Crunchmaster Game Day Appetizers

Photo Credit: Crunchmaster

Whether you watch the 'big game' for the game itself, or for the commercials, like I do, you definitely need some delicious snacks on hand. The following three recipes were provided to me by Crunchmaster which offers a fabulous array of certified gluten-free and non-GMO crackers and snacks. The recipes below were formulated by others (see credit after each for original source) using the delicious Crunchmaster crackers. 

Easy Gluten-Free Pear Cobbler

Every new year I always resolve to eat better, and every year I start out great with buying and eating my fruits and veggies, but as the year goes on my health-kick always dwindles. This year, however, is going to be different. Simply because I no longer have an excuse for not getting my fruits and veggies - I signed up for a program that delivers them right to my doorstep! How convenient is that??

Broccoli Ham Stroganoff

My job fluctuates between being a comfortable amount of busy and beyond busy quite often. This week is definitely one of those super crazy weeks. When that happens, I'm usually a zombie by the time I get home and certainly don't feel like putting a lot of effort into cooking. That's where recipes like this one can be life savers, or meal savers? Either way, easily do-able without much effort or brainpower. 

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

Steven loves burgers. He could probably eat them every day if I would allow him to. However, since I don't want him to actually turn into a burger, I like to find alternatives that are delicious, yet still satisfy his never-ending burger craving. Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta definitely does just that.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Pinterest is such a great resource for finding new and exciting dishes to try. I usually look for easy recipes that can be modified to be gluten-free by changing just a couple of the ingredients. My "Recipe Book" board is always growing with new things to try. This recipe is one of those that I found on Pinterest. The original recipe, "Kaytucky Chicken", is from Kayotic Kitchen's blog. I will be checking out more of her recipes since this one turned out fantastic!

BBQ Chip Crusted Cod

Cod and tilapia are great since they are mildly fishy, and bake or grill pretty quickly. Melanie happened to be over for dinner when I decided to make this recipe for BBQ Chip Crusted Cod. She had never tasted cod before, but was willing to give it a try. After her first bite, she said that she not only liked the fish, she also really liked the fish with the barbecue chip topping. Steven quickly agreed. Since this recipe was so easy and yummy, I will definitely be making it more often.

Gluten Free Yum Yum Coffee Cake

Fall is my favorite season. I love the crisp cool air, the smell of wood stoves burning, warm sweaters and scarves, baking, and the list goes on. Steven, Melanie, a good friend, and myself brought in the season this year by visiting ArtPrize in downtown Grand Rapids, and then adjourning home to bake my Mom's Yum Yum Coffee Cake. To really epitomize the season, we enjoyed our coffee cake with apple cider and vanilla ice cream.

Gluten Free Pasta Carbonara

Now that it is starting to get chilly out, my cravings for creamy comfort foods have increased. Go figure. I came across this recipe on Taste of Home's website and have made it several times. Steven and I agree that it's almost a restaurant-quality dish. It takes a little extra work due to having to cook the bacon and noodles and then mix everything together, but it's well worth the effort. The dish goes great with a good white wine and a side salad. 

Barbecue Jack Chicken

There's nothing like grilling out on a Friday night. The work week is over, so we can finally relax and enjoy the freedom of the weekend. 

Ranch Ham Pasta Dinner

By the end of the work week I am usually pretty exhausted, so finding meals that are easy to throw together the second I get home is always a must. This recipe comes from the Taste of Home Ultimate Five Ingredient cookbook, and whips up in 20 minutes or less. The original recipe calls for turkey, however, I don't typically have turkey on hand. By the time it's cooked up and cubed anyway it has already been 20 minutes. So I decided to give ham a try (I bought the pre-cubed ham from Meijer to save even more time). The dish was a little salty for my liking with the ham (I am not a salt fan), but Steven said it was perfect. As an additional modification, you can add a cup of sour cream for a creamier dish. Either way you make it, this is a quick and delicious recipe.

Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings

Sunday. A day of rest, relaxation, and family time. I have always enjoyed Sundays, whether they involve visiting the family and enjoying a meal together, or just lazing around at home. On those days when we stay home, I try to make a meal that is a little more involved than I normally would during the week. I say "a little" because I still prefer meals that come together quickly. What can I say, I'm a hungry girl. 

Grilled Chicken with Peach Sauce

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease about four years ago, I ate a lot of chicken and rice. They were the easiest and safest foods I knew of as I began my journey into gluten-free living. Since that time, chicken has always been my go-to for quick and delicious meals. However, I now like to mix things to take a boring piece of chicken and make it fabulous.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

I am not usually one for "from-scratch" recipes, however, there are some occasions that require a bit of culinary "showing-off", and making a cake from scratch is necessary. Especially a gluten-free cake.

