes it does. Nice to know the why. Thank you.
Would this work with Masa Harina? I have both, just wondering.
Hi, Lisa, It wouldn’t. Masa harina is a precooked cornmeal, and it behaves very differently from regular coarsely ground cornmeal. Hope that helps!