BBQ's and Potlucks at a Gluten Free Home

We decided to have a potluck at our home.  We invited friends and family, but decided that we didn't want to put up a wall of rules of what can and can not be brought into the house.  We were worried it may become too confusing, or others may not understand correctly, and that most improtantly, it would not build that welcoming experience we want people to have.  So we basically made it a free-for-all and we would make it our task to work with what others brought into the house.

This is how we worked with gluten in the house:

We supplied the main meal and decided to have a BBQ.  We went to M&M Meats to see what gluten free products they had.  They have a pure beef burger patty, and a chicken patty that are gluten free.  We then went to Superstore and purchased regular buns for our guests and then to Kinnikinnick and picked up their english muffins to use as a bun for Amanda.

*Remember to check the M&M Meats allergen guides they have in store.

We let everyone else bring whatever they wanted, gluten or gluten free.  We also purchased paper plates, plastic cutlery and recyclable cups for drinks.  We wanted everyone to feel comfortable in the house and not have to tip toe around what they can and can't bring into the house.

With filled small bowls with condiments that were spreadable.  This helped avoid the actual jars being contaminated with crumbs from the buns.  Any leftovers in the bowl were just thrown out.

This allowed Amanda to control what she ate.  The meat on the BBQ was all gluten free.  Her burger went straight from the BBQ to her gfree bun, and she was able to use the regular condiments from the jars while everyone else used the comdiments in the dishes.  The paper plates were used to avoid over cleaning all our dishes.  Any dishes we did have to use were cleaned in a dishwasher for a thorough clean.

Everyone had a great time, and I don't think anyone really noticed Amanda eating anything different, although most were aware of her gluten allergy.  Everything worked out perfectly.

If you do decide to allow gluten in the house for a BBQ, let us know how it goes and if you have any further tips to share.