Lazy Lasagna

Lazy lasagna is much like glorified spaghetti, except it tastes like lasagna and it doesn't require all the fuss. Don't get me wrong, I love lasagna (my mom has an excellent lasagna roll-up recipe), but if there's an easier way to make it, I'll take it.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

This is one of my favorite comfort food recipes, and it's one of my husband's favorites as well. I sampled from several different recipes until I came up with a one that fit my tastes, and my requirement for simplicity. This is such an easy dish to put together when I don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. I never quite make it the same way each time, but it always turns out soo good. 

Date Night

If you are frugal, like me, then you can appreciate a date night spent at home. Sure, we could have gone out and enjoyed the restaurant atmosphere and the $50 bill...but we opted to enjoy the summer before it ends by grilling some steaks, which were only $6, thank you.

Gluten Free Pepperoni Rigatoni

As promised, I will be providing you with easy, delicious, and most importantly, gluten-free recipes. Pepperoni Rigatoni is one of my favorite pasta dishes and it is beyond easy to make. 

This recipe was taken from Taste of Home's Ultimate Five Ingredient Recipes cookbook. I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone who doesn't have a whole lot of time to spend in the kitchen but still wants a wholesome meal. This is NOT a gluten-free cookbook, but since each recipe is only five (or less) ingredients, it's really easy to modify each to be gluten-free. I am confident this is not the only recipe you will see me post from this cookbook.

Pepperoni Rigatoni


You will need:
1 package (8 oz) rigatoni or large tube pasta (I use Hodgson Mill's GF Rice Penne)
1 Jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce (Prego Fresh Mushroom)
1/2 to 1/3 package (1-2 oz) sliced pepperoni, halved (Hormel Original)
1-2 cups (4-8 oz) shredded Mozzarella cheese (Kraft is always my cheese pick)

 











Preheat oven to 350°F

Cook pasta according to package directions (about 6 minutes for Hodgson Mill's Penne); drain. Add spaghetti sauce and toss to coat. Mix in halved pepperoni slices. Cover with cheese.


Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. 


If you're a cheese-lover like myself, sprinkle with some parmesan (Kraft) and dig in!

Blue Agave Sweetener

Since I mentioned using it in the Strawberry Shortcake recipe, I figured I might as well elaborate on the Organic Raw Blue Agave.

Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcakes

I went into Meijer this afternoon to get some cleaning supplies, and the first thing staring me in the face (other than the greeter, of course) were big, ripe strawberries. And they were on sale. So I grabbed two cartons and set my mind on making strawberry shortcake.

My Story

In 2008, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It took the doctors 6 months to figure out what was wrong with me. I was in constant pain, bloated, and tired all the time. Thinking I just needed a better diet, I was loading up on whole wheat and grains, which turns out was exactly the opposite of what I needed to do. My diagnosis came from finally being referred to a gastroenterologist who immediately told me to have an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, during which they biopsied my small intestine. The results came back that I had Celiac Disease (click the link to learn more).

The second I found out what the problem was, my Mom and I jumped on Google and started doing research. My mom was a complete lifesaver from the beginning until even now. She loaded up on rice Chex, rice, and hunted down other foods that I could have so I could start the gluten-free diet right away. I was amazed at how much better I felt after just one week. The pain was virtually gone, I was feeling more energized, and I could tell my overall quality of life was improving. Since that time, my Mom and I have experimented with many recipes and ingredients to create gluten-free dishes that were much like the gluten versions that we were used to.

In 2011, Steven and I were to be married and I was going to be living on my own for the first time since being diagnosed. At my bridal shower, my Mom gave me the best gift I could have ever asked for: she put all of my favorite gluten-free recipes together in a homemade cook book. This has been such an awesome resource for me, as well as the internet, and a couple other cookbooks I have bought.

Steven has been a great help and has offered so much support throughout all of this as well. He offers his honest opinions of all my experimentation, and he often helps me to cook. When I was first diagnosed, he quickly learned what to look for in ingredient lists, and has been able to determine if an item is gluten free or not ever since. I feel truly blessed to have such a great support system with Steven, my family, and even my friends too.

With Steven's encouragement, I finally decided to start a blog where I can share with the rest of the gluten-free community my findings and recipes. I am very excited to be able to help others make food that is easy and doesn't require weird or tasteless ingredients. I pride myself in being able to find quick substitutes for gluten-containing ingredients, and keeping up with finding gluten-free national brands. You will find many items you recognize, and some that you may be excited to learn are gluten-free. I will also share with you the best-tasting substitutes I have found for those items that will never be gluten-free (breads, pastas, etc.).

Please feel free to post comments, feedback, and suggestions. I would love to hear the things that you have found, as well as how my recipes work for you. This is a place where we can all learn from each other.

Enjoy!